One reason I have dedicated my life to overseas mission work is the inspiration and challenge of those who have come before me. Particularly, the legacy missionaries of the past whose great biographies have withstood the test of time. Periodically, I find great encouragement in returning to some of these stories.
To The Golden Shore: The life of Adoniram Judson written by Courtney Anderson is probably the most well-known biography on the life of Adoniram Judson. Judson’s life in itself is a gripping tale of faithfulness in the midst of challenge. This slightly aged book (originally published in 1956) brings just enough age to transport the reader closer to the original story through its phrasing and vocabulary. Courtney’s playful and vivid storytelling bring to life the telling of Adoniram Judson’s life as if it were yesterday.
The details of Adoniram Judson’s life are well known and easy enough to discover via a quick google search. Thus, I will reserve this blog for a recounting of those things which struck me strongest through this reading on the life of Adoniram Judson.
1. A man of conviction, no matter what the cost – Adoniram Judson was not afraid to stand out among a crowd, I suppose a characteristic that all missionaries need to some degree. He was a man of action. When he believed something, he saw no other choice but to act on it. This was seen in many ways such as his ministry strategy – the Burmese needed the word of God, he translated diligently. There was a need to gain governmental acceptance for their missionary work, he moved to Ava to give his best at gaining public favor for Burmese Christians. Probably the most notable act of conviction was during his earliest days as a missionary. Even on the ship to Asia he dove deep into a study of Baptism. Adoniram had been sent a Congregationalist, he was baptized as an infant. However, he wrestled with what he saw scripture teaching about baptism and after further study parted way with the newly formed mission board he had worked so hard to begin and became a Baptist. He didn’t know if the baptist churches in America, which he had never actively participated in would accept him, let alone support him. This also meant parting ways with some of his closest friends and co-workers.
2. Very human – Adoniram made mistakes, often our “heros of the faith” can get buried beneath the façade of our imagination. But Adoniram would have been, and frankly was the first to point out his own sinfulness and humanness. Adoniram was sometimes domineering, and quite likely scared off a few missionaries, especially in his early days on the field. He was at times hurtfully frank and forthright. While in prison Judson nearly threw punches with a fellow missionary in chains (p.327), not the best story for a missionary newsletter. But he loved Jesus, was faithful, and found refuge and forgiveness in Christ. As a missionary myself it is comforting to know that even the great “mission heroes” of the past still wrestled with their own weaknesses and flesh.
3. Counted the cost – Probably one of the most striking aspects of Judson’s story is the long road of suffering he endured for the sake of getting the gospel to the Burmese. From the beginning of his missionary journey Judson expected nothing less than challenges and even death. This is seen in a proposal letter to Nancy’s (his first wife) father asking for Nancy’s hand in marriage:
“I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life…her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress, to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death.” (p.83)
Judson counted the cost of service in the loss of life around him. He lost two wives and seven children to sickness and disease. He spent more than a year as a prisoner in brutal conditions and suffered persecution and many setbacks in his ministry and work.
Even in the missionary task itself. Adoniram dedicated himself to places that would further the long-term furtherance of the gospel in Burma rather than pursuing that which pleased himself. He spent years in dedicated labor over the translation of the scriptures and then successively translating a Burman/English dictionary.
For Adoniram Judson, signing up for the missionary life was signing away all of one’s rights. It was a lifetime commitment, not a test of the waters.
4. Behind every great man is a great woman (and three in Adoniram’s case) – It has often been said that, “behind every great man is a great woman.” This is no less true of Adoniram Judson. In fact, his biography would be far less interesting and eventful if it wasn’t for the devotion, sacrifice, partnership, and boldness of his first wife Nancy. And the wisdom, compassion, and commitment of his second wife Sarah. Although, his final wife Anne was a much smaller character in the book and his life story, she also carried a strong spirit of sacrifice, leaving a successful writing career to be a mother to two small boys without a mother and learn a difficult language in the shadow of a “master missionary”.
5. Strange, but reasonable parenting – It is difficult for the 21st century missionary parent to imagine sending their small elementary aged child back to the US to grow up without parents, and only the possibility to visit once or twice in their childhood. However, one must remember that very few missionaries with children saw their children live into adulthood due to the raging diseases which ravaged life in South Asia. The Judson’s truly felt they were saving their children’s lives by sending them back to America, and they were probably right. I imagine some of these early habits lead to the boarding school establishments which raised numerous MK’s for decades, as a better option than leaving one’s children in the US.
At 530 pages, it is no small read. However, it is an easy and pleasant read and generally flows well with the exception being the last quarter of the book which seems to reflect an eagerness by the author to finish the project, as well as a slowing pace of conflict and struggle in comparison to the earlier parts. Although it is full of quotes from letters and journals, there is very little referencing in the book. I would have appreciated a more detailed account of where information was found.
To the Golden Shore is a classic, must-read missionary book on my account. Inspirational, informative, and challenging to one’s missionary spirit.