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E-book Triumphant Love : The contextual, creative and strategic missionary work of Amy Beatrice Carmichael in south India

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Penilaian

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Disciples of Christ follow him, the Lamb of God, wherever he goes. They don’t imitate him, it is just the opposite; to follow the Lamb is to deny oneself, to give away one’s own wants and wishes and like a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die. This is the way to bear much fruit for the glory and honour of God.Looking at this magnificent image of Amy (Figure 2) convinces us that it shows exactly as it appears at first sight: an image with great persuasive power. It brings the modern viewer to feel so close not just to the history this picture presents, but to Amy herself. This image reminds me of the paintings of the subtle 17th century Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer; it captures a small corner of the visible world in its totality. The serene peace and joy provide a reflection of the fascination it holds for the viewer, avoiding everything that can disturb the inner equilibrium – a picture of poignant and pregnant stillness. The face in this picture is a text, often difficult to read or to explain. A text from which the past speaks; a life lived and a life being lived, for it shows the future in the expectation of a full life and it shows the present too, that is, the one of the picture.This picture is a dual text: the person we meet in the picture, what it shows us, also in her face and in what she wrote. What do we see? Which spirit do we encounter seeing her in the face? A very self-effacing woman, who almost never allowed her photograph to be taken. Pictures of her are rare, and we are glad to have some. The question now arises: What kind of image do they evoke? Which spirit does that face reflect? Is this what she looks like according to what she wrote? Can we discover something from that face? A missionary, asked to give her impression after having seen this picture for the first time, said: ‘I see genuine love’.A face that tells us that her life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3), that she does not yet appear what she shall be (1 Jn 3:2). It is a face telling us that she rested in the presence of a gracious God. The appearance expresses which kind of spiritual child someone is. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks and the eye looks compassionate. She has something special. The Lord had imprinted on her a character of such a great majesty, holding unto the vision and the voice, convinced it was given her from above. A mere look at the picture gives me the feeling that she was spiritually different from the common run of people one meets. I see in her a person of rare spiritual qualities increasing my interest the more I know of her. She personified an inner beauty, which is from the transcendental world. She embodied the nobility and the beauty of a soul in full love and rest in God. By her strength of mind, she possessed an inner power, which outweighed all the evil she discovered and difficulties she faced in the running of the Dohnavur Fellowship. She lived with such an intensity in which she unreservedly gave herself and was open for what the Lord gave her to do.The longer I studied her life and work, the more I had to look her in the face. Her eyes look at the children from a gently expressive face, and her whole gesture tells us that with her thoughts she dwells at the bosom of the Saviour and with the children she cared for. Looking at her picture I see what is so rarely seen: a saved person, a servant of the Lord looking like him. The closer this person grows to the resemblance of God, the more the image of God lightens her face, a servant of God looking on to God. We look at her face from that perspective. We see a Christian who trusts. Behind this old picture, hidden behind our own horizon, is an experience we have lost, an experience of striking holiness, a revelation of a deeper spirit showing. She kept in perfect peace of mind looking at him to guide her dreams. There is a radiance and glow about her that cannot be captured in any picture. We honour the Holy Spirit when we ‘see’ the invisible in the visible. He creates the inner shine of the Christian and reveals the inside. In the words of the Psalm: ‘Look towards Him and shine with joy’ (Ps 34:5 in the NEB). This is what Paul meant when he wrote: ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?’ (1 Cor 6:19). This is what other people see. Moses did not know ‘that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God’ (Ex 34:29), but Aaron and the others did. The echo of this shining Moses (2 Cor 3) is:And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (v. 18)The glory of Christ is interconnected with the words in the books Amy Carmichael wrote. They meant only to tell about his gracious deeds in her life in the Dohnavur Fellowship. The few photos we have from her tell us a lot. This picture (Figure 2) expresses the human face and, as author, I am dealing with her texts, as one who knows his limits. Amy has already been transferred to higher Glory and from what we see, hear and read, we return to what we see in Dohnavur and read now. Called to a God-given order and with no rest of mind until she could lay the task in other caring hands, and having passed away, far from family and other fellow missionaries, her legacy is still cared for by faithful Indian friends and children.

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Ketersediaan

Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

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No. Panggil

922.1 KOM t

Penerbit

South Africa : AOSIS Publishing., 2017

Deskripsi Fisik

663 hlm

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

9781928396215

Klasifikasi

922.1

Tipe Isi

text

Tipe Media

computer

Tipe Pembawa

online resource

Edisi

-

Subjek

Christians Religious Leaders Biography

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

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Versi lain/terkait

Lampiran Berkas

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