A few weeks ago I posted about one of my heroines, a missionary in India by the name of Amy Carmichael. The post received a comment from someone at Christian Literature Crusade who publish some of Amy’s books, saying that they were about to produce another one and asking if I would be willing to review it. I am delighted to do so. I love these old missionary writings, and this was a story I hadn’t seen before.
Plowed Under
We have much to learn from her about a life sold out to Christ.
India is seeing an incredible harvest. I believe what is going on there currently is rooted in the soil of the lives of those who, like Amy Carmichael, laid down their lives for that nation. Let’s learn from her example.
6 replies on “Amy Carmichael–Plowed Under”
She is one of my heroes! Looking forward to reading a new book about her. I finished Elizabeth Elliott’s book about her awhile back. Such an amazing life of abandonment to the kingdom.
The book is by her, which is what makes it so interesting because you catch a glimpse of her thought processes.
I would love to read this! Having spent three weeks on mission in a very remote village in SE India last year, all on my own (in the flesh), I know I would be able to relate to Amy’s story.
Wenessa, that must have been quite an experience. Are you familiar with Leanna Cinquanta? She was with YWAM and the Lord led her to go and live in a remote Indian village. She is responsible for a church planting movement there now where they are seeing thousands find the Lord. Check out her website at http://www.leannacinquanta.com. She started a group called TellAsia.
Institutionalized Christianity is dying in Western Europe and America, but the Christian faith is growing in many non-Western countries.
Indian theological beliefs and spiritual practices are especially interesting since West and East have met and mixed during the contact period of colonization of India by the English.
One of the most popular spiritual writers in the Catholic Church has been the Indian Jesuit Anthony de Mello:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_de_Mello
de Mello quote:
Labels
The important thing is not to know who “I” is or what “I” is. You’ll never succeed.
There are no words for it. The important thing is to drop the labels. As the Japanese Zen masters say, “Don’t seek the truth; just drop your opinions.” Drop your theories; don’t seek the truth.
Truth isn’t something you search for. If you stop being opinionated, you would know. Something similar happens here. If you drop your labels, you would know. What do I mean by labels? Every label you can conceive of except perhaps that of human being. I am a human being. Fair enough; doesn’t say very much. But when you say, “I am successful,” that’s crazy. Success is not part of the “I”. Success is something that comes and goes; it could be here today and gone tomorrow. That’s not “I”. When you said, “I was a success,” you were in error; you were plunged into
darkness. You identified yourself with success. The same thing when you said, “I’m a failure, a lawyer, a businessman.” You know what’s going to happen to you if you identify yourself with these things. You’re going to cling to them, you’re going to be worried that they may fall apart, and that’s where your suffering comes in. That is what I meant earlier when I said to you, “If you’re suffering, you’re asleep.” Do you want a sign that you’re asleep? Here it is: You’re suffering. Suffering is a sign that you’re out of touch with the truth. Suffering is given to you that you might open your eyes to the truth, that you might understand that there’s falsehood somewhere, just as physical pain is given to you so you will understand that there is disease or illness somewhere. Suffering points out that there is falsehood somewhere. Suffering occurs when you clash with reality. When your illusions clash with reality when your falsehoods clash with the truth, then you have suffering. Otherwise there is no suffering. — Anthony De Mello
Thanks, Carol. I’ve not come across his writings before. Interesting….