We now move into the second weekend of our annual missions emphasis. Accordingly, I thought I would pass along to you some of my favorite movies and books related to Christian missions. I think no other genre of literature outside the Bible has influenced me as much as missions biography. I love biographies as a general rule, but in terms of impacting my faith and creating changes in my overall worldview, the biographies of those who have faced the hardships necessary to see the gospel penetrate into the dark corners of the earth have motivated me like no other reading. I will always choose a good book over a good movie, but not everyone likes to read in-depth works of literature, and watching a good movie (or better yet, documentary) can certainly supplement our knowledge and understanding of important topics. With this in mind, here are a few of my favorites:
Movies:
- Robber of the Cruel Streets: The Prayerful Life of George Muller (Dramatic Documentary). The life of George Muller and his mission work to the orphans of Great Britain in the 19th century.
- Bad Legs: Elinor - The life story of Elinor Young, missionary to Papua, Indonesia.
- Amma - The Story of Amy Carmichael and the Dohnavur Fellowship in India.
- Chariots of Fire – The story of Eric Liddell, Olympic champion and missionary to China.
- Amazing Grace – The story of William Wilberforce’s campaign to abolish the English slave trade.
- The End of the Spear – The harrowing story of five missionaries’ lives and deaths in the jungles of Ecuador.
- The Inn of the Sixth Happiness – the story of Gladys Aylward and her mission work in China (a Hollywood classic with Ingrid Bergman in the lead role).
- The Magic Never Ends: The Life and Faith of C.S. Lewis – I consider Lewis not only an author and Christian apologist but in many ways a missionary to the intellectual elite of his day and ours.
Books:
- David Livingstone: Africa’s Trailblazer by Janet & Geoff Benge – The life and mission work of Livingstone.
- Livingstone by Tim Jeal - A more in-depth look at David Livingstone’s life and ministry in Africa.
- To the Golden Shore by Courtney Anderson – The life and ministry of Adoniram Judson in India and Burma.
- Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Dr. Howard Taylor – The life and ministry of Hudson Taylor, missionary to China in the 19th century.
- Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot – The story of Jim Elliot’s life and death as a missionary in Ecuador.
- A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot – The story of Amy Carmichael’s life and ministry in south India.
- The Life and Diary of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards – The story of young David Brainerd’s mission work among the Native Americans of Massachusetts in the 18th century.
- John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides by James Paton – Life of Scottish missionary pioneer John Paton and his work among the cannibals of the Polynesian islands in the 19th century.
- For the Love of India by Jim Cromarty – The life and ministry of Henry Martyn in India and Persia.
- Faithful Witness by S. Pearce Carey – The life and ministry of William Carey, one of the greatest Bible translators of all time and his missions work in India.
- Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose – Rose’s own autobiography of her work during World War II among the tribal peoples of Indonesia.
I highly encourage you to make it a habit to read good missionary biographies (or catch good movies based on missions if you are not a reader). You cannot help but be challenged and blessed in learning more about those who have sacrificed so much for the sake of the gospel. I am looking forward to seeing all of you this Sunday and hearing from both Dave Hare on Sunday morning, missionary translator to Cameroon, Africa, and Bob and Debi Sayers Sunday evening, missionaries to the Middle East. I hope you will be able to join us!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jym