Hero or Legend

In one of my favorite movies , the Sandlot, there is a terrific quote about the difference between a hero and legend, "heroes get remembered, but legends never die."  As I finished To the Golden Shore and considered the life of Adoniram Judson, this quote stood out in my mind.  For whatever reason Adoniram seems to be a forgotten man.  Judson was a missionary to the nation of Burma in the 19th Century.  He was a contemporary of William Carey, and is the first American foreign missionary. His life is marked by tragedy and triumph as he lost children and wives, yet still managed to convert many Burmans, and  translate the Bible into their tongue. Many within Christian circles consider the lives of Jim Elliot, Hudson Taylor, and William Carey as the benchmarks of great missionaries, but for whatever reason Judson's life isn't on the same plain as those three.  As someone who has read and researched the lives of the first three it is with some credibility that I say in my own estimation that Judson's name belongs on equal status.  

To the Golden Shore is a 500 page biography on his life, but left me craving for more.  Something about him and his story challenged my own walk with the Lord and my own ministry.  Here are a couple lessons I took from the life of Adoniram Judson:

• Adoniram's faith in the midst of suffering seems unparalleled.  He lost two wives, stillborn children, children who died early in life.  He suffered imprisonments, diseases and ridicule from the Burmans.  His chief rival for suffering seems to be the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11!  Not once through this suffering does he question God's call of his life in Burma.  Such dedication seems foreign to me...
• Second, Adoniram's wife Ann was an equal partner in ministry and is considered one of the great female missionaries of all time.  It is doubtful Adoniram would have lived through his imprisonment from 1823-25 without the help of Ann, whose encouragement must have given him hope to go on.  I am so fortunate to have a wife like Ann.  Jen has been a great asset to the ministry I lead.  Her input is always sought and her leadership and organization are essential to what we do at Countryside...
• Third, the greatest spiritual battle Adoniram seems to face is that of pride over his accomplishments.  He identified this sin after Ann's death and through soul-searching believed much of his  ministry was done out of wrong motives.  From that point on he refused to tell stories of the great things he had done, because he didn't want to promote himself.  Such humility should be an aim for all of our lives...
• Finally, Adoniram's balance of ministry is practical for my life in particular.  He balanced evangelism and the translation of the Bible into Burman so well that he was able to be successful in each.  Balance is a target we all must seek to hit, whether it be work, family, friends, ministry, etc. it all needs to be done in moderation.

So there you have it, I encourage you to pick up To the Golden Shore if your looking  for a good read that is both inspiring and challenging.  Then you can be the judge on whether Adoniram should be considered a hero or legend...

To live is Christ!

Jay