“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”-Matthew
5:14-16
One could spend hours pouring over stories of missionaries who have left homelands and families to spread God’s light of salvation to foreign lands. While certainly stories are told of Hudson Taylor, William Carey, and Robert Moffat, many missionary stories go untold, one of which is the story of Dr. John Geddie.
Dr. Geddie and his wife Charlotte left Nova Scotia and sailed 20,000 miles to the remote country of Aneiteum in the South Seas of Asia in 1848. A few months before the Geddies landed, a British ship had shipwrecked on a nearby island, and all passengers had been murdered and disposed of by the cannibalistic inhabitants. As the Geddies watched their ship sail away, they felt fear, worry, and trepidation about what would become of them. Yet despite their fear, they knew God had ordered their steps to Aneiteum, and they would trust Him for protection. Determined to convert the natives, John wrote in his journal that night, “Though severed now from those with whom we could take sweet counsel, we are not alone. We have His promise, at whose command we have come hither, ‘Lo, I am with you alway.'”
John and Mary Geddie worked in Aneiteum for twenty-four years, laboring to learn the language, translate the language from spoken to written word, teach forgiveness to revengeful people, and spread the Gospel of Christ to a morally deficient country. By the grace of God, the Geddies were able to see many come to trust Christ. After they left, a memorial was erected in Dr. Geddie’s honor. Etched on the memorial are the words, “When he landed, in 1848, there were no Christians. When he left, in 1872, there were no heathen.”
The only light the people of Aneiteum had were the lives of John and Mary Geddie. They didn’t have a Bible, a nearby church, Gospel tracts, or Christian books. Certainly in this instance we can see how the Geddies’ work was so vital among these people. Yet just as vital as their work was in Aneiteum, so our work is vital where we are.
Sometimes Christians become complacent in their faith, believing the command to “be a light” is not as important in today’s world. Surely someone will hear of Christ through a church, book, outreach campaign, or another believer. Yet God has placed you specifically where you are so you can be a light to those around you. –By Dr. Paul Chappell
