Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

Missionary NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 19, 1954VOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1954 NUMBER 22Leprosy: Aby Dr. Robert G. Cochranelew EraFollowing is part of an article published in the InternationalReview of Missions. The first section deals with the historicalbackground of leprosy and the last decade's revolutionaryscientific advances in its treatment. We are reprinting partof the last section on Christian Objectives because of itsinterest to the general medical missionary enterprise.It is the task of the Christian doctor to emphasize that health is the norm of life and that anythingthat interferes "with health is contrary to the willof God. We must, however, bear in mind that diseaseis primarily due to the fact that sin entered the worldthrough man's disobedience, and until mankind utterly surrenders to the sovereignty of God and perfectly fulfills His will, the world will continue to bein a chaotic state .... Until that day comes thedawning of the Kingdom of God on earth we haveseek the answer to thea solemn responsibility ... toconquest of disease. And, insofar as leprosy is oneof the diseases which bring misery and depair to ourbrothers it is our duty to strive to bring to themhealth and hope.The medical missionary has always been in thevanguard of the advance in tropical medicine, particularly in the matter of teaching, in order to prepare the nationals of the tropical countries forgreater responsibility towards the development ofbetter health services. One has only to recall thegreat efforts in this direction of Christie in Mukden,of Thomas Cochrane in Peking, of Chesterman inAfrica, of Edith Brown, Ida Scudder, Wanless andVail in India, to mention but a few, to realize thecontribution of the Christian enterprise in the realmof medicine in the tropics; and therefore the finalquestion is "What of the future?"If our forces are adequately distributed and intelligently placed and our resources pooled, theChristian Church has as glorious a part to play inbringing the world to a state of health as it everhad. We cannot, however, survive as an organizedmissionary endeavor if we plan our work as if therehad been little change in the last twenty years. Theeconomic crises which confront us demand a greater.expenditure of money, which is increasingly difficultto raise and of much less proportionate effect; Thisis liable to have a disastrous influence on the missionary enterprise, particularly in the medical field.If, therefore, we endeavor to burden the youngerchurches with the total medical missionary effort,we shall find that we are imposing a responsibilityfar too heavy for these young shoulders. Our Christian task is to create a group of men and women whoare convinced that healing, ifit is to be effective andbreak the shackles of fear and superstition, must bebased on the acceptance of Christ as Saviour andLord. We should not be concerned whether thosewhom we train go into missionary service or not,but we should be concerned that they know the meaning of Christian living.We are approaching a crisis-point in historytoday? tomorrow? God alone knows. But one thingseems certain: the kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdom of God and His Christ. May we,by consecrated planning, by guided pooling of resources, by cessation of competitive effort, hastenthis day and demonstrate to this weary, war-torn,frustrated world that the Church of Christ is notdivided, that missionary and research worker, hospital evangelist and civilservant, university professor and village teacher, provided they own the Mastership of Christ, can work together and assist God,the Sovereign Lord and Controller of the universe,to achieve the final victory.