Archive for History
Today Jim Elliot Was Killed (1956)
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Pete Fleming, Palm Beach
Today in 1956, five missionaries to the Auca indians in Ecuador were killed. Their deaths brought a sudden end to the project they called “Operation Auca,” but the tragedy became a defining moment in the history of evangelical missions. Hundreds of young people were inspired to take up missionary work, thousands were moved to deeper commitment to Christ, and millions of dollars in resources were mobilized. And the work with the Aucas went on, too.
In the headline, I name only Jim Elliot, the most famous of the group. While the other four men on the team (Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian) were all important to the work and have all received commemoration and attention (they all have Wikipedia pages, if that’s a good index of status in 2009), Elliot has somehow stood out from the group. Why? It may be that Elliot had that certain something as part of his personality, a charisma or magnetism or star power. But I think there’s another reason: Read More→
I Am Lottie Moon
Posted by: | CommentsMany years ago, God used an obedient servant named “Lottie” to establish a legacy of sacrificial obedience for the sake of the Kingdom. Today we recognize and celebrate that legacy as a new generation of “Lottie Moons” demonstrate sacrificial obedience as they bring the gospel to those who have never heard.
General Tso (aka General Tso’s Chicken) is from Yueyang
Posted by: | CommentsAlmost nobody in America has heard of Yueyang, but just about anyone who’s ever ordered take-out at a Chinese restaurant has heard of “General Tso’s Chicken.” Well guess what, Zou ZongTang, aka General Tso is from Yueyang’s country side district known as “XiangYin.”
General Tso Tsung-t’ang (in Mandarin – Zuo Zongtang, 左宗棠), was a formidable 19th-century general who served with distinction during China’s most important (and the world’s largest) civil war, the 14 year long Taiping Rebellion, in which it is estimated 20 million people died.
His family — five generations later — is still in WenJiaLong (a rural village in Yueyang’s countryside.) They actually have a whole section of the village named after them “The Zuo Family Section.”
I’m sad to say though, there is no General Tso’s chicken in WenJiaLong or anywhere in Yueyang, but they still think fondly of his military exploits.
The Hunanese have a strong military tradition, and Tso is one of their best-known historical figures. In America, General Tso, like Colonel Sanders, is known for chicken and not war. In China, however, he is known for war and not chicken.
Would you please take a moment to pray for the people of Yueyang, many of whom know war stories of General Tso and the bloody civil war he helped to fight, but have no idea of the blood that was shed on their behalf by Jesus Christ.
Make it a habit – every time you are in a Chinese restaurant and you see “General Tso’s Chicken” on the menu – say a prayer for Yueyang!