Through the Gates of Splendor - Steph's book report

"Through Gates of Splendour" - Elisabeth Elliot

I was reflecting the other day on what the average person in the Western world typically aspires towards in their lifetime. It is not uncommon for these aspirations to involve the securing of a good job, settling down with a family, owning a comfortable house in a comfortable neighbourhood, and enjoying an eventful social life. In stark contrast, Through Gates of Splendour confronted me with the true story of five American missionaries who devoted their lives not to their own goals and desires, but to the Christ who saved them. They lived with radical commitment to Jesus, spurred on by their intense yearning to see the image in Revelation 5 fulfilled – people from every tribe, language, people and nation worshiping God before His throne in Heaven. The way in which this vision drove them to give their all for the cause of the Gospel, taking it to the unreached, savage Auca Indians in Ecuador, was for me a remarkable portrayal of what it means for one to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus.

One thing that struck me was just how gifted and able each of these five men was. They each excelled in various areas of life. Jim Elliot was a high academic achiever with exceptional talent in architecture; a well-liked young man who was clearly set up for success in life. Pete Fleming was a man with a critical mind, whose studies in philosophy saw him complete a master’s degree in college. He was the president of the University Christian Fellowship. Ed McCully was senior class president at university, a star athlete and gifted public speaker whom all classmates held in high esteem. Roger Youderian went to college with three scholarships, was voted outstanding student of his year in 1942, and later became a paratrooper in the army. And Nate Saint was a talented pilot with an amazing resourcefulness and inventive mind. And yet they all scorned the ‘vanities’ of life – in Jim Elliot’s words, “What are these but the objects of the ‘desire of the Gentiles’ whose cravings are warped and perverted?...Life is not here, but hid above with Christ in God, and therein I rejoice and sing as I think on such exaltation.” (p17). What a simultaneous encouragement and rebuke to my ears as I came upon these words! Though I know in my head that my worldly achievements fade in comparison to the surpassing beauty of Jesus Christ, the way I live my life doesn’t always reflect that. I cannot say that I boldly consider myself ‘expendable for God’ (in Nate Saint’s words), to the extent that I would bear a cost I might regard as too high. I was reminded by Nate Saint that God himself did not hold back His only Son, but gave him up to pay the price for our sins. How then can we say it costs us too much, to go to the ends of the earth to seek the lost for Christ? I realised how big a snare the comforts of the Western world were to my own life.

And here I was, reading of five men who never counted it too big a cost to take Christ’s Gospel to a place far from their earthly homes. All of them, with their families, spent varying periods of time living in the Ecuadorian jungles, sharing their lives with certain Indian tribes. They learnt their language and culture, as well as basic medical and other survival skills. They did this so they could love and care for these Indians in practical ways whilst bringing them the Gospel. They were, as the Apostle Paul puts it, “all things to all men”. I caught myself wondering how I would fare in the same situation. No doubt complaints would sprout fast and thick from my mouth, were I to be subjected to the much simpler lifestyle of these people. It was a humbling thought.

In addition to provoking several moments of self-reflection, Through Gates of Splendour was an engrossing account. It was remarkable to read of the preparations the men undertook in order to be as effectively utilised by God as possible in their outreach to the Aucas. Their well-planned, multi-stage mission to the Aucas struck me as being incredibly creative and strategic. Admittedly, I had not expected this. I had expected to read of much prayerful preparation – and I was not disappointed in this – but this added element brought even more delight to my reading.

I found myself marvelling frequently at these heroes of faith – not just the five men, but their five wives who stood beside them every step of the way. It was amazing to read of their steadfast faith in the Lord and His purposes. Elisabeth Elliot put it this way, as she and the other wives talked about the possibility of becoming widows: “Each of us knew when we married our husbands that there would never be any question about who came first – God and His work held first place in each life. It was the condition of true discipleship; it became devastatingly meaningful now” (p151). As a wife myself, those words hit me square in the face – how selfless those women were! What deep-rooted Kingdom perspective they had, and what strength they exhibited in the face of almost certain loss. I could not imagine how I would have had the same courage, peace and conviction as those women, had I been in the same position. My own frequent acts of selfishness within my marriage came to my mind – the times when I have perhaps been more of a hindrance than a help to my own husband’s ministry.

Reading on, I came to the deaths of the five men. Again, the absolute faith and serenity of the wives as this news met them, was undeniably moving. Their praises and prayers to God in response to their husbands’ deaths indicated complete trust in His Sovereignty. Barbara Youderian wrote in her diary: “I want to be free of self-pity. It is a tool of Satan to rot away a life. I am sure that this is the perfect will of God.” (p180). I marvelled at these words, recalling the many moments of self-pity I had created over far lesser tragedies – trivialities, in comparison.

It was spectacularly uplifting to read of the far-reaching impact that the news of these missionaries’ deaths had on others. People from around the world had their lives changed as a result of what happened. Most encouraging was the 18 year old boy in Iowa who prayed for a week in his room, then announced to his parents his desire to commit his life completely to the Lord and take the place of one of the five missionaries one day. It reminded me of just how living and active the Word of God is, and how powerful it is to change lives. God used the martyrdom of these five missionaries, who lived with radical commitment to Christ and the Gospel, to encourage and change the lives of many around the world.

Some of the greatest, most edifying words from a Christian that I have ever read have been in this book. I have never come across so many heroes of faith contained in the one source. What a precious privilege it was to read of their lives and utter devotion to God. I was humbled to realise that in comparison, I was willing to go a far shorter distance in denying myself, taking up my cross, and following Jesus. It has brought me to prayerfully desire God to continue His work in me, that I might be radically committed to Christ as these heroes were. I can do no less than to urge every Christian to pick up this book and allow God to use it for their encouragement and edification.