“Unto the Uttermost Parts of the Earth”

RETURNING mn July to India the Sadhu completed his work in the South, turning west to Bombay for a conference. and then north to Calcutta, where. soon after his arrival he fell ill of influenza which was raging there at the time. In writing of this afterwards he said, “ In sickness God has given me the rest and time for prayer I could not get in the South.” Upon his recovery he went to spend a few days at Bolpur with the great Eastern Mystic, Sir Rabindranath Tagore, returning to Calcutta to obey a call to visit Burma and the Straits Settlements. The continuous messages of affection he kept receiving from Ceylon during these and succeeding days brought him a great deal of happiness.

On his way over the seas to Burma he wrote, “I have much time for prayer and am reading many new pages in the book of nature,” and all who know him will understand how his store of illustrations would be enriched from that source in a way entirely his own. Arrived at Rangoon he had the assistance of translators and still did most of his work in Urdu, but even at that time he was hoping soon to be able to speak in English and so avoid the double and even treble translations that weakened his messages and were such a source of trouble to him. Private moments were given to the study of English, and wherever possible he practised speaking it.

Here and in other cities he was followed by an Arya Samaj preacher who strove to undo his work by pouring: forth violent invectives against Christianity, but people - were not attracted to hear him, and he eventually gave up in disgust. At one of his meetings Sundar Singh invited the people to contribute to the funds of the Indian National Missionary Society, when a thankoffering of Rs. 500 was immediately raised for that purpose.

As in South India and Ceylon, so here a crowded programme awaited him. The visit of Bishop Lefroy to Rangoon earlier on had prepared the way for a good reception. The Bishop of Rangoon took the chair at one of his meetings, when numerous thankofferings for his work were made to God. These provided the Sadhu with the necessaries of life, and met his travelling expenses in Burma and to China and Japan.

All through his life as a Sadhu, Sundar Singh ‘has taken God at His word, “‘ Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat . .. put on,” and God has amply rewarded his faith. To pass alone from India through Burma, Mandalay, Perak, Singapore, Penang, and away to China and Japan, with their varying climates, peoples, and languages, without money and with only a foreign language as his medium of communication with strange races, staggers the imagination of ordinary people. But the same faith that in earlier years made him turn his back upon his home, and took him while yet a boy to the wilds of inhospitable Tibet, enabled him to go at God’s call to these distant places without a moment’s hesitation or doubt, and that at a-time when, as Mr. K. T. Paul says, “the whole of the Indian Church was at his feet and he . could have had anything he wanted.” He is a man so gladly obedient to his God that he steps out into an utterly unknown future unprovided for, and lo! trains stand ready for him, ships ride at anchor awaiting him, and men of different nationalities, colours, and languages hold out helping hands everywhere. Surely this is living “‘ by the faith of the Son of God”!

In the cosmopolitan cities of Rangoon, Singapore, and Penang the large audiences were perhaps as mixed in race, status, and language as anywhere in the world. Here the Sadhu came in contact with Chinese, Japanese, Malays, Europeans, and various Indian peoples, and his addresses were usually translated by two interpreters. Urdu, Burmese, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Chinese, and English were the means of communication, whilst business men of different races, army men, clerics, and Government officials took the chair or shared the same platform with him.

For lack of Christian newspapers to report his work, and since he so rarely of his own accord speaks about it, information regarding his tour has been difficult to obtain, but letters from friends who have met or entertained him give glimpses of interest. When the Sadhu went up to Maymyo he was delighted with the fine scenery and cool climate. It was in this beautiful spot that he met some Punjabis, his-own countrymen, who, though non-Christians, insisted on his taking a meal with them, and much to his joy invited him to partake from the same dish with them. A missionary writing from there said :—

Above all his gifts stands out the soul of the man, a soul that has gripped to itself the message it imparts to others. In every city he visited he has left a trail of light behind him.

From Ipoh‘iun Perak came the pathetic-message :—

He has taught us to pray, for our prayers are quite different now. My nephew, the son of a non-Christian, has always said he would never become a Christian, but would remain in the faith of his ancestors and perform his father’s funeral rites. The Sadhu stayed in our house, and so cleared the young man’s doubts that he now wishes to be baptized.

A leading medical man in Singapore sends a brief message :—

His tour through the Malay States, extending over a month, was a continued Pentecost:

Whilst a Straits paper adds :—

His passionate advocacy of the Christian faith won the hearts of his numerous hearers.

At Bassein he was very happy to find that some leading Hindus and Muhammadans were taking an active part in arranging for the meetings, and in Penang another unexpected happiness awaited him. He spoke in the Empire Theatre, the address being summarized in Tamil, Malay, and Chinese. A meeting for Sikhs in Hindustani was held in St. George’s Chapel, when he preached to a full house. At the close of the meeting a Sikh gentleman arose and invited the Sadhu to go and speak in the Sikh Temple. At Penang also the Chief of the Police took the chair at one of his meetings, and gave a half-holiday to the police staff in order to give them the opportunity of attending.

It was little wonder that fear was expressed in certain quarters that so much success might wean him from the simple sadhu life. But no one was more alive to the insidious temptations of the moment than the Sadhu himself, and his constant prayer was that he might be kept humble and faithful to the end.

His own impressions he writes as follows :—

The Burmese are of the Mongolian type and are

Buddhists, and for this reason they have no true idea of .God. It is difficult to make them understand, for in their language they seem to have no word that rightly expresses our idea of God. But they are a simple people, and their temples are all open to visitors. They are not bigoted as are. Hindus and Muhammadans. . But the Hindus here not only attend meetings themselves but bring their wives with them.

Then he adds :—

I do not see as others seem to see what a great work is going on among the people.

The beginning of 1919 marks a great event in the Sadhu’s career, for not only did he make his long journey to China and Japan, but on January 2 he found himself in Singapore amidst a people whose common language was English, and there was no one who could translate from Hindustani for him. Immediately he resolved to use English,.and from that day his work was: almost entirely done in that language. Only a few months before some important engagements in South India had been ‘dropped for lack of an interpreter, so that it is not surprising that those who were .praying that his work in these distant lands might be effective, felt that their prayers were answered. when they heard that the Sadhu was fearlessly speaking in English.

From ‘Singapore he went to China, whcre he stayed a short time. Bishop Maloney gave him a note of introduction to a Japanese Bishop, and after a few meetings he left China, with the promise to spend a little time on his way back, and took ship to Japan. When he reached that country and heard the Japanese speaking in English he felt much encouraged.: Thus the great barrier of language which had so often hampered and distressed him is broken down, and he thanks God who has enabled him to witness to the ends of the earth in this wonderful way.