Eternity in Their Hearts: When God Sent a Long-lost Book
Posted: Sunday, September 27, 2009
by Joel Kontinen
http://joelkontinen.blogspot.com/
In his book Eternity in Their Hearts (1981), Canadian missionary and popular author Don Richardson relates a fascinating story of how the Karen people of Burma or Myanmar were expecting a white man to bring them their long-lost book.
In a predominantly Buddhist area the Karen had a tradition of worshipping one true God whom they called Y'wa. They believed that He is eternal and all-powerful. Moreover, He is perfect and unsearchable. Y'wa created the world in the beginning.
The Supreme God of the Karen closely resembles Yahweh of the Old Testament.
Richardson says that according to Karen tradition, a "white foreigner" was to "come across the sea from the west with 'white wings' [sails] and bring Y'wa's 'white book' ".
In 1795, when Great Britain ruled Burma, a Karen man asked an English diplomat whether he had brought them their lost book. The Englishman was taken aback but nevertheless reported this incident to his superior who included it in a book called An Account of an Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava in the Year 1795.
The Karen had to wait over two more decades. Then in 1817 Adoniram Judson, an American Baptist missionary, came from across the sea with a book. Now the Karen understood that this was indeed Y'wa's lost book that was no longer lost.
Soon, thousands of Karen were ready to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The true story of how the Karen found the Bible is just one of the several almost unbelievable examples that Richardson mentions in his book. They reveal that God has prepared people beforehand to accept the Gospel message. As the Book of Ecclesiastes (3:11-12) puts it, He has set eternity in the human heart:
" He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)Are you by chance a YWAMer? This brings back memories - my husband has an autographed copy of this book and it is just as fresh and relevant as it was back in our YWAM days - the Lord is good!!! Thanks for sharing this piece. Marijo (Mary Jo) YWAM Twin Oaks, Lindale Texas 1984-1985Hi Marijo. No, I’m not in the YWAM, but as you say it’s a great book, one that definitely deserves to be read more than once. It’s a great testimony of the power and wisdom of God. Thanks for reading. Blessings, Joel
"...one true God whom they called Y'wa."*** My complaint here is, How does Y'wa become YahWeh? If the Bible called God by the name "Man-friend," and the Karen called their God "Man" does that make it the same?...It's only an interpretation."two people broke Y'wa's commandment, bringing suffering into the world."*** Nothing new here...This is a repeated theme in many religions...I don't know the religions which use it, but a friend of mine can rattle them off like nothing."a "white foreigner" was to "come across the sea from the west with 'white wings' [sails] and bring Y'wa's 'white book' ". "*** There were and still are white foreigners on ships with books (Bible) all over the world...That's not a miracle or coincidence...As for "White wings" - aren't wings for things that fly?...I don't know of too many things that have wings, but are bound to the water...Another conveinent interpretation."...superior who included it in a book called An Account of an Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava in the Year 1795...The Karen had to wait over two more decades. Then in 1817 Adoniram Judson, an American Baptist missionary, came from across the sea with a book."*** Twenty- five years is a long time for word to get around about the story...I'm sure their were many more missionary's drooling for the opportunity to oblige the Karen and convert them."The true story of how the Karen found the Bible."*** It's clear the Karen DIDN'T find the Bible...A missionary brought a Bible and it found them.Hello, Kenny (if that’s your name). Thanks for reading. It seems that my brief (300+ words) article has engendered considerable cognitive dissonance within you. You know, the type that occurs when you are confronted with something that is foreign to your worldview. A critical evaluation of your basic assumptions might be helpful, but I’ll leave that to you.I’m not insisting that every single detail of the Karen tradition was divinely inspired (after all, it was an oral tradition) but it nonetheless seems to include many interesting coincidences that are difficult to explain away by purely naturalistic means.The take away message of the article is that as humans, God has put eternity in our hearts, and He loves us enough to do exceptional things to make us understand it, such as sending His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.Blessings to you,Joel......
*** Yes, Kenny is my name."It seems that my brief (300+ words) article has engendered considerable cognitive dissonance within you. You know, the type that occurs when you are confronted with something that is foreign to your worldview. A critical evaluation of your basic assumptions might be helpful, but I’ll leave that to you."Dissonance?...Absolutely not! You have given me an opportunity to question your article, and I can't think of anything greater....However, I don't know how you can say it is "foreign to my worldview" when I wrote to you that the story is based on common themes...Anything that is "common" is NOT "foreign." ...It's like saying I have a "foreign view" about mothers, when I have one just like you..." A critical evaluation of your basic assumptions might be helpful, but I’ll leave that to you."*** Yes, please do................KennyHello Kenny, your comment reveals more about your assumptions than about my text. See the text reply for more.Joel
Excuse for slipping one more thing in...You said, "Eternity in Their Hearts: When God Sent a Long-lost Book"...Then you said, "I’m not insisting that every single detail of the Karen tradition was divinely inspired (after all, it was an oral tradition) but it nonetheless seems to include many interesting coincidences..."*** If God sent the book, then it couldn't be a coincidence...If there are "many interesting coincidences that are difficult to explain" then it is NOT God inspired....You can't have it both ways...............KennyKenny, have you noticed the text at the end of my article? It says: Do not copy. Yet your comments consists of little else than portions of my text. I suspect that your read the text very superficially. There is a difference between saying that the Karen tradition is 100% inspired and that God send them a book. I’m sure you understand this.Ok, let me explain. The Karen had some knowledge of the Creator God but they did not have His book, so God sent it to them. Its that simple. What I was saying was that the Karen tradition seemed to have many interesting coincidences with the Bible. This has nothing to do with the inspiration of the Bible. I’m sure you understand this.Joel
Sorry, the its in my last reply to Kenny should of course be it's. Errare humanum est. But fortunately we can always trust God and His Word.Joel
"such as sending His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins."horseapples;what do you know, that HASNT been drummed into your dear little head?Well, Hugo, it has to do with evidence. Take a look at some of my articles on my blog for more details, especially on recent archaeological evidence for the reliability of the Bible. You can use the link at the top of the article or the one at the bottom.Thanks,Joel
HORSEAPPLES,BUFFALO BURGERS;you tout ONLY what you've been indoctrinated with;for instance;archeological evidence states,unequivocally ,that Jews were NEVER slaves in Egypt,nor did they build the pyramids.Worse,much strong evidence also powerfully suggests that Jesus survived("died for our sins" is Paulian teachings and the church was so very mistaken for adopting his stances)and escaped to France where many churches were devoted to Mary Magdelene, long BEFORE christianity became a formal religion,in the holy land and elsewhere.The Bible may have some rare historical facts down pat,but still stands as the most single focus of misinformation about the nature and identity of God and about history,in general.When you reject all that youve learned at the hands of others, and begin to think original thoughts,only then will you be grown up.Hugo,It seems that you have got your information from Dan Brown’s fiction books (or films made of them). He seems to see conspiracies everywhere but his books lack any credibility. Unlike him, I have studied biblical backgrounds for quite a while at university so I think I know what I am writing about.BTW, no one claims that the Jews built the pyramids, and yes: there is archaeological evidence that the Jews were in Egypt.Hugo, Christianity is a faith built on eyewitness accounts. Jesus of Nazareth, whose historicity no serious researcher disputes today, died for my sins and yours, was crucified and role from the dead. That is the good news of the gospel that is offered even to you.Regards,Joel
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