“I
will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am
coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name
you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” John 17:11(NIV)
This passage is from a prayer Jesus prayed
at the last supper. He was praying for His disciples and other followers yet to
come. He prayed that we, His followers, would be one just like He and the Father
were one.
Becoming one with other believers is not always
easy, especially if those believers live in a strange land, speak a strange tongue,
and have different customs, languages, and even skin color from you. When my
parents served as missionaries in Nigeria
When I was eight years old, I made a
profession of faith in Jesus and wanted to be baptized. Being a doctor, my
father felt he should not be the one to baptize me, but desired instead to have
me baptized by a minister. Though there were other missionary ministers he
could have asked, he chose to ask Reverend Asaju, the hospital chaplain. Here
is the man’s response as written in a thank you note to my parents which they still
posses.
In a letter dated, 11/12/67 from Rev. Asaju , the chaplain
of the Baptist Hospital Ogbomosho. Address: Ogbomosho
Baptist Hospital ,
Ogbomosho Nigeria ,
Po . Box
15
The
occasion of yesterday afternoon was one of those I will never forget in my life
for the meaning it has for me and for the cause of Christ in this land.
Your
daughter was the first American Baptist Missionary I had the privilege to
baptize. The most important thing about it is this – that oneness in Christ you
preach is practicalized. That is you prove to us that you do not say by mouth
that you love the Nigerians but you demonstrate it. May the love of Christ
continue to flow through you to many more in this land as you dedicate your
lives for the service of our Lord, Amen.
I
am,
Sincerely Yours,
D.A.Asju
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