50 Years Ago

 

John Hobson sailed for Burma on 7th March 1952. He was a doctor at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London and his home church was St Stephen's, Tonbridge. 

He wrote:

More than four years ago my answer to the question, "Are you going to be a missionary?" would have been, "No." Over two years ago I completed my national service in the Army, and my answer to the same question would have been different.

The reason for this change is simply that in the providence of God my army service took me overseas to Palestine, and to Tripoli in North Africa. There I saw two things that I had not seen before: the lives lived by people who, for generations, have been "without Christ", lives far more patently and unashamedly sinful than one sees with any frequency in England; the lives lived and the work done by missionaries in their 'natural environment' so much more eloquent than words.

The impressions made by these experiences were indelible but did not immediately have any practical outcome. Over a period of months it became clear that I should take some action to seal my mental decision to serve God in this sphere of work.
I was somewhat torn between a natural desire to work in areas already familiar to me, namely Palestine or North Africa, but under societies with whose principles I was not in complete harmony; and a deeper desire to work under a society with whose basis I was in complete accordance, but which would almost certainly take me to any other part of the world but these two! The result was my application to the B.C.M.S. for service in any sphere. My acceptance by the Society was God's seal on this first step in the great venture in which we all have a share "for the Word of God, and for the Testimony of Jesus Christ"

Dr Hobson's valedictory text was: 

"Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy." Psalm 16.11

 

 

Crosslinks magazine May 2002 index