"Is it not possible at least to help the poor ignorant Armenians, Greeks, Muscovites, and other Christians who have no printing among them, nor much preaching and knowledge; and, for want of printing, have very few Bibles, even for their churches or minister? Could nothing be done to get some Bibles, catechisms, and practical books printed in their own tongues, and given among them? I know there is difficulty in the way; but money, and willingness, and diligence might do something. Might not something be done in other plantations, as well as in New England, towards the conversion of the natives there? Might not some skilful, zealous preacher be sent thither, who would promote serious piety among those of the English that have little of it, and might invite the Americans to learn the gospel, and teach our planters how to behave themselves Christianly towards them, to win them to Christ?"

Much of the language above stands out as non-politically correct; now read it again and try and capture the desires of the heart of the author. He is passionate about the same things that we in Crosslinks are passionate about, though we would phrase it differently. He is passionate about getting 'God's Word to God's World' and yet he lived well before the so-called age of mission that has marked the last few centuries. Richard Baxter (1615-1691) one-time vicar in Kidderminster wrote 'How to do good to many' to a very different 'God's World' to the one that confronts Crosslinks today: Christian Europe was still largely confined by the Muslim territories that bordered it, and North America was only starting to open up. Despite that, Baxter's concerns are not out of place today: reaching the unconverted and ignorant with the word of God in a language they can understand and teaching Christians to be 'above reproach' and thus to commend the gospel to the unconverted. 

We should share Baxter's concerns and passions because they are reflections of the heartbeat of Baxter's God for Baxter's God's World. What he wanted and worked for for America and other far flung lands he wanted and worked for in Kidderminster. This is the heartbeat that should be felt in churches today. People and churches that have no passion for their near neighbours are not going to carry out or support mission further afield. In other words gospeling people and gospeling churches will also have a passion for the world church. As John Piper put it in 'Let the Nations be Glad!':

"You can't commend what you don't cherish.........Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak. Churches that are not centered on the exaltation of the majesty and beauty of God will scarcely kindle a fervent desire to 'declare his glory among the nations' (Psalm 96:3). Even outsiders feel the disparity between the boldness of our claim upon the nations and the blandness of our engagement with God."

(From Crosslinks' magazine November 2001 - Andy Lines)