Bishop Stringer and his companion were facing starvation that late October
morning. They had been returning home from the Mackenzie region of the Yukon
when they were overtaken by winter. Even though it was early in the season, the
amount of snow that fell during that first storm was enough to make them lose
their way in the mountains.
They didn't despair, however. Instead, they looked at their sealskin boots and
wondered if they could be edible. The notes left in Stringer's diary are quite
revealing: "Thursday, October 21: Breakfast of sealskin boot, soles and tops
boiled and toasted. Soles better than uppers. Soup of small scraps and bacon…the
last we had; hands sore; took a long time to pack up…"
Isaac Stringer, one of the first to arrive in the Yukon, was aghast at the
influence the whalers were having on the native population. Whalers supplied the
First Nations people with alcohol and then took their women as their
"mistresses". The consequences were devastating: alcoholism and disease, both
sexually transmitted as well as common ones that the Inuvialuit had no immunity
to, abounded. Very early on, Isaac succeeded in securing an agreement with the
whalers that closed down the alcohol trade with the Inuit. Eventually he
provided church services and literacy classes for both the Inuit and the
whalers.
His task was not an easy one, however. He often had to travel long distances in
harsh conditions, and his eyes eventually contracted snowblindness, a condition
that is quite agonizing and incapacitating.
And his story isn't unique. Another bishop in the Yukon by the name of Bombas
decided to live like the natives. He slept on the floor rather than in a
comfortable bed, he dressed poorly and he gave away all of his possessions and
money. He was well-liked, and as a result, he was quite successful in his
ministry.
Were all these sacrifices worthwhile?
Ask the Inuit. They will say, "Yes!"
We generally prefer to avoid unnecessary sacrifices. However some of our
sacrifices are unavoidable and still others are commendable. God's view on these
is quite remarkable: "Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for
with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Heb 13:16 NIV)
In fact the apostle Paul goes one step further and urges us to offer our "bodies
as living sacrifices": "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer
your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your
spiritual act of worship." (Rom 12:1 NIV))
What does Paul mean by this? He explains it in the next verse: "Do not conform
any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind." (Rom 12:2a) The rewards are astonishing, friends: "Then you will be
able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect
will." (Rom 12:2b NIV)
This New Year's Eve my question to all of us is this: What attitude are we
portraying in front of society? Are we more like the whalers described here,
tending to promote our own interests? Or are we more like these missionaries,
willing to be selfless while undergoing sacrifices, having taken to heart the
eternal destination of those around us?
Harpoon or Bible. What is your choice?
May we make the right New Year's resolution.
P. S. Would you like to experience an unusual New Year's breakfast? I have a
pair of boots that I am willing to part with. Come on over!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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