Where Have You Been?

Matt 28:19 "Go ye therefore and teach all nations...".
II Cor 6:2b "...behold now is the day of salvation."

It isn't unusual to hear exciting tales of God's marvelous work when a missionary comes to share his burden with your church. It isn't unusual to hear tragic tales either, that seem to rip at your heart. Several years ago, I was listening to a tape of the testimony of a village chief from a tribe somewhere in South America. Honestly, I don't remember much of the testimony except this one part. It seems that the missionary had spent a great deal of time telling the chief about who Jesus was and how He left Heaven to come to earth so that He might die for the sins of all mankind. The chief was in awe of what he had just heard. His first response was startling to the missionary and to all who have heard it since. He simply asked when all of this took place and when he was told that it actually happened approximately 2000 years ago he asked "why has it taken so long for someone to come and tell us"? The missionary had no answer. When I heard it some years ago, I had no answer. I dare say, that as you read about it today, you have no answer. Thousands and thousands of his family had perished without God, because no one had come to tell them. Quickly our mind rationalizes that they are half way around the world and it takes time to get to them. But, how about that person who lives across the street from you or the person that you work with or go to school with. Who will tell them. Where have we been when it was time for them to hear?