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An Unusual Baptism on the Mission Field
An Unusual Baptism on the Mission Field
Some time back, a retired missionary dropped by our congregation. He had served faithfully in Africa, and one day, he happened upon a small baptismal service. A fellow missionary took three new believers to the center of a shallow river, and dug a hole in the sand so there would be enough water for the baptism. Even then, they were forced to sit in the sand so there would be enough water to cover them for the important ceremony.
The missionary telling the story saw what he'd expected. A few friends and family members gathered to watch, as the missionary repeated a few familiar scriptures before baptizing the converts. When the first convert came up out of the water, he began an excited and joyful time of shouting. The quiet service was silent no more! The second convert did the same. The final convert also came up from the shallow water shouting for joy.
Afterwards, the missionary watching the process asked about the unusual tradition. Why all the shouting? "I haven't been able to completely communicate in this tribe's language," said the younger missionary. "They heard the scripture I gave them, but they didn't understand the symbolic nature of it. When I told them that they would be ‘buried with him through baptism into death ... and raised to walk in the newness of life’ (Romans 6:4) they actually thought baptism would kill them!”
We chuckled as we heard the story, until the missionary froze us with his gaze. "Let me ask you a question," he said. "If you thought baptism would kill you, would you be willing to get in the river?"
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