Responsibility of Missionary

[Sister Alvear]

Responsibility of Missionary

(author unknown)

The Scorn of Job!
`If I have eaten my morsel alone,'
The patriarch spoke with scorn.
What would he think of the church, were he shown
Heathendom, huge, forlorn,
Godless, Christless, with soul unfed,
While the Church's ailment is fullness of bread,
Eating her morsel alone?
`We do not well, with good tidings for all,'
Said the lepers four at the gate,
`To tell them not, lest mischief befall
If till morning light we wait.'
Dare we lose time ere we gladly spread
The tidings good of the living Bread?
Dare we eat our morsel alone?
`I am debtor alike to the Jew and the Greek,'
The mighty apostle cried,
Traversing continents souls to seek
For the love of the Crucified.
Centuries, centuries, since have sped:
Millions are famishing: we have bread,
Yet we eat our morsel alone.
Ever of them that have largest dower
Shall Heaven require the more.
Ours are affluence, knowledge, power,
Ocean from shore to shore:
And East and West in our ears have said:—
`Give us, give us your living Bread:'
Yet we eat our morsel alone.
`Freely as ye have received, so give,'
He bade Who hath given us all.
How shall the soul in us longer live
Deaf to their starving call,
For whom the blood of the Lord was shed,
And His body broken to give them bread
If we eat our morsel alone?

[Jay]

That is quite a powerful poem. I wonder how often it is in our hands to operate and shed the light to people, but we are so filled with careless carnality that we do not hear or heed the prompting of the Spirit.