"How will they know?"

Last night after dinner my daughter and I were speaking about the precious treasure that is the Bible. I was explaining to her that in some places in the world it is illegal to possess a Bible. I told her of several of our friends who had gone into such places to bring in Bibles. I also informed her of places where people are imprisoned for possessing a Bible and about a recent incident in Somalia where a man was killed for bringing Bibles into his country.

My insightful six year old was able to catch the implication, “Do they not love God?” My response was brief yet cold, "No they do not love God, they do not love Jesus, and they do not love His book."

She thought for a moment and then delivered her power-packed question, “How will they know it’s good if they haven’t read it?” Her words sounded a note that resonated powerfully with the words of Paul who asked and answered a very similar question in Romans 10.

On a rare occasion during a conversation such a profound statement is unleashed that the conversation simply ceases under the weight of dynamic truth. Instinctively she felt the weight of her own statement and we both sat looking at each other in silence.

Some words can lead to tears and some can lead to worship. These words were a strange mixture of both and of a call to missions – to bring this good book with its life giving good news to peoples who have never had the precious opportunity to hear it or to read it for themselves.

Pondering this recent conversation I am surprised at how coldly and callously I was able reply to my daughter's question, "Do they not love God." My answer was matter of fact, rather than heart broken sorrow for those who have never heard the life giving good news. She was troubled by this problem and was already working out the answer in her heart, I was not.

May it not be that I would consider those who know not Christ nor His glorious gospel without feeling the pain of this and without considering the gospel mission solution to it.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

- Romans 10:14-15