Crazy or Called, Moron or Martyr

The recent death of missionary John Allen Chau has captured the interest of Christianity and the world, often for widely varying reasons. Here is a collection of some of the articles available online.

• All Nations Grieves Reported Death of ‘Humble, Courageous’ Missionary on Remote Indian Ocean Island -- "Leaders, members and friends of All Nations (www.allnations.us), an international Christian missions training and sending organization, are mourning the reported death of one of its missionaries, 27-year-old John Allen Chau of Vancouver, Wash., U.S.A."
• A Man’s Last Letter Before Being Killed on a Forbidden Island -- "You guys might think I’m crazy in all this, but I think it’s worth it to declare Jesus to these people."
• A millennial martyr? The complicated legacy of John Allen Chau -- "Certainly, we must learn all we can from the missteps of Christian mission in the past to avoid them in the future, but let’s not fail to recognize the concrete contributions to human flourishing Christian missionaries made."
• A sober and sensible look at the danger of missionary work -- "The death of Chau raises questions for Christians and non-Christians alike. There are ethical questions...questions about the wisdom of risking one’s life...theological questions..."
• ‘Crazy’ or called?: Missionary’s death debated -- "Chau’s apparent death has drawn reports in major media outlets across the world and has sparked discussion among evangelicals."
• Incomprehensible Evangelicals and the Death of John Allen Chau -- "The core convictions of evangelicals, including the need for salvation through Christ and the mandate to share one’s faith, are becoming increasingly incomprehensible to a post-Christian American culture."
• John Chau and the dangers of missionary work -- "Last week we were reminded of a harsh lesson: The Christian missionary mandate, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” is a dangerous endeavor."
• North Sentinel Island -- "The square-form island is mostly covered in forests which makes the task of counting its population even more difficult."
• The most remote tribe in the world — untouched and uncontacted -- "In 1967, the Indian government began a series of “Contact Expeditions” to the island, under anthropological guidance. They wanted to establish contact with the tribes in the archipelago. Spoiler alert: it didn’t turn out so well."
• The tragedy of murdered missionary John Allen Chau: Some questions -- "...this tragedy raises questions that sadness cannot be allowed to silence."