David Livingstone, a Man of His Era

We have just finished  an excellent book about David Livingstone from the Christian Heroes Then and Now series called,  David Livingstone, Africa's Trailblazer by Janet and Geoff Benge.

David Livingstone has been criticised for not being much of a missionary or husband and father.  It is my opinion that he was just a man of his time, who had a God driven desire to plant Gospel seeds to previously untouched African natives. He did not feel called to stay in one place and water those seeds.

David  was an explorer.  He loved science.  He felt this love lead him closer to his Creator. He felt a strong leading to go into the interior of Africa, places where no other missionary dared to go.  He was driven to bring them the Gospel message. And during the middle 1800's, it was not uncommon for men to be absent husbands and fathers in order to do their work to provide for their family. It was common for missionaries to send their children back home for many years of schooling. 

At a very young age, David worked in a factory for 14 hours a day.  He lived in a one room apartment with his mother, father and siblings.  He could not go to school until after his shift in the mill was over.  He lived in a very harsh environment.  His father refused to allow him to read books about science as it was thought science and religion were not compatible.  His Grandfather gave him the books he craved behind David's father's back. He worked for 4 years just to save enough money to go to one term of medical school.  After that his brother helped him to go. 

When David finally arrived at his mission station in Africa, there were 40 converts.  The missionaries had been there for 20 years!  He soon learned it was very difficult to get converts as no one wanted to give up their traditions to do so.  He longed to go deeper into Africa and find people who had never heard the Gospel message.  He was not the typical "veranda missionary" who was afraid to leave the mission station's front porch and this caused friction between he and other missionaries. 

David had planned all along to be a single missionary, but God had other plans.  He met and married Robert Moffet's daughter Mary.  She had been born in Africa and raised by her missionary parents. She shared David's vision of going deeper into Africa to touch the lives of those who have never seen a missionary.  He even brought her and their subsequent children along on several dangerous treks, until one such trek he almost lost their oldest son to malaria.  Mary also gave birth and lost a little daughter.  After these events, he insisted, despite Mary's protests, that Mary take the children to Scotland.    She had never lived in a European country and this was hard for her.  They were separated for 4 years.

During that time, David struggled with malaria, strife with other Europeans who wanted to take his native friends as slaves, and loneliness.  But he overcame those things.  He also started working for the British government, looking for a way to open more of Africa.  He made many discoveries and made some mistakes.  He made huge personal sacrifices in order to open new areas in Africa to the gospel.  He was very interested in stopping slave trading.

This book has caused me to once again become lost in a missionary's story.  The author's consulted Mr. Livingstone's journals.  They had access to his heart motives.  His life was greatly celebrated by the entire world as a dedicated missionary explorer. 

"In the course of his wonderful career, Livingstone served three masters.  As a missionary, he was the sincere and zealous servant of God.  As an explorer, he was the indefatigable servant of science.  As a denouncer of the slave trade, he was the fiery servant of humanity."  Lord Cruzon