India's Problem, Krishna or Christ

by John P. Jones

So, married and unmarried life have in the mission field today their recognized place, advantage, and sphere of influence. And, working together they will exemplify to the people those forms of religious [pg 199] life and activity which bring highest glory to our cause.

Another question pertains to the missionary's daily life. Shall he conform to the ordinary habits of life practiced by the people among whom he lives? In other words, shall the missionary from the West conform to native customs in food and dress? It is not possible to give a categorical reply to this question. A country should be studied and the ideals of the people thoroughly investigated by the missionary before he decides upon any course of action in this matter. There are countries where such conformity would be desirable and would add considerably to the missionary's influence and success. China is such a country; and many of the missionaries in that land find it to their interest, and to the interest of the work, to adopt the Chinese costume, cue and all. They thus cease to appear foreign and peculiar in a land where to be a foreigner is to be hated, or at least to be unloved and distrusted by the people.

The same thing has been tried in India, not only in clothing, but also to a large extent in food. Many a missionary, feeling how great a barrier his foreign habits created between him and the people, and inspired by a passionate desire to come near to them in order that he might bless them, has divested himself of European clothing, adopted the native costume (at least so far as it was possible for him to do so) and has confined himself to native food. But I have never known of any Western missionary who has continued this method for a long time and declared it a success. One of the most pathetic instances on record is that of the famous Jesuit missionary Abbe [pg 200] Du Bois, who, after a careful study of the situation, donned the yellow garb of the Hindu monk and became practically a Hindu to the Hindus, spending most of his time in travelling from town to town and living strictly, both as regards food, clothing, and general habits, as an ordinary Hindu in order that he might gain close access to the people and thus win many converts to the Roman Catholic Church. For many years, in a distinguished missionary career, he followed this method of life. But was it a success? In his “Life and Letters,” written at the close of his missionary life, he frankly confesses that that method of approach to the people had proved an entire failure; that he had not thereby gained any added influence over them or had become better able to lead them into the Christian fold. He maintains that, so far as this style of living was concerned, he had accomplished absolutely nothing for India. I have known of ardent and able Protestant missionaries also who have tried the same method, with the same result, and have returned to their Western costume and food.

The Salvation Army, at the beginning of its work a few years ago in India, compelled all its officers fully to adopt Indian methods of life. This was enforced, in its rigour, only for a short time; but for a sufficiently long period to reveal its disastrous effects upon the health and life of its European officers. Their system has been considerably modified, but is still unsatisfactory on the score of health and usefulness.

It is now recognized by all that the differences between the natives of tropical India and the inhabitants [pg 201] of northern climes, and between the tropical clime and that of the temperate zone, are so great that we of the Northwest cannot, with wisdom and impunity, adopt the manners of life of that people. There are differences so great, both in clothing and in food, that it would require generations of acclimatization before the change could be wisely adopted in its entirety. It is indeed desirable that the European or American, who goes to live in the tropics, should change somewhat his diet so as to meet the changed requirements of his system there. But, to adopt the native diet is a very different thing, and will be conducive neither to nourishment nor digestion.

There is, however, another question of more importance than this and one which seriously confronted the Abbe Du Bois. What is gained in accessibility to, and power over, the people by adopting these native habits? It should be remembered that Westerners have lived in India so long as to have become perfectly well known to all the people. Moreover, the Western garb and habits of life represent to the Hindu honour, influence, power, and culture. In his heart of hearts the Hindu highly respects, and is always ready to listen to, that man of the West who is true to himself and stands before him for what he is and for what he teaches. The ordinary Hindu is not stupid enough to be deceived as to a man's nationality or true position in life because of his change of clothing or food. Indeed, to nine-tenths of all Hindus, such a change of habits, on the part of a European, would mean nothing else than that he had lost caste among his own people and had descended [pg 202] to a much lower social scale than formerly. It is well to remember in India that the way of access to the people is opened to the Westerner not through such outer changes of life, but through true manifestations of kindness and love to them. They are quick to understand the language of love and would never confound it with outer posings of men who are thereby seeking to win their favour.

The Rev. Geo. Bowen, of Bombay, was perhaps one of the most self-denying of all the missionaries who lived in that land. He reduced the annual expenses of his living to $150.00. It was in this path of self-denial that he sought to find greatest usefulness as a missionary. Of this life he said at one time: “I have not been wholly disappointed, but I have not been successful enough to make me feel like advising any one else to follow my example. And yet I have not so completely failed as to make me regret the course which I have pursued. I have discovered that the gulf which separates the people of this country is not a social one at all; it is simply the great impassable gulf which separates between the religion of Christ and an unbelieving world.”

It may be laid down as a general principle of life in that land that the missionary should adopt that method of life which, while consistent with severe economy, shall best conduce to health and efficiency of service among the people.

And in this connection it should also be stated that there are many things which are perfectly natural and wise and desirable in the line of self help in America which should be unnecessary and unwise in such a land as India. It is a safe rule adopted by the best [pg 203] missionary workers in that land that a European should never do those things which can easily be done by natives in the matter of domestic service. It would be folly for a missionary man or woman to spend much time in household work and in similar duties when there are many people around whose special province that is, and who can do it for one-thirtieth his own wage, and who can thus release him for the more serious and higher duties of life.

Thus, in all these matters, one should consider fully the whole situation—the character of the climate, of the people, and the conditions of the best health and efficiency and greatest usefulness of the missionary worker.