Day 3
The Mind of a Missionary Devotional
Skirting the Abyss
Amy Carmichael
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” — James 1:27
On March 6, 1901, a seven-year-old girl called Preena bounded into the mission station in Dohnavur, India, panting after her twenty-mile trek. The girl climbed into Amy’s lap, nestling her head into the missionary’s sari. “I have come to stay,” the girl announced. Preena slowly raised her bloodied hands, and Amy was shocked at the sight. The girl had escaped from the nearby temple to which her mother had sold her for “service” to the Hindu gods. When the temple guardians captured her again, they punished her savagely by tying her hands to a stone and branding them with hot irons.
Preena’s dark eyes filled with terror as she clung to Amy’s sari. “Amma,” she cooed as Amy kissed the little girl on the forehead with motherly tenderness. “The little thing walked straight into our hearts,” Amy said, “and we felt we would risk anything to keep her.” The divine moment caused a new thing to begin in Amy’s ministry in India, and she became rooted for life.
Born in Ireland in 1867, Amy Carmichael’s heart was captured by the call to serve as a missionary from a young age. Before departing her home country, Amy wrote, “Does it not stir up our hearts, to go forth and help them, does it not make us long to leave our luxury, our exceeding abundant light, and go to them that sit in darkness?” On October 11, 1895, the Irish woman abandoned the luxuries of her homeland to bring the light of the Gospel to southern India where she spent fifty-five years of her life.
Amy’s initial encounters in India were both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. The vibrant colors, the cacophony of sounds, and the rich tapestry of cultures were mesmerizing. But beneath this facade lay one of India’s darkest secrets: the trafficking of young children for nefarious purposes.
Amy Carmichael and the Starry Cluster, her missionary band of women, heard stories about this hidden secret that “darkened the sunlight.” Sold by their parents to the temple to be “married to the gods,” the girls, some of them only babies, were groomed by priests and could be sexually abused and tortured without censure. Amy could not ignore the evil taking place around her. She grieved at the fate of these little ones, who were “perverted at the very spring of being.”
Amy’s heart ached for the countless at-risk kids she encountered. Motivated by a deep compassion for the trafficked children, she began her mission to rescue as many as possible from this grim fate. Disguising herself by darkening her skin with coffee powder, she embarked on perilous journeys to infiltrate the trafficking rings and rescue the “temple property.”
The Dohnavur Fellowship was born out of this vision. It became a sanctuary for hundreds of kids like Preena, often housing thirty or more babies and children. Those she rescued found more than just a safe haven in Amy; they found a family. They lovingly called her “Amma,” a term of endearment in Tamil, meaning “mother.”
Years later, Preena told the story of meeting Amy in 1901: “I thought, ‘My mother used to put me on her lap and kiss me—who is this person who kisses me like my mother?’ From that day, she became my mother, body and soul.”
Amy’s influence extended beyond the borders of Dohnavur. Through her writings, she shed light on the plight of India’s vulnerable children, challenging the global Christian community to take action. Her relentless advocacy eventually led to social and political transformation when India criminalized the use of children in temple rituals. Her thirty-five books added fuel to the fire, inspiring a wave of missionary activity worldwide. Amy’s jubilant attitude in the face of grave difficulties reflected her Savior’s mindset, who endured the cross with joy, knowing His death would restore the relationship between God and humanity.
In many ways, Amy’s decades-long anti-trafficking mission was like “skirting the abyss,” requiring bold faith and fiery zeal. Hers was a mission of pure and faultless religion, as James wrote, “to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). Falling at the feet of Jesus, Amy ushered countless others into His presence, and inspired social reform and nationwide transformation.
Preena was the first person to call Amy the name by which she would become known to hundreds in India and millions around the world. The rescue had begun; the Gospel was displayed with love, compassion, and magnetic joy, not merely with words alone. From the bowels of a bleak underworld, scores of bruised children would find their way to the Amma of Dohnavur and experience the love of their Heavenly Father.
– Personal Response –
Passage: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
Point: True faith takes action Love defends the vulnerable, even when the cost is high.
Ponder: What injustice or suffering around you stirs your heart? How might God be calling you to speak up or step in?
Prayer: Lord, give me eyes to see the hurting, a heart that breaks with Yours, and courage to act in love no matter the risk. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Proclamation: I will not look away from the suffering around me. I will be a voice for the voiceless, moved by compassion and rooted in Christ.
Practice: Research a trusted organization fighting human trafficking or child exploitation. Give, volunteer, or advocate for their work this week.
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