In our Christian calendar, last Sunday 19 May was celebrated as Pentecost Sunday. This is 50 days after Easter and 10 days after the Ascension. The first Pentecost ignited the spark for the Gospel, a reminder of the Great Commission of our Lord for believers to be His witnesses to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). It has been close to 2000 years. Sombre statistics embarrass us that today, with the advance in technology, easy modes of transportation and available platforms to bring to pass the commission of our Lord, the goal of global outreach to the uttermost parts of the earth is still far from completed.
Since 2017, Pentecost Sunday has also been observed as the ‘International Day for the Unreached’. We are reminded that reaching out to the world with the Gospel, specifically the unreached, is a task that must be taken seriously and conscientiously if we desire to do our part in fulfilling the call of our Lord.
With the world population exceeding 8 billion, an estimated 3.2 billion are designated as unreached. This means that for more than “A Third of Us” the Bible in any form is beyond their reach as there are no known believers among them to share the Good News and no church in sight for them.
The world today is overwhelmed by the on-going Israel-Hamas conflict. Not surprisingly, the Russian-Ukranian war has taken a backseat. Most people may have long forgotten the continuing conflict in Myanmar and elsewhere. Amidst all these gloomy realities, the spiritual warfare for the battle of souls should not be forgotten. As we press on in our Christian journey, may we be jolted to do our part for “A Third of Us” who do not have access to the Gospel today.
Richard Lai