Blessed are those whose strength is in you;
Whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
Psalm 84:5 (NIV)
As a young man, Hudson Taylor dreamed of going to China. He arrived in Shanghai on March 1st, 1854 as a naïve young missionary, and immediately set his heart on going inland, where very few Europeans and even fewer missionaries had ever gone. That journey and the group of companions who joined Hudson is at the heart of our film project.
Recently I embarked on a twelve-day ministry journey with three friends, driving from Toronto to Thunder Bay and back over the north shore of Lake Superior. Canada is beautiful in October, and we were blessed with spectacular weather. Yet my most enduring memories of that nearly three-thousand-kilometre journey are of my companions on the journey and those who welcomed us as pilgrims on the way. We stayed in people’s homes, were blessed with generous meals and welcomed into intriguing stories. Our car became a sanctuary of sorts as the four of us shared life-stories, wrestled with issues, took breaks to walk the beaches of Lake Superior and celebrated God’s creation together. We were joined for a few days here and there by gifted companions who enriched our journey for a time and then left us to continue on our way.
The Bible is full of stories of God’s people on a journey. The Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) were both hymn book and guide for Hebrew pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. Those pilgrim songs fit into the wider story of the journey from Egypt through the wilderness to the promised land, and the same Psalms were sung by the exiles in Babylon as they dreamed of the journey back to Jerusalem. Jesus walked the dusty tracks of Judea with his disciples, taking them step by step up to Jerusalem, to the cross and to the empty tomb. Peter reminds us that we are all aliens and strangers in the world (I Peter 2:11) but also “a people belonging to God.” (I Peter 2:9.). Paul reminded the Ephesians that they were no longer aliens and strangers but “fellow citizens with God’s people”, part of a holy temple founded on Christ himself (Eph. 2:19-22). It is this identity in Christ that allows us to find strength in God for the journey.
Making a film about the life of Hudson Taylor has been a long journey, fifteen years of encouragements and despair. We’ve spent countless hours writing and rewriting scripts, joined by gifted script writers and story-runners who were intrigued with Hudson and Maria’s story and passionate about telling this story for God’s glory. Like Philip running beside the Ethiopian eunuch’s chariot, they helped us see more of God’s purposes in what we were reading.
Others came alongside us when we were lost in despair and wondering if the journey was impossible. Like Jonathan coming to David in the wilderness (I Samuel 23:16), or Jesus joining the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), these companions helped us find strength in God. Through prayer, words of encouragement and generous financial provision, they helped us continue our journey.
Today, we are trusting God again for companions on the road. We are grateful for Aaron Burns (Producer of The Forge, Associate Producer of War Room; Producer and Director of Legacy Peak) and his team who have become not just our film’s producers, but fellow pilgrims. With them, we are looking for a director, for film crew, for cast members as we plan towards production starting in East Asia next year. We’re experienced enough pilgrims now to expect mountain tops and valleys ahead but to also expect God to provide gifted fellow pilgrims for each new challenge.
While we look forward to walking the red carpet at the film’s premier, those few steps will be just part of a much larger journey, not only the fifteen years of work on this film but the much greater story of God at work building his church for his glory. Thank you for being part of our pilgrim band, for setting your hearts with us on pilgrimage.
