Cannibal Island by Winifred M. Pearce (1962)

Posted on 2019-05-31 by thelittleman
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The Story of John G. Paton

Another dusty missionary biography from my parents’ old church library, this book published by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago presents itself as a book written for young readers, though I sort of doubt its appeal to today’s teens. It starts out so filled with facts, it feels as dry as the proverbial bone. While it does eventually feel fast-paced in plot (if not in style), it contains very little dialogue and absolutely shuns romance (although I wasn’t hoping for a romance novel, I admittedly wanted more than merely “…in the meantime he had met and married Margaret Whitecross.” 45).

All that aside, I’m glad I read this 68-page book and have learned more about yet another great man of God that time might forget but eternity never will.

John G. Paton was a missionary from Glasgow whom I don’t recall having ever heard of before, though his adventures and sorrows on the islands of the New Hebrides certainly do seem ripped from the pages of an adventure novel. Focusing much of his attention on Tanna, an island of cannibal natives, Paton strove to reach the people with the Gospel and translate the Bible into their native language by dwelling among them and seeking to befriend them.

Paton submitted to a difficult life in his service to Christ as an island-hopping missionary. He didn’t pull a Hudson Taylor by becoming like the natives, donning their native dress and using only their products. Instead, he wore western clothes, used his foreign utensils, and built his houses of lumber whenever he could find it. I make no judgment about which approach is better, but I like to note the different approaches missionaries take and to see the impact these actions have on the lives of the people they serve. For example from this book, Paton used trading with another island in his efforts to build his first church: “The price he paid for [the wood to build his church] was fifty pairs of trousers! By now Aneityum was almost a Christian island where the once-naked savages had learned to clothe themselves respectably.” (25)

Paton also suffered many losses and threats to his life during his time in Tanna. Disease was a constant threat, and friendly natives tried to convince him to move his house out of the mosquito-infested lowlands. “Before he could carry out his intention [to move his house to a higher elevation], his wife got malaria and died. Just two weeks later their baby boy also died. So only a few months after landing, John Paton became a lonely exile in that far-off island of the South Seas.” (13) What hardship! And yet he continued to serve, risking his own life on many more occasions.

One of the greatest threats he faced while serving in Tanna was the loyalty the peoples had to their idols and spirit-gods. At one point, the Sacred Men of the island pronounced a curse on Paton and simply waited with all the people to watch him die. To their chagrin, however, Paton continued life in a healthy manner.

Seeing their agitation, Paton mocked [the Sacred Men who had cursed him] as Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. ‘Be quick!’ he cried. ‘Stir up your gods to help you! I am not killed yet. I am perfectly well!” (30)

Eventually the people recognized that the curse had no effect upon Paton, because his God must be more powerful than their own.

‘Yes,’ said Paton, taking up their argument. ‘My God is stronger than your gods. He protected me and helped me, for He is the only living and true God. Your stone gods cannot hear prayers, but my God can. He will hear and answer you if you will give your hearts and lives to Him and serve Him only.’ (31)

Through many encounters like this, Paton saw the Gospel take small footholds here and there, though the depths of his “success” won’t truly be known until Heaven. At another installation, he helped dig a well where wells had never existed. The peoples, in fact, knew nothing of ground water and mocked this crazy foreigner for his attempts to make it rain from below. Yet his persistence paid off when he finally discover the water table and brought fresh water up for the people to drink. His testimony, perseverance, and seeming miracle was a Gospel light to the people of this island. In fact, “The well did more to break heathenism on Aniwa than much preaching.” (56)

As I read through this book, I was often reminded of James Michener‘s lengthy novel, Hawaii. I’ve discussed the missionary conundrum of this book elsewhere, how people have accused Michener of painting the missionaries of old as disease-spreading lunatics. My own opinion is that Michener described his fictional characters quite well. Though he opted to fictionalize only the crazy missionaries who wore Puritan wool in the Tropics, that type of missionary certainly existed! And while he failed to put enough blame for the spread of death and disease on the fornicating traders, it’s true that missionary immunities were also partly to blame. With this threat in mind, Pearce writes:

Paton’s work was made more difficult and the danger to his life was increased by wicked white traders who occasionally called at Tanna to buy fowls and pigs in exchange for ammunition. In this way they encouraged the people to fight and kill one another, some openly declaring that they would like to see the natives wiped out so that white men could possess the land. In the coming of the missionary, who tried to teach the people to love one another and live in peace, they saw the end of their hopes. They promoted the heathen belief that Paton was the cause of every trouble or sickness that came to them. Some threatened not to call at the island again until the missionary was either killed or compelled to leave. (35)

The life of John Paton helps tip the scale back toward a balancing point, in concert with Hawaii, for just as their truly were some xenophobic weirdo missionaries plying the seas long ago, so also were there countless others like John G. Paton who lived the life of Christ in selfless humility, putting the interests of others ahead of his own. This man is a great hero of the faith, and I’m glad to have learned more about him. While I’d prefer to read a more modern rendering of his life and exploits, this little book suffices for now.

©2019 E.T.

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