ELISABETH ELLIOT:
A Life
By Lucy S.R. Austen
Crossway. 531 pages. £19.24
ISBN 978 1 433 565 915
What is the will of God for my life? A familiar question, and one that Elliot (1926 –2015) repeatedly asks.
For many, Elliot’s life and writing is an inspiration. Widely known as the widow who lived amongst the Waorani who killed her beloved husband, Jim. An event that happened early in their marriage when he and four others heroically and tragically gave up their lives to evangelise this spiritually lost tribe, in a remote jungle of Ecuador (8 January 1956). They took seriously the call to live for Christ and Christ alone, though none do so perfectly.
This book is much more than a biography and makes for compelling reading. Informed by her letters, journals and books, Austen provides a critique of Elliot’s whole and lesser-known life. In a detailed deconstruction from birth to death, the sentimental and spiritualised ideas around ‘missionaries’ lives are exploded. This is in keeping with Elliot’s own perspective as expressed throughout and in these words after a visit by family: ‘places seem nearer and less romantic when you have been there’ (p.197).
Austen takes us there, giving us rare and raw glimpses into the internal processing and growing maturity of a faithful follower of Jesus as they navigate: childhood; love; singleness; marriage; motherhood; loss; bereavement; cross-cultural challenges; theological tensions; personality clashes; complex contradictions; conflict; endless hospitality; daily distractions; rejection; renown; disappointment; depression; ageing; sickness and death. The highs and lows, the miraculous and the mundane, the spiritual and the reality, the warts and all.
At each phase of Elliot’s life, Austen provides brief synopses and critiques of Elliot’s personal ministries and published works with careful consideration of the various circumstances and contexts influencing these. Through this thought-provoking analysis flows spiritual insight and instruction borne through the complex tapestry of God’s will and truth being worked out in an imperfect life.
Whether you are a fan or a foreigner to her tale, this is timely and relevant. Elliot sought to live in humble submission to the truth and will of God. This frank but fair dissection of her life offers the opportunity to dissect one’s own heart, grapple with the truth and earnestly seek God’s will, at whatever stage one is at. Elliot, whilst flawed, is a Jesus-like example who faithfully points to Him.
A refreshing retelling that resonates with relevance as the remedy for frail humanity is shown, time and again, to be found only in the one Lord Jesus Christ.
