75 years ago, Lillian Dickson was blessed by the obedience of a 16-year-old boy

Before MSI teachers served villages across the Indonesian archipelago, God had already begun His story.In February 1951, a boy said yes to the request of a lady he had never met, and God used his obedience to help plant seeds of faith that still bear fruit today.

His name is Tom Hayes.

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God often begins His work through small steps of faith. Your story started in a similar way. Can you take us back to that moment?

Tom Hayes: In 1951, Lillian Dickson visited Knox Presbyterian Church. Before she came, the Sunday school set up a contest to collect used Christmas cards for her work. Lillian used the card fronts with their beautiful Christmas artwork, added Taiwanese gospel messages, and distributed the cards to share the story of God coming to earth as a baby. I ended up collecting about 10,000 used Christmas cards.

And what happened next?
She brought me up to the stage and presented me with a special gift, a headhunter’s knife and a lovely New Testament.

Did you know that moment would impact your life?

I had no idea. I was never expecting it to happen. As a young boy, I was really impressed by Lillian. She was very small but very humble, full of life, filled with God’s glory and a desire to please Him. She was so determined to get the Good News message across using these Christmas cards, which I knew nothing about. Later I learned that the knife was from the Tayal tribe of Taiwan.

When I became an art teacher, I would take the knife to show my students an example of primitive art. In my own reflection, I prayed that when the Tayal tribe saw all the pictures on the cards I collected, they would understand that Jesus wanted everyone to live in peace and because of that, they would stop their headhunting ways.

You spent decades teaching biblical arts. Now at 91, how do you see your faith shaping your lifelong work? 

I grew up in a very evangelical church, the Bible was prominent. As I started teaching art, I became interested in finding paintings on biblical themes. Together with my wife, we’ve had the privilege of visiting many of the galleries where these paintings are displayed. I compiled biblical narratives painted by artists throughout the ages, almost 600 slides from 50 galleries and museums in 15 countries. We’ve also had some wonderful experiences sharing these paintings in different places.

What was one of your most memorable experiences in sharing your work?

We gave a presentation at the Kingston Penitentiary, and after showing a painting of David and Goliath, an inmate from Iran told me that the artist depicted David’s slingshot technique exactly right, explaining that he once guarded sheep and could strike a target 20 yards away with deadly accuracy. As he returned to his seat, the chaplain remarked that the inmate would be locked down 23 hours a day for a long time, and I was deeply moved by the thought that our presentation might give him a lasting memory of a better time in his youth, symbolized by the painting of David with his slingshot.

What advice would you give MSI teachers about using whatever is availableto help bring God’s story alive?

I leave that in God’s hands. I use paintings to help people read the stories in the Bible, because many simply don’t know them. My prayer is that when they see the images, they’ll go home, open their Bibles, remember what they saw, and read the story. It really makes Scripture come alive.

Looking back from your life’s journey, does obedience matter?

I think so. Sometimes we’re not sure what to do. We face a problem and cry out, ‘Lord, what am I supposed to do?’ But perhaps what we need is patience. Wait on the Lord, and He will direct you.

What is your prayer for MSI today?

Obviously God is working in many areas. My prayer is that MSI continues moving forward, trusting God in the work that He has given them.

To learn more about Tom’s lifelongwork with Bible in Art, visit:
www.thebibleinart.ca