How Do You Define a Senseless Death?
A discussion on the new National Geographic documentary The Mission and those who enabled John Allen Chau
“Do missionaries wear arrow-proof armor?”
The job of a missionary isn’t for the faint at heart— traveling to different places, separated from those you love, all while trying to spread the gospel of Christ to people who honestly couldn’t care less. John Allen Chau, as depicted in the new National Geographic documentary The Mission, was determined to make contact with people who’ve never been visited by outsiders. He became obsessed with one of the world’s most isolated Indigenous peoples, the Sentinelese, whose island sits in the Bay of Bengal in the northeastern Indian Ocean. Although he knew the risks, he still dedicated his life to this one mission. When his death was announced on television, it wasn’t surprising, but rather a condemnation against the people who enabled him in his quest. The scariest part is that those who helped him, don’t see it that way.
As a youth, Chau was infatuated with the stories of Robinson Crusoe and wanted to be one of those great explorers who risked life and limb to discover the hidden beauty of the world. His upbringing in faith eventually brought him to the Evangelical Christians and the tutelage of Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma (the same Oral Roberts University that shocked the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2021). Chau did make many of his own choices in his life, obviously, but as he met more people who championed his mission, he was able to toss aside the possible consequences.
In 2017, Chau joined a ‘boot camp’ missionary training program hosted by a Kansas City-based evangelical organization, All Nations. Visiting the All Nations website will quickly introduce you to their vision, “to see Jesus worshiped by all the peoples of the earth.” It’s debatable if this organization had Chau’s best interest at heart, or rather their interest was solely in spreading their message. In fact, The Mission follows up with some of the parties after Chau’s untimely passing— Chau’s father was absolutely shattered, blaming himself for allowing Chau to get caught up in evangelical blindness. But those who enabled Chau used his death— to prove how righteous his life was and how potential Christian missionaries look to him as an example of living a righteous and fulfilling life in Jesus’ light. Chau might’ve died satisfied as he lay on that beach with arrows through his body, but it didn’t have to go this way.
Emmy-winning directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss (Boys State) wouldn’t have had enough material if they were only going to tell Chau’s story. As it was they utilized actors for the voice roles of Chau and his father and filled in some of the blanks with the story with animation. But what I found most interesting is the other parties McBaine and Moss sought out for their thoughts on missionary work. Adventures who either made contact with the Sentinelese previously or who did similar work with other indigenous tribes. This brings much-needed insight into not only how difficult this mission would’ve been if Chau had been able to connect with the Sentinelese, but also the regrets that can foster from this “righteous” work.
In making this documentary, McBaine and Moss, are using the lives of Indigenous people to tell the story of Chau. We’ll never get the perspective of the Sentinelese, how they felt to have an unknown stranger on their shore, afraid of unmeasurable possibilities from slavery to spreading disease that could wipe out their entire tribe. In one of the most fascinating sequences of the documentary, the filmmakers examine National Geographic’s own sensational reporting over the years, and how their great stories of exploration exploited these tribes. The Mission can’t help but step into the same sensationalism that might’ve motivated Chau to attempt his contact.
It’s easy to imagine a life for Chau that didn’t end with his death. He was an avid adventurer who enjoyed climbing, was extremely outgoing, and loved his community. But he only used those as tools for his ultimate goal of spreading the gospel to the Sentinelese, a people who more than likely just want to be left alone. Was it ego? Was it just his addiction to adventure? Or was it the rush of adrenaline he got from those convincing him to push forward? We’ll never know, but if you want to find your own answers, The Mission is a fascinating attempt to find the why within the dream.