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This post continues with a theme about listening to and learning from one another. The proverb quoted reveals this as key to a community thriving. It is in our interactions with one another, because of (rather than in spite of) our diverse perspectives, that we grow—if we seek to truly understand each other.
We are being buffeted by numerous tense social issues in these days of great uncertainty and we can be tempted to take a position on one side over against another. Leaders need to listen widely and appreciate all angles of an issue. Such nuance is sorely needed in an increasingly polarised and divided world.
It tends to be human nature to “throw the baby out with the bathwater”, so when missions realises the damage that paternalism can cause, we can too easily dismiss the benefits of healthy patronage. We must remain mindful of ‘when helping hurts’, but that doesn’t mean total withdrawal. The generosity of God’s people remains central to the effectiveness of God’s mission.
Walking backwards into the future describes the fact that as we walk into the future we should see (and learn from) the past. As missions seek to navigate rough waters, what should we learn from (and leave in) the past?
Do we minister at ‘arms length’, in condescending fashion, rather than fully engaged, as Jesus was? Do we fear being tainted by those we are ministering to (or alongside)? It’s time we let perfect love drive out fear.
We need to step out from behind the stone-walls of our churches and work together to create an effective gospel narrative for our local communities, only then will we be able to effectively engage globally.
Seed ideas sown in faith can yield big results for God’s Kingdom. The faith-dreams of followers of Jesus engaged in mission today need to be nurtured to flourish. Let’s not let pessimism be a blight on what God wants to grow.
We need to learn how to cut off the old in order to make way for the new. Where the colonial missions enterprise has emphasized the how of mission, we need to make way for a new read on John 17:21-23 and prioritise the why of mission.
With the decline of the middle class in the Western world, so we have seen a correlating decline in missions resources. The future of missions from the West will require increasing collaboration. We are stronger together.
When we hear of missions shutting up shop and traditional missions resources diminishing, we need to hold on to the fact that mission continues and will ultimately succeed. We need to look for new innovations in mission.
The modes of mission change with empires and their economies as our worlds alter with every era. As resources available to traditional forms of mission diminish, we need to look to new ways of doing mission for the new era we are facing.
Perseverance in mission requires us to lift our attention to a grand accomplishment, to serve a vision much larger than ourselves. While our contributions will be different, according to our gifts, we all need to be working toward the same end.