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A quasi-Bohemian approach to mission
By Frank Decker

Could something as ordinary as our choice of transportation impact the measure of our missional effectiveness?

One day a veteran missionary came to our office near Atlanta, the final leg of a long journey from Asia. Instead of renting a car or requesting that we pick him up at the airport (30 miles from our office), or even at the subway station (25 miles closer)-he simply showed up at the office. From the airport he had taken the subway, then a bus from the subway station. Finally, he walked the remaining three miles from the closest bus stop. While his actions reflected an unassuming and humble mindset that stands in stark contrast to one who, say, would make a demanding phone call wondering why his ride from the airport is ten minutes late, we might also be inclined to dispute the wisdom of our missionary's choice as grossly inefficient. After all, our Western minds might reason, look at the time wasted that could have been spent at the office.

An observer from most of the world's 12,000 cultures, however, would probably not be so quick to question our missionary's choice. Such an observer may be more inclined to see, instead, the value of lessons learned concerning patience during the excursion, or the delight of human interaction in the midst of the journey. Indeed, if such a visitor were to examine our culture, I imagine that he or she might be amused by some of the accessories now available on our automobiles, such as individually-controlled climate settings for the driver and passenger, windshield wipers that turn on automatically when rain is detected, and sensors to indicate that one is about to back into something.

An examination of transportation choices can divulge underlying issues concerning certain Western cultural values as potential hindrances to our witness. Such issues include the impact of technology on the quality of interpersonal relationships or the deepening of our Christian character. Jacob Loewen, in his article "The Shifting God(s) of Western Christianity," (Mission Frontiers, May/June 2006), asserts that wealth, materialism, and technology are among rival gods that form a "trinity" in Western Christianity. He quotes John White as saying ".if our behavior (as distinct from our verbal profession) is examined, many of us who call ourselves Christians begin to look more like materialists. We talk of heaven, but we strive for things." It should be no surprise to us that Americans are often viewed in the eyes of others as pampered and demanding.

Wilfred McClay has observed that historically, ".suffering, far from being meaningless, is absolutely essential in the apprehension of the truth and the deepening of the soul," (quoted by Ken Myers, Mars Hill Audio Journal, March/April 2006). In our modern attempts to alleviate suffering and to make life more convenient, we may thwart the learning of certain lessons that are essential for maturity. This is an axiom that parents eventually learn. As a father, I know there is a certain level of character development my children will obtain only through experiencing an appropriate measure of patience-inducing depravation. Certainly, I may desire to bring relief by paying for a coveted item for which my child has been saving. But in doing so I may circumvent an important function in the development of her disposition.

Technological advancement is inevitable, and it is naïve to label it categorically as "good" or "bad." Instead, we should submit our use of it through a filter that asks, Does the use of this product hinder or help the development of my character? Does it impact the depth of my relationships with others? Of course, it is counter-intuitive to ask such questions. When prosperity provides many choices, self-imposed depravation is often the course least chosen. We seldom hear sermons, for example, on fasting. As a result, our collective character in Western culture, in my opinion, remains adolescent. So, the inevitable question arises in the mind of an aspiring Western missionary: How can the child of a culture of convenience become effective as an ambassador for Christ?

The answer lies in the making of intentional choices that serve to build character and deepen life rather than to soften it. When we at The Mission Society challenge our missionaries-in-training to engage in certain exercises such as the preparation of meals from food in its natural state (i.e., as God made it, not boxed or canned), or to use public transportation, we do so not only to help them prepare for life in the Two-Thirds World. We also anticipate that these exercises will help them realize that convenience and efficiency are culturally-defined values which must be seen as distinct from (and sometimes in competition with) the transcendent witness of Jesus Christ that they seek to bear.

There is a certain soulful connection to most of humanity that one discovers when weaned away from dependency upon a culture of convenience. In the process, the person may catch a glimpse of life as most of the world experiences it, and become a more fruitful witness in the process. After all, effectiveness and efficiency are two very different things.



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