When Jesus sent out His 12 disciples commanding them to go to the lost sheep, I never thought He would send me out with 14 others representing a multitude of nations to the lost sheep of the Karen and Burmese people. (Matt. 10:6)
When Jesus sent His disciples out and told them to not be anxious when they are placed before man, for Holy Spirit would provide the words for them to say, I never thought He would say to me, "Do not fear what you will say when teaching monks English, for I will provide words for you." (Matt. 10:19,20)
Or when Jesus said to love the little children, He would take me on long bumpy tuck rides through to the jungle to do so. (Matt. 18:10)
Or when Jesus sent His disciples out, filling them with all authority in Heaven and on Earth to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all Jesus has commanded us, I never thought it would mean going into the villages of Thailand, dancing with the children, baptizing them with the spirit of joy, and teaching their parents of the Good News." (Matt. 28:18-20)
Or when Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself, I never thought it would mean loving braiding little girl's hair as much as I love having my hair braided. (Matt. 22:39)
Or when Jesus said to feed the sick, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and comfort those in distress, I never thought it would mean farming on a boy's half-way home to provide them with nutrient rich organic food, enabling them with energy and health to have income based jobs so they can have a home and clothing. (Matt. 25:35)
As YWAM Thailand has so eloquently rewritten:
If I speak with the tongue of a national, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.
If I wear the national dress and understand the culture and all forms of etiquette, and if I copy all the mannerisms so that I could pass for a national, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor, and if I spend my energy without reserve, but have not love, I am nothing.
Love endures long hours of language study, and is kind to those who mock his accent, love does not envy those who stayed at home, love does not exalt his home culture, is not proud of national superiority.
Love does not boast about the way we do it back home, does not seek his own ways, is not easily provoked into telling about the beauty of his home country, does not think evil of this culture.
Love bears all criticism about his home culture, believes all good things about this new culture, confidently anticipates being at home in this place, endures all inconveniences.
Love never fails, but where there is cultural anthropology, it will fail, where there is linguistics, it will change.
For we know only part of the culture and we minister to only part of the culture.
But when Christ is reproduced in this culture, then our inadequacies will be insignificant.
When I was in Holland* I spoke as a Dutchie* I understood as a Dutchie* I thought as a Dutchie*, but when I left Holland*, I put away Dutch* things.
Now we adapt to this culture awkwardly, but He will live in it intimately, now I speak with a strange accent, but He will speak to the heart.
And now these three remain; cultural adaptation, language study and love, but the greatest of these is love.
* fill in your own nationality
But this is only part of my story. In C.S Lewi's book, The Boy and His Horse, Aslan says "Child, I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own." This is only part of my story. The wild ride began long ago and has yet to end. My story is not your story, my wild ride is not your wild ride. And that is part of the adventure: seeing and hearing and running with others who are passionately and deeply in enthralled with the wildness of our crazy loving Abba.
No comments:
Post a Comment