36. Called to be Missional

Matt. 25: 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

We are called to live in compassion: to clothe and feed the poor, tend to the sick, and visit those in prison.  We are also called to go make disciples of all nations.  We are called to live as a missionary. 

I think there is great service in creating the mission field.  Although I believe that I have not been called to go and teach the gospel to the unsquashed hamsters of Nepal, I see value in going to other countries and being of service.  Not so big on preaching at them, but joining with them in their lives and struggles? I am all over that one.

I also believe, more whole heartedly, in the mission fields closer to home.  For us -the Downtown Eastside. My church is very missional in the community in which we meet.  There are pockets of need locally from the shores of Vancouver to the streets of Hope.  And I truly believe that we should see those as being mission fields.

It is interesting that Christ did not say, “I was hungry and you preached to me, I was thirsty and you told me to change my evil ways, I was in prison and you told me that I was an abomination before the Lord.”  Jesus would be the kind of guy I would want if I needed help, some of my fellow Christians...mmm...not so much.

My concept of being a missionary is not dropping in uninvited to convert the unwashed masses to Christianity.  Christ didn’t do that.  Christ loved people, talking with them, told jokes and it is my personal belief that some of them would have been a bit off colour.  And people responded to that love.  We are called to do that same.

Christ taught us that in doing so, that we were doing it to him.  I would like us to realize that one of the Old Testament references to Christ was that he was despised.  Thus, the mentally ill woman who resides in the alleyway, or the unwashed man who asks for a quarter, or whoever else we find worthless is actually Christ-like. 

I see another mission field, one that I see every Sunday.  A friend of mine that had served time in prison – a number of them – talked about how they all smell the same.  They all smell like fear.  He talked about prison not being the place behind bars, but being the place where you cannot do what you want to do.  He found freedom in prison, and had experienced confinement while outside of those bars.

Romans 7:19  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

I cannot think of a worse place to be, for I have been there, and still am.  I know what I can be, I know the potential that lives within me.  And I know the good I want to do I do not do.  The evil that I do not want to do I keep on doing.  The mission field that I see is the church, and those called to be the body of Christ. 

When I get past the glib repetition of this verse, and let the truth sink in, it is like I have Tourette’s of the soul.  I live with the knowledge and regret that I am not what I could be.  I also know that you live with that truth also.

So this Sunday, and I hate being social on Sunday.  There are some people that I like and I say hi to, but others, well, I just don’t know what to say.  There are others that I avoid – “excuse me I have to go pee” – others I smile like an idiot and say, “boy these are good donuts today”.  But back to Sunday.  This Sunday, my mission field will be my church.  I will ask people how they are?  What is happening in their life? 

I know I hold a strange idea of what it is like to be a Christian.  Having been made a new creature in the Lord, granted super powers – nothing bothers me anymore for I have the Peace that passes all understanding.  Lately, that image has become a bit frayed at the edges. 

I still have a person that the thoughts of doing great bodily harm to has some appeal.  I wonder about praying to a God that has a different – better – perspective on matters and has a different design for my life.  You know, “Please Dear Lord, I still have not finished playing with these toys and I still like it, and don’t really believe that the next ones are better so leave me alone.”

But I do know it is hard to remain faithful, so this week, I will seek to be of service to the person that stands next to me.  Together we can offer each other solace and comfort that the path can be narrow and tricky to walk. But for a moment we can share the comfort of companionship.

John 13: 12 - 17 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.