What does being a missionary mean? What is their mission? These are a couple of the questions I inquired about when reading the question of what a mission organization does.When I did some research, it seems that mission organizations, Christians, Churches as well as missionaries do not hold the same views and cannot comply on what God has asked them to do in their missions. Let's start simple; a missisonary is a follower of Jesus called to go into an unknown culture and spread evangelism or other activities, "as educational or hospital work". And this is true for many mission organizations. Usually this is done in the form of preaching - or translating the Testament into Sawi- and "church planting". This would be very worthy to respect for most, if not all, Christians.
Before one can be a missionary, they must have attended Bible school as well as have sufficient funding - to support the organization. Bible school is a must because it is known that missionaries preach, and this is what the world view is when asked " What do mission organizations do?" My first answer would have been, 'they go to foreign lands and preach the word of God.' However, going through many testaments of missionaries it seems Bible school and preaching is not first on their list - showing their love and Jesus' love to orphans, youth, and the uneducated is what it's really about for them. Which in many ways is meritable. A lot of these mission organizations are sending missionaries out to demonstrate God's love to people, not by preaching to them or judging them, but rather by loving them and exhibiting the way to lead a better life. Many mission organizations still follow a more traditional approach by "church planting" and preaching.
I believe that mission organization need to have a greater cause other then converting people to Christianity and what they believe is "right" A true Christian based organization - in my opinion- should be showing the people how to live a better life by demonstrating to them how to love each other. And that was Jesus' true message - Love one another.
"You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth...Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable."
-- Kahlil Gibran
4 comments:
I love your pictures!! Is that little girl you?? it looks like you!! HAHA
something i was reminded many times about missions was "being ready to go but willing to stay" meaning that God doesn't have to send me to S. Korea to Love others... but he did. I was ready to stay but willing to go. funny how things work out.
Stellar writing, impressive blog!!! Infinite kudos!
Bowing down to -- Kahlil Gibran -- enough said.
For the first time in my commenting spree, I fully agree with what you wrote down. I think many Christian missionaries lose sight of their cause and become, in a word, fanatical. Reading your post reminded me that Christianity, at its purest at least, is not as annoying or corrupt as its followers make it out to be. Kudos to you for a brilliant post, and kudos to me for not being critical for once.
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