Upon Reflection
Upon
reflection, the global mission conference that I attended this past weekend in
the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta created for me a new way to experience the
concept of mission in the world. Or, perhaps I should say, the conference gave
me new lenses through which to see precisely what we mean when we say – “go” –
Go into the World as disciples of Jesus - Go and proclaim by word and example
the Good News of God in Christ.
How
did I not see this before, I said to myself as I sat in the Atlanta airport,
waiting for a flight that we all prayed would be on time? How did I miss something
so very obvious?
How
did I miss grasping the reality that ultimately mission in the world – domestic
or global – is not about individual trips abroad, or various ministry efforts
here at home. Mission in the world is not about going forth out of the pews and
through the church doors with the goal of, “doing good,” and then returning to the
church parish hall with its various meetings and coffee hours to proudly report
on our efforts.
How
did I miss the fact that mission in the world has little to do with our
identity as members of this or that congregation, carrying out tasks associated
with this or that outreach initiative?
How
did I not previously grasp the obvious – that mission in the world is a going
out into the world with no agenda except that of looking and listening. Looking
and listening for those in darkness. Looking and listening and then discovering
- discovering and being with the wounded.
Mission in the world is the work of discovering, being with and bandaging the
wounded. Mission in the world is traveling our life’s journey with the specific
goal of seeking and serving Christ in all persons.
This
new way of understanding mission points to the obvious - our church is not a building. Rather, our
church is the world. And, our congregational life is not a permanent home;
rather, it is simply our spiritual oasis, a stopping place to rest and refresh.
The
four walls that we enter each week are no more than a place to gather and to renew
ourselves through prayer and the breaking of bread. Our congregational life is
an oasis, a sanctuary in which we meet Christ each week. A place where we can
feast on the bread of life that will sustain us as we leave and go on our way.
It is a place where we continue in the apostle’s teaching and fellowship and
the breaking of the bread.
Looking,
listening, discovering, being with and bandaging – all ways in which we as
followers and disciples of Jesus are far more likely to meet our incredibly
challenging charge of striving for justice and peace among all people, and
respecting the human dignity of every human being.
“…he said to them, “Go into the world and proclaim
the good news to the whole creation” (Luke 10:15)
