Rats... I'm getting a very late start today... I mean in my day, not just here on this blog. It's sort of a vicious cycle. I really did just get 8 hours of sleep last night, but the thing is that now it was take me 2 hours to go through my morning routine (with all the health maintenance activities) and at the other end of the day it's about the same. So it's very easy for things to just sort of get later and later, and I try to get to bed earlier, but that means starting my bedtime routine by, say 9:00 so that lights out will be around 11:00. But a lot of the time I feel best later in the day, although I am more tired later on and mentally earlier is generally better.
Today on my priority list is cleaning the HEPA air purifier and the air conditioner filters and making it to my afternoon infectious disease doctor appointment. I found out late yesterday afternoon that my thyroid is normal, which is good, but then I don't know why I've started losing my hair. I'm glad, though, that I've finally found a way to lose weight that doesn't entail affecting my thyroid. (Some of my medicines, one in particular, has a weight gain side effect, but also as I've gotten older I've found it harder to lose weight, which I think is common). I haven't had a fever the past two or three days, but since it's been up and down since December, although I'm guardedly hopeful, I'm not yet holding my breath that I'm over the hump quite yet on that score. If I could overcome this mystery but that maybe I could seriously start looking for part-time work, although I have to be careful not to risk losing my SSDI (disability income) because that's how I have health insurance.
But that's not really what I wanted to talk about here...
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One thing that people are probably going to say or think in response to my complaints, and I'm thinking right now especially of Christian missions, is "So? That's just the way things are done... Get use to it!"
Since I posed a hypothetical question, I'd like to respond with a hypothetical answer. That sounds fair to me anyway.
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What I'm describing, as pertains to missions (although this particular statement could also be broadened beyond missions), are socially constructed realities. Am I not right? I mean, we're not talking about the law of gravity or photosynthesis or something here, that is a sort of law of nature. So things may indeed be the way they are, but they do not necessarily HAVE to be that way... If they are socially constructed, they can also be socially deconstructed. I'm not saying it will be easy, just that it is possible... possible in a way that is not true of changing the laws of gravity or photosynthesis.
Hence they, these socially constructed realities, CAN be changed. But, I'm not only going to argue that they CAN be changed, but that, according to Christian, biblical thinking, they SHOULD be changed. (Oh, these pesky modals!)
Christians, at least a lot of us, believe that there are a lot of things wrong with the world, and we believe that we have at least part of the answer (we can't exactly forestall famines or floods, for example) in the form of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.
Are you with me? We don't think that the world HAS to be the way it is, morally speaking, and that we offer a way to effect individual change which should also, eventually, result in some social change. So we believe that socially constructed entities are not inevitably/fatalistically the way they are, and we are willing to put money, time and talent on the line as evidence of that belief. That is, after all, what missions is all about, right?
So, is it so far fetched to believe that if it is possible for there to be a change (that God brings about but uses us as His human instruments to that end along the way) in individuals and subsequently societies also through the gospel, that it is likewise possible for there to be a change in Christian individuals and social entities?
Do I need to go into the theology of this? Do I need to explain how the Bible explains that Christians have the Holy Spirit to enable them to "walk in the Spirit" and that if individuals are "walking in the Spirit" we come together to form a body/Body that is collectively following His lead?
So let's get back to "that's the way we do things". If that's the answer to missions' operating apparently by the world's ways of thinking and doing things, then I want out. There has to be a mission somewhere that has higher sights than that. How many missionaries have come across this response by unbelievers to their efforts at sharing the gospel: "But that's the way we do things (or think) around here."? Uh-huh. If I were in a room of missionaries right now, I wouldn't be surprised if every single one of them raised their hand to that question. Question number 2: How many missionaries believe that's a good reason for rejecting the Gospel? This time no hands would be raised.
To the scribe: "Hypocrisy noted?" "Noted." "That's the way we do things.", as far as Christians are concerned is not a very good excuse for not accepting the Good New of Jesus Christ. My contention is that it's not a good excuse for Christians either when being confronted regarding their worldly behavior. It's not all that dissimilar, either to something parents hear a lot: "But everyone's doing it."
And if there's a will (another pesky modal), then I believe there's a way (to change). But, as my story in an earlier post about the early church implies, I believe that forsaking worldly means (means vs. ends) would likely result in more difficulties for the missionaries and missions. And I think that's a large part of what they want to avoid. I'd like to see the Scriptural justification for that avoidance, however. I can think of a few off the top of my head that would speak against it.
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That being said... I'm not 100% a paragon of virtue myself and at some point, probably before too long, I'm going to have to address that. It's regarding a completely different issue though. And the reason why I feel compelled to discuss it is because it seemed like it involved an issue that was picked up on as a weakness later on. It's definitely not something I'm proud of though.
~ Meg
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P.S. I want to add something to this last preface to a personal confession. I'll be talking as one Christian to other Christians here, so if you're not a Christian, consider it in that light.
The Bema Seat is not for salvation, but is for believers (see this URL for more on this: http://www.allaboutgod.com/bema-seat.htm)
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One person's sin does not make someone else's sin right. For example, the Bema Seat (Judgement Seat) of Christ won't happen like this:
Me: "But, Lord, what about the sins of the mission?"
Jesus: "You're right, they were your superiors and if they couldn't live according to my Word, how can I expect you to, a mere pawn in the game of life? Go in peace."
Me: "Thank you, Lord."
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BUT, it also won't go like this:
Mr. Deyneka, Jr. (for example): "But what about the sins of that peon over there, Meg Capalini? Surely her sin cancels out mine!"
Jesus: "You're right, her testimony isn't perfect either, so how could yours be expected to be any better, despite the fact that you were in such a powerful position where you could be expected to influence many more than she could have? And besides, everyone knows that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, so you were under a lot more pressure to sin than she was, so it is unreasonable to think that you could have done otherwise, given the circumstances. Go in peace."
Mr. Deyneka, Jr. (for example): "Thank you, Lord."
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In other words, my having sinned does not negate the fact that there might be wrongs on the part of other people - or vice versa, for that matter; each must be taken on its own, and be accountable for his/her self.
