Christians without borders

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September 2, 2007

Last weekend I attended a conference together with about 300 others from around South East Asia. Some were young and seemed eager to find out how the Lord wanted to use their lives in his service. Many were in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s and were already serving in a variety of interesting ways in business or the professions.

And there was a significant group of grey heads. Some were leaders or founders of Indonesian ministries and churches. Others were foreigners, some of whom had been in Indonesia for a long time.

Three things stood out for me. One was the different groups who attended representing different SEA nations. The most moving group to me was the 20 delegates who stood up representing Japan. A second thing was to see so many older Christians who were full of energy and zeal and vast experience still serving Christ with passion.

The third thing concerns an old discussion topic. Many times the issue was raised about whether it was better to serve God where one has been brought up or to go to another country or culture to share the love of Christ. It was not exactly about whether it was better, perhaps it had something to do with status in the minds of some people. It was certainly connected with Jesus’ command to his disciples to go to all the nations.

It was revealing to hear about people from countries with few Christians going to other countries to serve Jesus. Why not stay at home where there was such a need? Part of the answer is that it is not so much about what country one is in, but what context one is in, in that country. The reality is that most Christians stay in their church environment and put their energy and money into it.

The important borders are not national but between the church and the world. The most powerful borders are probably in our mind. Going to another country can help a person break through their church wall. But then again maybe not.

Most of us at All Saints are not living in our country of birth. Some of us are. In either case, why are we here? We are here to serve Jesus. In whatever way he wants. Through our profession, in our friendships, in ways that keep changing.

Does he want you to go somewhere else? He might. But until then just crossing the border in our mind and taking his message to whomever we meet is what we should do.

Dale

Comments

Each week at the end of typical Anglican services around the globe we say to God "Send us out in the power of your spirit to live and work to your praise and glory". If we fully engage our mind in saying this, it must have life (and work) changing consequences. The high international mobility of people, causes us consider we are "living and working in a global village". From a health perspective the global village increases risks of rapid spread of diseases (remember the SARS outbreak) but the global village can be seen as part of God's plan for a more rapid spread of Christians to be a "salt and light counterculture without borders", living and working to His praise and glory in many environments and circumstances. As Christians without borders, our thinking must reflect that our life and work is a 24/7 matter with our unchanging God. It strikes me he is more interested in "whom we are and how we are living to bring him praise and glory" rather than where we are living and working.

Posted by Phillip Passmore on Monday, September 17, 2007 at 02:11:01