Saturday, September 25, 2010

Mission Trips

I guess I am a glutton for punishment, because I just can't seem to avoid expressing my opinion of controversial topics on here. I keep thinking someday I'll post something that everyone feels happy about. But, yeah....that's probably never going to happen. Sorry about that, I guess. You can always stop reading.

Anyway, let's get to the topic: mission trips.

A few months back I came across an article via Seth's Barne's blog Radical Living in a Comfortable World called "Time to Declare a Mission Trip Moratorium". It was written by Troy Jackson from Sojourner's Magazine (a magazine I have come to resent a bit because my English college professor made us write journal responses to articles in it...but that's neither here nor there).

I don't think he presents the most solid case for what he is trying to say, but I think the idea behind it is crucial for us as American Christians to think about and wrestle with. Basically he says that the amount of money raised for mission trips by Americans each year is astronomical. And many overseas mission trips fail to accomplish lasting change in the places these Americans visit. So for a year, let's say, we should still raise the money, but use it to support economic development by the indigenous people themselves and skip on the formal mission trip.

He points to many American's stance on illegal immigration. We seem to be quite driven to go "over there" or "somewhere else" to help people on missions trips, but the people who are right under our nose are ignored or even actively rejected. That's not exactly how he says it, but he has to be nice since he's writing for a magazine and not his own personal blog *cough, soap box, cough* like me. :)

If you want to see a list of potential weaknesses of the article (and I'm sure you do, if you've been on a mission trip before), here's Seth Barnes' reaction to it: Is It Time to Declare a Mission Trip Moratorium?

Now, I like to talk a lot about things I know nothing about, and this topic is no exception. So it's only fair to tell you that I have never been on a mission trip. There. I said it. Judge me if you will.

No really. I obviously do see this as a weakness in my opinion, but it also has its strengths I think. From my (admittedly limited) experience, people who come back from mission trips seem to have some biases in their thinking. My general observation (let's be clear about the fact that I am not talking about anyone in particular) is that people come back from mission trips, and they experience a temporary high. They talk about how their faith has been strengthened, their bonds to other Christians have been strengthened, and that they are forever changed. And to some degree I believe them. I don't think you can witness abject poverty without being changed. But what I see (more general observations here) is that the people are changed only marginally. They basically go back to their regular life and their regular level of faith and the world keeps spinning unchanged (except hopefully not for the people they went to help). I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying what I have observed from the outside. (Can you tell I'm trying to tiptoe around this subject because I know this post will personally offend many of my dear, closest friends?...if that's you, please just talk to me about this face-t0-face so I can admit I'm wrong in a more personal way....)

My general belief which comes from my observation is that we are spending a TON of money on mission trips. We raise money for a trip halfway around the world so that we can have an "experience" of helping the poor and sharing the Gospel. The amount we spend on an overseas mission trip could probably finance a long term missionary for months--and I'm betting those people need the money more than we do.

And when people are trying to recruit others to come on the mission trip, all they seem to say is that "You'll get more out of it than the people you are helping." I hear this SO OFTEN. And if that's true, maybe we shouldn't be doing it? Doesn't that seem selfish? I mean, I'm assuming that people in other countries are also being helped, but doesn't it set the wrong tone of the trip to say that you'll get more out of it than them? Maybe instead we should say "This mission trip will be hard, but it's the right thing to do because Jesus called us to do it, and there are people in this world who need help and the Gospel." Instead we just focus on your experience and how the trip will profoundly effect you. It shouldn't be about that at all (sure it's a side benefit, but it shouldn't the motivating factor in your decision.) To me, this focus on what you will get out of the trip is just another symptom of our American individualism and self-centeredness. Are we willing to help someone if we get nothing out of it? If it actually hurts us?

Instead, I see mission trips as a sort of status symbol in church. A necklace you can wear and you get to add a bead each time you leave the country. (Maybe I just have sour grapes for not having my own status symbol or necklace to wear? ;)) Something just doesn't feel right about the whole thing. It's too easy to go on a mission trip, feel like you are "okay" with God, and then go back to your regularly scheduled life. It's easy to tell yourself you're evangelizing or helping the poor because you did it that one time a couple years ago. But are you helping the poor and evangelizing in your own neighborhood? Workplace? Bar? Is it hard? (hint: it should be) Are you making changes in your lifestyle and habits that reflect a response to God's love? Or are you just allowing yourself to check off "evangelizing" and "helping the poor" from your cosmic to-do list?

I hope I haven't gravely offended anyone. If I did, I'm sorry. I'm trying to call us (me and you) to a more Gospel-centered lifestyle. I don't always do it well because I'm a sinner too, and I have my own issues and failings. But what I'm ultimately trying to say is this: Are we doing mission trips for the right reasons? Are we actually helping people or are we just feeling better about ourselves? Is our money being used in the most effective manner? Is our time being used in the most effective manner?

I would love to see short term mission trips set up so that people can test-run long term missions. So that the purpose of the trip would be to see if it's something you'd like to do long term. Right now in the Church I think you can make a lifestyle out of short term trips, which just doesn't seem to be the most effective use of resources, nor the best way to make lasting, profound change in the lives of people--both here and abroad.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Poverty

"Poverty is a slow violence."

http://shaungroves.com/2010/09/long-distance-slow-violence/

I often think about this issue in my own neck of the woods. Just around the corner from my house is a literal mansion. It's a gigantic house on a horse farm. Immediately next to it is a run down mobile home. They are next door neighbors but couldn't be further apart economically. I sometimes wonder about the people who live there. Do they even know each other? What do they think of one another? Does the guy that lives in the mobile home resent the people who live in the huge house? Do the people who live in the mansion realize what poverty is beside them? Do they care?

I can't decide what is worse: Extreme opulence living next door to extreme poverty and neither changing. Or extreme opulence living insulated from the realities of poverty (where sticking your head in the sand is oh-so-easy). I mean, at least the rich people have to at least pass by the mobile home to get to their house.

For the most part I think that rich people live near other rich people and poor people live with other poor people. It's easy to forget what our fellow man is facing when we don't have to be constantly reminded of it.

I think it is the great sin of the American church that we do not do more to release people from poverty. That is one of the biggest things Jesus asked of us, and we are failing miserably (myself included).

I doubt you'd drink a Starbucks coffee in front of a starving child without offering him something. But we spend our money on Starbucks (and other non-essentials) instead of helping people because they aren't standing next to us starving. If they were, we probably wouldn't go to Starbucks in the first place. We'd be taking them grocery shopping or something.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

I'm not here for the surface stuff, I just get bored with all that fluff.

A mix CD is a legitimate piece of artwork in my book. Maybe I'm giving myself too much credit, but when I make a mixed CD for someone it feels the same as when I make some other form of artwork that I then share--a piece of me goes along with it.

Anyway, that was just a random thought. Here are a couple songs I've put on mixed CDs that I've sent out into the world recently. The first one is by David Wilcox. This song completely disarmed me the first time I heard it. It describes that crazy powerful kind of love that I think we all yearn for in life. I know that type of love comes from God, but when I taste it in his people, I just want to shout from the rooftops. Listen to the song, but if you can't, at least read the lyrics.



I see the look that's in your eyes
That says 'I must keep most of me inside
'Cause you'd never love me if I didn't hide
the secrets of my heart'

Well I'm not here for the surface stuff
I just get bored with all that fluff
So show me the edges even if it's rough
And let the real love start

You think your shame and deep disgrace
Are more than I can bear
But you can go to your darkest place
I will meet you there

I'm strong enough to take it
And I know what you've been through
You've got a whole heart
Give me the hard part
I can love that too

You look at me with some surprise
And I see the doubt that's in your eyes
Like something deep inside you cries
With a hunger to be known
Like a tiger born in a city zoo
There's been no place for what's inside of you
You try to live like the others do
And it leaves you so alone

I know you think that the heat of your pain
Is more than I can stand
Burn it all in one big flame
And I will hold it in my hand

Now your eyes well up with tears
As desire mixes with you fears
After so many wounded years
Can you long for what you've missed
You want a cool breeze to dance with your flame
A long lost lover who knows your true name
A secret garden beyond this shame
And it all comes down to this

You think your drowning hope will die
In a sea without a shore
But I can drink that ocean dry
And still come back for more

I'm strong enough to take it
And I know what you've been through
You've got a whole heart
Give me the hard part
I can love that too

I'm strong enough to take it
And I know what you've been through
You've got a whole heart
Give me the hard part
I can love that too

___________________________________________________________

The second song is by Hanson. (I know, you're so surprised.) It's called "Great Divide". It's written in light of the AIDS crisis in Africa, but I think the words can be applied to many problems we face. I personally hear it speaking about the disunity in the Church. I yearn for "one holy, catholic and apostolic Church". It'll happen someday, and I find hope till then.




I've been working on a thing called "visual journaling". It's supposed to be like writing a journal, only adding visual elements (paint, pictures, stencils, etc.) to enhance the message. I would say I've never done it before now, but I think I've been doing it for years without realizing it. When I was a moody, angsty teenager I used to draw lyrics to songs that I liked and Bible verses that spoke to me. This is basically the same thing, only maybe a bit more elaborate since I've got a lot more materials to work with (And since I'm still moody and angsty, I'm never at a loss for inspiration). I think most people put their own words down. I just can't get myself there just yet. My own words feel forced and cheesy and would probably ruin the artwork for me. Anyway, here's the first one that I've "completed" and by completed, I mean, that I put words on it. I think I'm still going to add a few more minor things to it later.



The words are some of the lyrics to "Great Divide":

The earth is shaking under siege
And every breath will meet its fate
Still we hunger for a moment of freedom
Even though the hour is late

I find hope and it gives me rest
I find hope in a beating chest
I find hope in what eyes don't see
I find hope in your hate for me
Have no fear when the waters rise
We can conquer this great divide.

When every eye is on the fortune

It can only breed contempt
They say blood is thicker than oceans
Still we box our brothers in.

I find hope and it gives me rest
I find hope in a beating chest
I find hope in what eyes don't see
I find hope in your hate for me
Have no fear when the waters rise
We can conquer this great divide.


Well, I went all over the place with this post. Cool.