The Mission Field

The great commission tells us to go and make disciples of all the nations.  The only time I’ve ever been outside the U.S. is to go to Canada but I get the opportunity to go to “all the nations” every Monday night when I (and my friend Bob Nadeau) go into the local Dormitory Jail, which houses immigration inmates, for a bible study.  Every time I go I’m amazed at the opportunities we’re given to encourage and teach the truth of the scriptures and tonight was no different.

From the inmate from Rwanda opened the service by singing a song in Swahili to the Muslim from West Africa that we spoke with at length about Jesus dual nature, death and resurrection to the Jehovah’s Witnesses who we often encounter before and/or after our study as they meet next door to us.  Every time I go in I’m reminded of the need to be prepared as there seems to be no end to the questions and objections that we might face.  While it’s important to be prepared with the knowledge of the scriptures and the ability to maneuver through a conversation all will be lost if my spirit is not an attractive one.

I thought of this after the long talk with the Muslim from West Africa.  He kept telling us how much he enjoyed speaking with us and how he appreciated our willingness to talk.  His English was a bit broken but I think the bottom line was that he was happy to be able to talk about our differences concerning Jesus without our being angry.  At the end of the conversation I shared with him how I appreciated his gentle approach as well.  He could’ve gotten very frustrated by his inability to communicate as effectively as he would’ve liked and he could’ve been very defensive since there were two of us and only one of him.

While I wish all conversations concerning truth could go as well as that one, I also realize that where major differences are in play that won’t be the case.  Sometimes it will be because of the attitude of the person I’m speaking and unfortunately at other times it will be because of my pride.  To quote from the today’s Our Daily Bread devotional: “By every means possible, let’s proclaim the gospel. But let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will make us personally winsome and loving and free from sin so that we can attract others to Him.”

It’s not enough to just go to the mission field but that my life would be consistently lived in the shadow of the cross that my attitude before others would be free from the pride of being right and instead filled with the humility of Christ.