Sometimes on the World Race, traveling around the world, meeting hundreds of new people, learning new languages, eating weird food, living in cities or the houses of gypsies, life can seem to be monotonous. As much as you may think that being a missionary is like living in a Rambo movie, or like living the exciting life of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, it’s pretty hard to keep up with all the stuff going on around you. You don’t always have people chasing you with guns (at least I hope not), and besides maybe a teammate you don’t have a camera crew following you around all the time. Being a missionary takes away all the things your typical tourist does (fancy restaurants, bus tours, beach lounging, etc.) and leaves you with two options: 1.) get used to the mundane comfortability that you come to while traveling the world for a year, or 2.) realize that all these things- food, clothes, buildings, activities, etc.- will pass away and you search the heart of Jesus Christ, Himself, to see that this life is full of importance because you are building the Kingdom of God. We get to see castles and parliament buildings and all that stuff out here in Eastern Europe, and we can only imagine the extravagant lives of the people who (used to) live/work there. But another kingdom I see while walking everywhere is all around us. The kings and queens of this kingdom are the man I met the other night, Alex, who I believe lives on the street who asked me for money for alcohol and food. Or Ali, in Calcutta, whom only had one arm and who talked with me about the weather. Or the woman we see outside one of the coffee shops in Budapest (which is where we are now, by the way). These are the people of whom Jesus spoke, the people we are to love, care for, raise up. These are the kings, queens, princes, princesses of the Kingdom of God. They probably don’t realize it yet, but God’s really trying to use us in telling these people that they are heirs to His Kingdom. The spirit and presence in them shows that God has given them a character of greatness. We know that character does not mean so-and-so is going to become “successful� and help people or start his own business. In fact, it’s a possibility that Alex, who I saw as a great man, will continue to throw what little money he does get towards alcohol and never step up into the greatness God has called him to. But how can someone step into a calling that they are never aware of? If dozens of people walk by these people every day and call them “drunks,� “losers,� or “outcasts,� how are they going to know that God has called them by name to achieve greatness for His Kingdom?
From childhood we dream of being kings and queens (or at least meeting one), and we want to be a part of their kingdom. All around the globe we see hundreds of these inheritors of the greatest of Kingdoms. From smalltown Lewisburg, PA (I hope there are still kings and queens there), to Beijing, China, from New York City to Noslavcea, Moldova, from Villa Tecci, Romania to Kilimahewa, Tanzania, these people are waiting for someone to inform them that “the last will be first,� “the hungry will be filled,� and “cleanliness is next to godliness,� — NO, that’s not true… But they are children of the Creator of Life, and that they get to inherit the glory of His Kingdom (Romans 8).
Being a missionary doesn’t mean getting to buy a bunch of gear you really don’t need, or traveling to far off lands to see the sights you’ve only dreamt of. It means being bold and confident in reminding the people (the lowest of all people, no less) that they get to walk in greatness because their Father in Heaven has called them BY NAME!
Thanks for reading.
