I was reading my Bible at Starbucks. Not too abnormal for a Friday meeting with my mentor. This man across the aisle asked me if I was reading a Bible and what I was reading. I shared with him and then he asked what the other book on my table was. It was a book I had just gotten called “A Spirituality of Fundraising” by Henri Nouwen, and I explained to him that I was about to begin raising support for the World Race and briefly explained to him what that was.
As we began talking it became clear that this man was very knowledgeable….so much so that I had trouble tracking with what he was saying. But what I did understand confused me to the core.
According to Starbucks man, who was professing to be a Christian, “the church is an ignorant unapproachable cult who’s been taking a ride on the short bus a bit too long. Pastors are only interested in getting people to follow them by using the God facade. Pastors are untrained, missionaries are untrained, Christians in America don’t know enough to run our own churches well nor are they open to suggestions, so why send people to other countries when we have our own spiritual mess to clean up and clearly aren’t knowledgeable enough? We have our own people to ‘fix’.”
I was understandably a bit taken aback. I was getting used to the normal, “Glad God hasn’t asked me to do something like that!” or “I wish I had the guts to do that!” Instead, what started out as an exciting conversation and opportunity to tell this man what I was reading in my Bible and what I was looking to do in the future became a whirlwind of thoughts in my head of what to say and how to get a word in edgewise as his word vomit consumed the ears of those around us. I was clearly unprepared to respond this time…..
But the church is messed up. It’s full of sinners who will never get it completely right. There are the conservative legalists who live by the letter of the law. There are the liberals who slam people with Jesus and throw out the rules. There are pastors who are so eager to share the gospel that they don’t take the time to get ‘trained’. There are Christians and churches who aren’t open to correction or other ideas outside of their norm. There are churches where it’s more about the pastor than God. There are churches who want the best that money can buy. We are screwed up. This planet is screwed up. That won’t change until after Jesus comes back.
But there are Christians and churches who try. Who are open to ideas. Who are teachable. Who desire community and accountability. There are people eager to learn and eager to teach the pure gospel. There are churches who don’t have their own building, I attend one. There are churches who seek to equip their people to reach their community and serve. There are Christians who desire to use the knowledge that they DO have to advance the Kingdom, whether it’s a lot or a little. There are Christians who have a good perspective and do the best they can with what they’ve got.
But we have the resources to learn about God here in America. We have access to those resources. We have the freedom to access those resources. We too often choose to make success, money, work, etc. our ‘god’. Yes there are people in our own country who need God. I don’t deny it. I live with some. Jesus is what we’re all about and HE never went more than 200 miles outside of his home town. That would be a better excuse actually.
However, there are countries that don’t allow our God to be taught or talked about, there are countries where poverty is simply too great and the people don’t have the means to learn about God, and there’s a lot to be learned from those in other countries who simply see God differently because of their circumstances. Who will tell them? Who will listen to their stories? Who will step into their shoes to see a God who’s not Americanized to fit our standards? Who is willing to walk in a different way of life and experience a new perspective?
This is what I desire. To learn about a God who’s bigger than the American box, who has followers all around the world, who has children and wants them to be told about Him and the life that He offers. I want to experience God differently and see a bigger picture of what He’s doing in and around the world. THIS is why I desire to go.
