Who knew entering Aslan’s country would lead to this? When you surrender your life to Christ you better know what you’re getting into…or maybe it’s best not to know? Would it be best to know some of your closest friends and family just won’t understand why traveling around the world to love people who have nothing to give in return but snot running down their faces, caked eyes, wet pants, or a ginger smile?
I don’t think I’m as concerned about the giving up of things these 11 months…but more about what are we missing out on as an American Church and how I’m begging God that things look different when I get back. I’m not saying EVERYONE should drop everything and go on an 11 month mission trip, or even a week, or day trip…what I’m saying is I think a lot of us Americans are missing out on loving our neighbors. I hope after 11 months I step out of the wardrobe and it’s not just ME changed, or the folks overseas, but I hope my friends and family have a better understanding of what God commands us to do…LOVE OTHERS. That the pawing my way through moth-balled furs, finding a fawn in the middle of winter, or facing battles is all worth it. It’s not about people noticing I’m gone these 11 months while people are counting to 100 in a game of hide and seek…it’s about letting the wardrobe door open and letting Aslan’s Country seep out a bit back home. And people are going to be uncomfortable…it’s hard to overlook talking animals.
I read the book Radical recently…and I really believe the church needs to take a look at how they spend their finances…yes…I said the “F” word…FINANCES. Is EVERYTHING we’re doing in the church pointing people to Christ? What would happen if at least 90% of our budgets went to loving people to Christ…and we cut out anything that wasn’t accomplishing that purpose? Then what? Maybe our churches wouldn’t look as pretty and maybe we’d step away from programing a bit more and just BE people loving people. Maybe we wouldn’t be as planned or as organized…and that might really freak people out. But what if it really really honored God to do this? And what if over 6,000ish people groups that don’t yet know Christ or have a bible in their language would later thank us for it in Aslan’s Country? What if all tongues, tribes, and nations came to know the Lord…and we could all just go HOME? You know that real country that final country with Jesus waiting for us.
