The past 6 months I’ve lived in 4 different countries around the world, living in community within 4 different cultures. These 6 months of living abroad in “lost places” have been by far the most eye-opening months of my life. There are many words I could use to describe the past 6 months but the word “perspective” is something the Lord continues to challenge me with. A perspective determines an outcome, it can be changed by experiences; something we see, something we hear, something we do. Perspectives don’t change until you allow yourself to experience unfamiliarity. The past 6 months I’ve had the privilege of experiencing unfamiliarity.
Being away from everything familiar for the past 6 months has given me a much clearer perspective, particularly towards America, and even more so towards Christianity. I look back at home and see Christianity used as a title people wear vs an action oriented faith. We look at other countries and say they’re “broken” and the people are “lost”, but we’re just as lost as everyone else. While living in Nepal I was surrounded by Hinduism and Buddhism, two religions that worship false idols. The people that believe in these religions are so dedicated to their religion and know the history behind it. Its more than a title they wear, it’s the way they live their lives. Yes, they are lost in worshipping false idols, but they seem to be more action oriented with their faith than most Christians are with Christianity. How are we as Christ followers supposed to tell people their religion is false if we aren’t living our lives for Christ?
America’s concept of Christianity is becoming something floating around only the surface of our lives. Being a Christian means reflecting Jesus, its far more than believing in Him and his word. HE calls us to live everyday for Him and to reflect who he is to the world. He says we are the Body of Christ; the church. Its seems that America often mistakes the concept of church as the building we gather in, the sign at the entrance that gives it a title. It’s a place made for people to come gather to worship and learn about the Word, in community. But the people are the church, the building is simply just a specific place we gather. So when we leave the building that we gather in, we are still the church. I’ve been apart of countless churches across the World, some with walls made of dirt and sticks with dirt floors, some with no walls at all, just a tarp laid across the ground. But because God says the people are the church, he doesn’t look at the surface, he sees beyond that and so should we. Because we are the body of Christ and that means we are the church everywhere we go.
The Lord continues to challenge me with the word “perspective”. As we go to churches to preach the Gospel its sometimes easy to feel discouraged when we don’t tangibly see the fruit prosper but that’s where perspective comes into play. It’s easy to have a selfish perspective but the Lord has been challenging me to look beyond my perspective and trust that His perspective is far greater than mine.
Experience unfamiliarity in life to create wider perspectives.
