If you were to ask me what my ministry looked like this month, my answer would be:
House Visits.
If you asked me what does a House Visit look like, my answer would be:
— blank stare —
They were such a foreign concept to me. It’s no wonder I had to travel to a foreign country before I experienced it. During my last night of house visits in India, my eyes were opened to something that I’ve been missing [something that most of America is missing], COMMUNITY.
We walked into Pastor’s home and sat down after being greeted by his family and a couple church members. We were offered chai tea, one of the most delicious parts of India, we listened to testimonies, sang a few songs, and prayed over their ministry. Then the pastor started speaking about how much it meant to him to have people come and pray with his family. To me, we were just visiting people’s homes to pass the time; but then I began hearing, time and time again, house after house, night after night, that these families we were “visiting” are the only Christians in their entire village. I listened to the testimonies of faithful servants who travel for almost an hour each week for church because it’s the closest one to their home. I listened to the earnest prayer requests of those who are believing in God for the salvation of their spouse or parents or siblings because they are the only believers in their families. When I saw and heard all of this, I knew why just “visiting” these homes each night was an actual ministry.
The people in these Indian villages are thirsty. They are thirsting for something that they can’t normally get. They are hungry for a life that looks like the early church in the bible. They understand and value the importance of community, they appreciate being ‘inconvenienced’ by guests, and they welcome having other people know and pray for their struggles. They seek out prayer rather than shy away from it.
We got the chance to sit and listen to the founder of an HIV/AIDS care center in Bangalore called ACCESS:Compassion in Action, and he said something that really challenged me. He was born in India, but moved to L.A. after becoming a Christian. He was excited about all of the Christian resources and people that he would get the chance to experience while in America; however, he was hugely disappointed by one thing:
America – a free country founded on Christianity – doesn’t look much like Christ at all.
It’s a sad and harsh reality. I used to appreciate community only when it was convenient for me. Like many Americans, I had it at my fingertips but I took it for granted. I valued privacy over people and would rather spend my money for others rather then spend my time with others. But what happens when you quit your job and your money runs out? How do I live like Christ then?
These house visits have helped me to enjoy the presence of other believers and challenged me to look for more ways that I can encourage them.
Acts 2:44-46 says “And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”
I guess if I were a new believer in a foreign country, I’d look forward to that type of lifestyle and expect for America to look like that as well.
I don’t want to return to America and fall back into the habit of being a hermit crab, coming out of my shell for the occasional surface level social meeting. I want to engage in, as well as foster, an environment of intentional community.
