lifeasmission

Un-dichotomizing Mission

January 9, 2007

reposted from when I erased my blog 

I was having a discussion with Maria the other day about the differences in our “callings.” She looks forward to a future in which she devotes most of her time and energy to engaging those outside of traditional church structures, commonly understood as non-Christians. I, on the other hand, get the impression that most of my future will be spent working with those who call themselves Christians. At the same time, we both have come to increasingly understand our calling as that of being a missionary.
I don’t want to too quickly discount the important differences there are with regard to these seemingly divergent callings, but I want to comment on why I think both Maria’s calling as well as mine can be understood as that of a missionary.

The short answer is that both Maria and I envision futures of participating in the missio dei, the mission of God in the world. If we take Jesus’ (the divine missionary) life as our example, then participation in this missio dei means exposing darkness by living lives of light, seeking to make the presence of God known and felt, healing, restoring, praying, sacrificing, and above all, loving. Whether in the so-called Christian or non-Christian world, these are missional ways of being and living.

I am truly hoping that the differences in our callings complement rather than conflict with one another, but in the end I am convinced that our task as Christians is to witness to and embody the reign of God in the world and therefore in our lives. No matter the title given to the people we spend our time with (Christians or non), if our aim to participate in the missio dei, then we in effect become missionaries.

Right?

Posted in: Jesus, church, community, kingdom, maria, missional, theology