Whenever I am around people talking about mission, my mind gets
moving. This week I am at STAND, the North American Mission Leaders event sponsored by Missio Nexus in Dallas,
Texas.
Yesterday I was listening to Paul Borthwick, long a strong
advocate for Christian mission and engagement in the world, particularly
short-term mission. One of the
things he stressed was the need for missionaries, when we are working and
serving in other countries to stop, listen to and accept the leadership of the
national leaders. But he went
further, challenging us to not only listen to leaders, but to hear the words of
the poor and the least of these when we go.
Over the last week or so, the concept of American Exceptionalism
has been in the news a lot. Ever
since Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote an Op-Ed peice in the New York
Times saying Americans are not exceptional, people have been talking. His peice even stirred Senator John
McCain to fire off a response extolling the virtues of both America and our
exceptionalism.
Exceptionalism is this belief that America, and by extension our
citizenry, are unusually “different” from others countries and peoples. In practice it gets interpreted as we
are better than anyone else. It's as if because of our history, our formation, our struggles and our values, we
have a leg up on everyone else in the world.
This belief is rooted in the American Revolution, our support of
Europe, and the sacrifices we made in helping win World War II. It can perhaps best be expressed in
what is known as our “can do” attitude.
It is a badge of honor many Americans, my self included frequently wear
with pride.
And therein may lie the problem.
How can missionaries from America, long steeped in the tradition
of American Exceptionism, set aside that pride, be it for a week, or years in
the case of long-term missionaries, and really listen to leaders from other
countries?
How can we, when we intrinsically believe at our core that we are
better or know more, set those beliefs aside and become learner servants,
seeking to hear God’s voice from others?
If we believe that we have the best program, the best building
methods, the best access to mission philosophy, the best evangelism methods and
materials, isn’t it going to be hard to listen to nationals from another
country?
It is almost as if Borthwick is asking us to do something that we
cannot do. And you know what? Apart from God, maybe he is.
The Apostle Paul in his great letter to the church of Philippi
shows us the way.
We read in one of the greatest calls to humility in the bible to
be Christlike at an amazing level.
We are called to obedience, the cross, humility and love of others at
such an incredible level it is hard to comprehend.
It is summed up best when Paul says we are to consider others better
than ourselves. Take that in for a
moment. Paul is saying to consider
that not only is the guy with more education better than you, but to consider
the same for the farmer, or the immigrant, the man living in a shack or the
shaman in the village half way around the world.
Paul, the jew of jews in the eyes of many...
“Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as
for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law,
faultless.”
Faultless. Let that
word sink in. Without fault. Perfect. Righteous.
Justified. That’s
exceptionalism.
And Paul was willing to set it all aside for the sake of the
Gospel, counting it all as loss in comparison to the Gospel.
Borthwick was essentially challenging us, as North American
Mission Leaders, and there are more than 1200 here in Dallas representing every
facet of mission work, to set what we believe to be our exceptionalism aside
and be like the Apostle when we go.
But you know what?
He stopped short. I’ve seen
Paul Borthwick speak many times and I admire him greatly, but he stopped short
yesterday. He stopped short
because he only challenged us to live that call when we go “over there.”
One of the most frequent criticisms I hear about Christians in
the US is that we believe we are better and have it all figured out. What if we not only “considered others
better than ourselves” when we are in another country, but here in our own
country as well?
Would it be hard? Of
course it would. But maybe that is
why Paul in closing his Epistle chose this verse... “I can do all things
through Christ who gives me strength.”
Imagine the offering that we would be to God if we as a people,
in
a country that sees itself as exceptional, set that belief aside for the sake
of the Kingdom, became nothing, took the very nature of a servant, and nailed
our exceptionalism and pride obediently on the cross.
That would indeed be a witness that just might say something
about Jesus to the nations.
