The "M" Word
Laura and I debated using the word “missionary” in our blog (as we did in the last entry). It’s the word that OMS International uses to describe the work that we’re doing, Laura reasoned. True, but it’s also a loaded word that has been misused in the past and is politically charged in the present – particularly in the United States, where we’ve been staying these past few weeks.
It’s difficult to be a Christian in a world that is too often dominated by conflict framed as “holy wars” between Christian and Muslim: the principle actors in these conflicts give both Christianity and Islam a bad name.
We’ve been at OMS headquarters for new recruit training where most people, unlike ourselves, are preparing to be “career missionaries.” So who are these people? What exactly is a Christian missionary? Glad you asked.
There are about 18 people here, including:
- A grandfather, who is going to Japan to serve as a maintenance worker for the missionaries in Japan. His wife is going to serve as the treasurer for the office.
- A single girl with a communications degree, who is going to write promotional material for a Christian radio station in Haiti.
- A young man with a gift for photography, who will travel the world to document the field work that OMS is doing.
- Laura will be teaching math and science to classes of high school kids in Mozambique.
- I’m going to be creating a micro-enterprise development program to help the poor feed themselves.
The attrition rate for new full-time missionaries is very high: we’ve been told that up to 40% don’t finish their first term. Some quit because of an emergency back home, an emerging health issue, or because of a lack of funding. The most frequent reason for which missionaries quit is because they couldn’t get along with the other missionaries in the field. Missionaries’ stress levels tend to be high as a result of working in a culture that is not their own, often in a language they don’t know well, all without the close support of family and friends.
Even though we’re not full-time missionaries, OMS asked us to attend a series of training workshops that they have created to better equip us for working in the missionary team where we’ll be going – that’s what we’re doing in Greenwood, Indiana. The first week was spent on a workshop called “Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills,” which focused on refining confrontation, conflict management, stress management, and communication skills. The second week focused on issues pertinent to cross-cultural integration: health requirements, language training, and an exploration of the characteristics of different cultures.
We have gotten to know each of the other 16 participants. Most are American, with the exception of a fellow from Northern Ireland and his Brazilian wife (going to Brazil), a Belgian (going to Spain), and us Canadians. Roughly half the group is in their 20s, and the rest range in age from 30s to late 50s (two couples are proud grandparents with photos in tow). We’ve become good friends with another young couple in particular who will be teaching English and American culture at a university in Asia for the coming year.
1 comment:
It is important to use the "M" word--"Missionary"—for this is exactly what you are. In fact, there is a danger in thinking you can be other than a missionary.
Throughout the long history of Christian Missions, Missionaries have done many other things than the stereotypes that comes to mind. There is a long history of Missionaries doing other than “preaching the Gospel”. For generations they have being doing things like feeding the hungry, working in hospitals, and even teaching and helping with micro-enterprise! There is a long history of “Missionaries” living their faith through the kind of work you are doing. The work you are doing is part of the Christian call to Missions.
It is also important to realize you are a Missionary as it is a reminder also of the potential for causing damage. Call yourself a Missionary as a reminder to walk humbly! Like generations of Missionaries before you, you are not only spreading the Gospel. You are spreading North American culture and belief systems. You are spreading North American beliefs about how society should be ordered, how financial transactions should be done, and how education is structured. While there may be good in all these things, there may also be aspects which are destructive to your host culture, society, and people. You also go with affluence. You have access to the resources to travel half way around the world. Whether it part of your Christian beliefs or not, you are spreading a theology that to be Christian is to be wealthy.
The best summary I have come across of the potential for damage is a short famous lecture by Ivan Illich which has become know as the “to hell with good intentions” speech. You can find it at http://www.swaraj.org/illich_hell.htm
So then—call yourselves Missionaries. Call yourself Missionaries as an act of humility, an act of reminding yourself to always be aware of the potential, even with the best intentions, to do harm. If you are uncomfortable with the title—good! You should remain uncomfortable.
Also call yourself Missionaries as an act of recognizing that you are part of a long history of Christians working for a better world. You are living what we pray, “your kingdom come, on earth as in heaven”. You are working towards God’s Kingdom here on earth. You are doing work that will make the world more as God would want our world.
Jonathan Schmidt
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