Outside Yourself

For the third time in less than a decade, I have been placed into a completely different culture and have had to adapt to all the differences. It's not until you've been plunged into a new culture that you begin to understand just how different you really are.

It's not just your location that changes when you move into a new culture. Everything that has been familiar to you gets turned upside down, and in some sense, you start over, learning how to talk and relate to people all over again. The use of the language changes, the music changes, the cultural norms change, the way people relate to one another changes, the clothing changes... It can all seem a bit overwhelming.

Northern Ireland was quite different in every conceivable way from Indiana, and although Northern Ireland shares the same island with the Republic of Ireland, the cultural differences were almost as stark between them. Now I find myself living in the Denver metro area teaching at a predominantly Latino school surrounded by a culture that is radically different from the one we left in Ireland. I've learned to be comfortable being the minority and have come to appreciate the challenges of adapting to new cultures.

Although I've had to exchange bacon and cabbage for chorizo and burritos, my love for people and appreciation of their culture remains the same.

I have a rather simplistic view of being a missionary. To me, a missionary is someone who can be who they are as designed by God but be that person somewhere else. I fear that we've lost our understanding of Christian mission which seems to be monopolized by "professional missionaries" or those who have raised enough money to go on "short-term missions". I have been one of those "professional missionaries" who has taken countless youth on "short-term mission trips", and I understand and appreciate the labor and service of those who have given themselves love and serve the people He loves.

But I still believe in the mission of every individual! To get outside our ourself is a divine calling not just reserved for the professionals or seasonals but for all who claim to follow Christ. For some of us, just getting out of our home or circle of friends (or church!) and meeting people who don't know the love of God is a stretch beyond our comprehension. I don't think Jesus asks us to start with Tanzania or Slovakia or Mongolia but instead asks us to start with our neighbor, the people in our proximity.

There will be those who will go to Indonesia, India, and Ireland, but we need more barefooted followers of Christ who are willing to bring light, hope, and life right down the street. Just stepping out of the family bubble, friend bubble, or church bubble can be a huge step of faith for some, but laying down your life (your culture, your comfort, your familiarity) reminds me a lot of Someone Else I know.

Getting outside of yourself doesn't require evangelistic zeal, a degree on the wall, or fund-raisers. What's needed instead is someone who simply loves God, loves others as Jesus does, and is willing to participate in God's hope for humanity.

And who knows, you might enjoy yourself out there...