This past weekend I attended the Evangelical Theological
Societies south-central meeting that was held at Southwest Baptist Theological
Seminary. There I purchased a book on Christian Mission History by a man named
Scott W. Sunquist who is a dead at Princeton’s Theological Seminary. In reading
the book I came across a quote on missions that blew my mind. It said…
“For
Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country,
language, or custom. For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do
they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an eccentric way of life.
This teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the thought and reflection
of ingenious people, nor do they promote any human doctrine, as some do. But
while they lived in both Greek and barbarian cities, as each one’s lot was
cast, and follows local customs in dress and food and other aspects of life, at
the same time they demonstrate the remarkable and admittedly unusual character
of their own citizenship. They live in their own countries, but only as
nonresidents; they participate in everything as citizens, and endure everything
as foreigners. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland
is foreign… In a word, what the soul is to the body, Christians are to the
world.” (The Epistle to Diognetus, in Michael W. Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers
in English [Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006]. 295-96.)
This
past year God has dramatically changed my life and has taken me on an adventure
in this
life that I’m beginning to understand what Paul says in Philippians
1:21 which he says “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”. I am
beginning to understand this. Before coming to Dallas Seminar, I had a desire
to become a small town pastor acting as either an associate minister or working
in a larger church possibly as a connections pastor, never really going around
the world. My plan was simply to go to DTS to be trained in the Bible and go
back into the church I was apart of. I love the church I was with in Florida
and the One I am apart of in Texas but know neither of these is where God is
leading me to reach. Specifically this year God has placed this amazing desire
to reach the Irish people.
This
desire to reach the Irish comes from a progressive love for the Irish beginning
with their history to their culture to their people. Even to the extent that I
will be serving with TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission) this summer in
Swords Ireland (Ireland.team.org | team.org/givenow). This week from attending the ETS meeting and reading this
quote from the Epistle to Diognetus, it really broke down to me in the best
words I can think of at this time, in what it means to be a Christian in this
world and our specific role in society. All of us who have placed their trust
in the risen savior Jesus Christ are on a mission, whether your aware of it or
not. I just pray that in some way
I will be faithful to the ministry God has for me, whether that is in becoming a
small town pastor, in becoming a missionary to Ireland with TEAM or in becoming
a professor on day. I love the LORD and cannot imagine not serving Him.
