Just as we're trying to gain a more holistic perspective of mission in terms of what God is doing on earth, we also want to gain a more holistic perspective of where God is at work. That's why this week we're talking about God's heart for all nations and taking a more global perspective on God's mission.
One of the significant shifts happening at the moment within Christendom is that the whole centre of gravity of the Christian movement is shifting to the Global South (Latin America, Africa, parts of Asia). This is where the Evangelical movement is booming, while in its traditional strongholds (Europe and North America) it is waning. This is bringing new emphases (e.g. the power of the Holy Spirit) and new opportunities, but also new challenges, especially in the area of discipleship and leader-training.
How do we/should we respond to all this as Western Christians?
3 comments:
Good track for us to go down.
Might those have been similar issues the Jewish Christians considered when the number of Gentile Christians was increasing?
A good comment from Jill.
It is very hard to let go the mindset that we in the north have 'it' and now we are going to share it with them in the south. Especially when we happen to have the money and (often) the education.
Overturning this mindset in a mission setting involves some quite intentional things. How do we give up power? How do we deliberately give leadership away? How much control do we want, and why?
In a church setting some of the issues are quite similar: who are the people in the church whose gifts are overlooked by white male leadership? Women? Ethnic minorities? Young people? Disabled people?
The west is like Rome, in that its rotting from the inside out. We're crushed by the weight of rationalism, having to know everything and counter every arguement, and we're left empty by the void of relativism, where everyone is correct, except the christians. We have everything we could want, freedom, money, political stability, and technological progress. But yet we are the most unhappy, unsatisfied group of people out there.
But can we get one thing right - white people are not to blame for all the evils in society. All people are because all are sinners. I'm tired of feeling guilty for being a white male. To me that notion is great racism of the 21st century. Where the gospel goes racial, and nationalistic boundaries are broken down. There is neither jew nor greek, male nor female, slave nor free, all are one in Christ.
The booms in the 3rd world give me hope. People with nothing are happy with the grace of God. We could do well to learn that in the west.
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