· Some
are naturally adaptable and live exactly as the people in their community. I
admire these folks, and there are significant advantages to this lifestyle as
it allows them to better see through the eyes of the people and understand the
needs. However, these people are rare, and there are unique challenges to this
lifestyle. For example, what do you do when your health or the health of your
children is in jeopardy? How do you maintain financial support without modern
conveniences? How do you successfully
adapt to the culture shock, which is extreme in general, but even more extreme
when giving up all familiar experiences and technologies that keep you in touch
with family and friends in other parts of the world? If you plan to return to a
Western environment, how do you readjust?
· Some
recognize how difficult living in extreme circumstances can be, and they try to
make their home a refreshing haven for themselves and their families. This
allows them the emotional health to continually reengage in a draining
ministry. For example, a family we came to know and love in Nigeria bought a
standing pool for their children. They lived in a city where bombs went off
regularly, and sometimes their children had to stay home from school for days
due to various real threats. The pool gave their children a sense of normalcy
and fun in the midst of trying circumstances. Even in less extreme
circumstances, some missionaries recognize that certain Western conveniences
and hobbies help stabilize their emotional health and make them better people
and servants.
· Some
buy Western conveniences so that their time is more efficient and they can give
more time to their ministries.
· Some
buy Western conveniences to be shared and used by the local community who would
not otherwise have access to such things.
· Some
utilize Western conveniences because they know their children will someday live
in/receive education from Western countries, and they want to familiarize their
children with this other world.
· Some
use their resources to become a retreat center for those who are live more
simply.
· And
for many, their decisions are a mixture of these principles.
I have found
that each situation, culture, and missionary is unique, so to place judgment on
others without having walked in their shoes is both hurtful and unjust.
However, on a personal level, this topic has been both challenging and
convicting for me. “How ‘Western’ will I live?”
I recently
read a book called “Missions and Money,” talking about the complexities of
wealth among missionaries. I’m not recommending the book, because it is intensely
law-oriented and put me into depressive tailspin of “I’m a terrible missionary,
and I should just give up on being here, because I might be doing more harm
than good.” Thankfully, a good infusion of gospel brought me out of that, and
though I don’t agree with everything in the book, there were many passages that
provided food for thought. This passage gave a label to some of my tendencies:
“The word
that perhaps best sums up the plethora of secular values which influence all
North Americans – including missionaries – from infancy throughout life is consumerism, the way of life
established upon the principle that the great goal of human life and activity
is more things, better things, and new things; in short, that life does consist
in the abundance of possessions.”[1]
Consumerism.
Our entire economy in the U.S. is built around it. If everyone in our country
was content with what they had, I fear that our economy would crash. Can you
imagine a Christmas where everyone decided the gifts were not necessary to
celebrate our Savior’s birth? I did not realize until I moved here how much a
part of my psyche this is.
I understand
that sometimes buying something new can be better than something used. We have
been in a three-month battle with our used refrigerator that sometimes refuses
to cool. And sometimes, we all buy things for the same reasons as mentioned
above—to be used so that we have more time for ministry, to be used in our work
and ministry, to be loaned to others, to give us a space to emotionally,
spiritually, and physically recharge, to create a retreat and safe space for
other people… Yet in Tanzania, I am learning the value of living simply. And
though I don’t always succeed, the quest to live more simply is one worthy of
undertaking.
In the
Bible, Jesus gives just warning to the rich that we can put our trust in things
instead of God. Physical wealth can lead to spiritual poverty. In 1 Timothy, we
are warned that the love of money (and not just money but the things which it
can buy) is the root of all kinds of evil. And yet, in the Bible we also see
some examples of the “righteous rich.” In the story of Abraham, God told
Abraham that he was blessed to be a blessing for others. The primary meaning of
blessing in this context is spiritual blessing, but at the same time Abraham
was by no means poor. His resources could be used to help others. The resources
in and of themselves were not evil.[2]
So how do we keep greed at bay and use our blessings to be a blessing to
others? It’s not easy, especially for those of us who have grown up in a materialistic
culture. For me, one helpful tool has been when I buy something to ask myself,
“What need am I trying to meet in buying this?” “Can I meet that need with
something simpler or with something I already have?” “What impact will this
purchase have on others in my life and on my ministry?”
Like I said,
I’m a work in progress. There have been many times that Eric and I have
purposely bought the simpler item or not bought something because we decided
that the alternative, while nice, was not necessary. And yet, we also recognize
that we still have a lot of things that our Tanzanian friends don’t. We pray
that through the financial blessings we have received, we can be a blessing to
others.
[1] Jonathan J.
Bonk, Missions and Money, (Maryknoll, New
York: Orbis Books), 34-35.
[2]
Thanks to this blog http://reports.heartcrymissionary.com/coordinator-blogs/the-righteous-rich-can-wealth-be-used-to-glorify-god-part-2/
for the insight about Abraham
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