A Christmas Wish

I never realized the value of traditions until I entered a culture with completely different traditions.  I praise God that he connected us with a few families here who are sharing North American traditions with us in the midst of an African setting.

As you celebrate Christmas, I encourage you to cherish your family and your time together.

Contrary to my comments, Jesus doesn't seek from us traditions or religion.  He simply wants our hearts and devotion.  He wants us to love him as deeply as He loves us.  To serve Him as sacrificially as He served us.  To truly become His disciples.

When Jesus was asked "of all the commandments, which is the most important?”, He responded, "The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31)

Merry Christmas!

What is "Middle Class" in a Third-World Setting?

Today, I was reading a BBC article entitled "Wage inequality 'getting worse' in leading economies". While doing so, I began thinking about wage inequality in "trailing" economies.  One sign of a strong and stable economy is a large and vibrant middle class.  In my host country in West Africa, there is a huge chasm between the rich and the poor.  This begs the question, "What is 'middle class' in a third-world setting?". 

As part of presenting a holistic Gospel, one of the goals of BAM should be to help people rise above the cycles of generational poverty.  In a third-world setting, there are generally two classes and "middle" is not one of them.  Rather than jump on the class warfare bandwagon and rant about the powerful and greedy rich holding the lower class of society in the muck and mire of poverty, I am seeking solutions that can create a culturally-fitting middle class.  


Let's be honest, in BAM, our goal should not be to recreate the "American Dream" in all tongues, tribes and nations.  Without getting into a deep missiological discussion, I propose that third-world BAM practitioners should provide the means and an environment that fosters spiritual, physical and economic health to those we serve.  Creating a thriving third-world middle class should not include goals of driving a nice car, eating from an overflowing cornucopia of food options or owning a spacious home.  However, it should include providing the beneficiaries with financial access to safe transportation, a healthy, balanced diet and sturdy shelter that discourages sickness.


What do you think are the traits of a culturally-fitting middle class in a third-world setting?

Mark is Teaching Me a Lesson

As I was preparing this morning for another day of transition to life in West Africa, I studied Mark 6. Beginning in verse 30, I read about Jesus feeding the 5,000, then later in verse 53 when Jesus and the disciples landed in Gennesaret, I noticed how the people chased after Jesus. What was their motivation? Was it to learn from and experience Jesus or was it to selfishly obtain blessings from him (food, healing, etc)?

I read these passages several more times and continued to dwell on this question,  Sadly, from my reading, it appears that many of them pursued Jesus thinking only of themselves.  In a way, I cannot blame them.  I'm sure some of them were dealing with chronic hunger.  Others were living lives of physical pain and sickness.  Jesus offered them a solution to the problems of this time in their lives.  Many others, however, saw a free meal or an easy fix for their naturally aging, deteriorating and self-abused bodies.

In a way, I see similarities in how the people where I am living typically view Western missionaries/tourists/business professionals. Most are not starving or lame.  Yet they unabashedly ask for handouts (even when their brother beside them is quietly suffering).  My temptation is to become jaded against their (seemingly) selfish pursuits. However, in the examples from Mark 6, Jesus never scolded these people for pursuing his blessing. Instead, he generously provided food for the thousands who gathered around him and he willingly healed all who touched him. This has great implications for how I act and react toward the people around me.

• When do I teach people to fish and when do I simply give fish? 

• How do I best reconcile the western view of money and possessions with with the African view?
  

• How do I intentionally avoid falling into the Messiah delusion and begin thinking that I am superior to them?

• How do I sort though people who truly need immediate help and those trying to take advantage of my dedication to following Christ's teachings?

• How do I continue loving those trying to trick and mislead me?

Your thoughts?

Transitioning

I'm currently going through transition on many levels. I'm moving from a 17 year career in the secular business world to a BAM environment. For my entire career I worked for companies with formal policies that generally said, “No religion in the workplace.” Before and after becoming a follower of Christ, I was told that there was no safe way to discuss my faith at work. During annual diversity and/or tolerance training, we were instructed of the risks of offending people of other faiths, or even people with no faith at all. When I became a Manager, this training involved the negative legal and career implications of discussing my "private" faith with employees. For the most part, I'm sorry to say, the scare tactics worked. I would limit discussions to only those who I knew were "safe" (aka: out of the closet).

However, when I submitted my resignation a couple months ago, I decided to come clean regarding my faith and mission. When I met with my General Manager and the plant HR Manager, I explained the concept of Business as Mission and shared how my wife and I had been praying for an opportunity like this. When employees in my department asked, I shared a similar story with them. Some of them (including the HR Manager) responded by dropping the F-Bomb, asking, “Why again would you take your children to a war-torn country?" Others would say things like, "That's nuts... that's crazy!" I just responded by smiling and saying, "Yes...yes it is." In the spirit of Isaiah 6:9, they didn't get it.

However, other employees came to me offering encouragement. Some would share about the great opportunity I was giving my children. Others would spur me on regarding the eternal value of my future work. On my last day at work, I even had an employee come in my office and tell me (not ask me) that he was going to pray for me. So right then and there, he stood in my office doorway and blessed me with a beautiful prayer of commission. Before I leaving my previous company, God gave me incredible opportunities to share my faith in Jesus, His provision, and His protection.

Now I'm facing the transition of fully integrating work and faith. I'm excited by this challenge, but still figuring out what it will look like. In my previous life, my faith and work were safely segregated like two glasses of water. At first, I thought I could integrate my faith and work in this new BAM opportunity like adding ice into water. That way, my faith was still perceptibly separate, but really, really close to work. However, as I pondered the issues in Liberia regarding similar segmentation of not only work and faith, but Christian faith and tribal religion, I knew this approach fell short. In reality, I need to integrate like hot water and tea (or coffee, if that's your thing). My faith and work need to be integrated to the extent that they are completely and perfectly blended to an inseparable level. Discipleship of employees will need to happen every hour of every day. My faith in Christ will need to as public as my business card. The truth of Scripture will need to drive all of my decisions.

In theory, this may sound great. However, I need to implement these ideas in practical, tangible ways. The question is how?

This is where you come in. I would appreciate any ideas that you have, whether they're tried-and-true methods or not. The soap box is yours.


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What's in a Name?

I've been wanting to start another Blog since beginning my journey into Business as Missions (BAM) a few months ago, but my main barrier to writing my first post was the name in the header.  I like to do things once and get it right the first time.  I wanted a name that was memorable and had meaning, but wasn't cliche'.  This evening, I sat down in front of my laptop and was determined to develop a name that met these simple goals.  Whether or not I accomplished this is open to debate, but I'm happy with the result: "6:33 Business".

Why 6:33 Business?

As I walk the path towards my current BAM opportunity, one verse in scripture keeps resurfacing over and over again.  As I begin to worry about health insurance or selling my house, this verse comes to mind.  As I leave my career of 17 years and sell most of my possessions, this verse comes to mind.  As I ponder the risks (and insanity) of moving my family to a country recovering from 15 years of civil war, this verse comes to mind.

Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well".  


When I hear of people going into missions, they generally come up with a "life verse" or a verse that is central to their mission.  I wondered, "How, considering all of scripture, am I supposed to narrow it down to one or two verses?"  I, once again, underestimated the Holy Spirit's willingness to smack me over the head with what I need.


I must remember, as I question my ability to succeed in the mission God is giving me, or question my business decisions, or question my worthiness to be used by Him, or question if I can provide what my family needs, that I need to "seek FIRST his kingdom and his righteousness".  I need to stop the worry and make certain that I am properly positioned in the center of His will.  He will take care of the rest.