Missions and Mercy

I have often found that Christians are either concerned with missions to the unreached or mercy to the poor, sick, and downtrodden. This is unfortunate because these things are actually two pockets on the same pair of pants...those pants being God's Glory.

Usually people who argue the primacy of reaching the unreached over mercy and compassion types of work say things like, "What does it profit a man to save his life, but to lose his soul?" While I agree with that statement whole-heartedly, I think we should examine the truth of Ghandi's statement that "There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread. " The falacy of their argument is called a false delimma. I have never heard of anyone who had to choose between feeding the hungry or sharing the Gospel. You can and should do both. As a matter of fact, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, caring for the downtrodden, and healing the sick may are one of the many things that God uses to break down barriers to the Gospel. So, encourage mercy and compassion with your words, money, and actions. The Gospel will not go forth without love for those to whom it is going.

People who argue the primacy of mercy over proclaiming the Gospel to the unreached usually say something like, "What good does it do to give a mother with starving children a Bible?" Once again, there is some truth in this statement, but also once again we're back to the false delimma. You can both help that mother feed her children and tell her the Good News that a Savior and Great King has come and help her to follow Him well. Those who tend to overlook the importance of the Gospel going to every tribe, tongue, and nation should remember that the redeemed followers of Jesus are meant to be much more than just the Peace Corps. They are indeed the feeders of the hugry, the defenders of the defenseless, and the healers of the sick, but they are also the heralds of a precious and glorious Truth. A Truth without which all the food, social activism, and medicine in the world would be useless. For the follower of Jesus, all mercy and compassion has it's roots in the Gospel. We do well not to forget it. Support missions to the unreached with you words, your money, and your life.

No more false delimmas. God intends to redeem His Children from this world using those who have already been redeemed. This is a great mystery, as well as a great truth. Realize that both missions to the unreached and compassion and mercy works will be necessary in this endeavor. Also realize that various people are equiped and gifted in different ways to see this task to it's end, and rejoice in that fact. Not all will be missionaries to an unreached people, not all will join the Peace Corps, but all followers of Jesus have a part to play in pushing back the darkness.