Appropriate Standards
I just came across an interesting issue that all of us on our mission team will have to deal with on the field regarding our standard of living. This comes from an article written by Bob Waldron on Mission Resource Network's website:
I know it's going to be a delicate balance to live at a level that makes sense to the Czechs in light of the fact that they know I'm an American and also that I'm a Christian who teaches that we should not be attached to or dependent on our money and possessions. What's too much to have? And what's too little? I don't think it's anything to worry over, but it is definitely an issue I want to be sensitive to.
Prior to deciding which house they will buy or rent, or what lifestyle they will choose, [missionaries] need to ask if this choice will build or undermine trust with the people they are hoping to bring to Christ (Marvin K. Mayers, Christianity Confronts Culture: A Strategy for Cross-Cultural Evangelism. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, pp. 32ff.).
A home that is too luxurious or too shabby may equally send the wrong message and undermine their efforts to build trust relationships. Some missionary families opt for more luxury than they need, simply because they can afford it financially, but in doing so they may alienate themselves from those they are trying to reach with the gospel. Other missionaries are careful stewards of trust, seeking input from national Christians who are respected for their integrity and wisdom to help them arrive at a trust-building decision.
I know it's going to be a delicate balance to live at a level that makes sense to the Czechs in light of the fact that they know I'm an American and also that I'm a Christian who teaches that we should not be attached to or dependent on our money and possessions. What's too much to have? And what's too little? I don't think it's anything to worry over, but it is definitely an issue I want to be sensitive to.
posted by mitch | 12:03 PM
2 Comments:
Excellent questions, Mitch. And there's not quick answers.
Did Dr. M ever tell you guys the story of the Western priest in S.America who lived, ate, and worked, exactly like the working poor locals? He worked digging rocks with them, lived off their diet, learned their language better than them - for two years I think. And in the end they despised him for it because they knew he was from the West and could live better if he wanted, and they felt like he was holding out on them. "You'll never be one of us because your mother wasn't one of us."
There's a fine line, somewhere, between incarnating/identifying and patronizing/being disingenuous.
Here're some snippets of what we're attempting re: living standards:
Seeking to imitate Christ is a foundational part of spiritually authentic individual and communal life with God through Christ. This requires us to live in such a way that the Gospel becomes understandable and attainable for ordinary people within their cultural and economic situation (our demonstration of the Gospel in the practical areas of life needs to come before and be louder than our explication, for a lot of reasons). After all, this is what Christ did for us!
Basically, we want to live a life that is intelligible to locals. They get it, and they could possibly attain it if they desired it, without stepping outside their current economic situation. I don't expect every single aspect of our lifestyle will fit this description due to our foreigness and affluence - but we have to acknowledge those differences and respond to them in ways that are understandable to the average locals.
Put another way:
We hope one day to live in such a way that the worldstory into which we are being written becomes intelligible, attainable, and desirable for ‘ordinary’ individuals and families. We hope that ... we’ll be able to share Life together with our neighbours ... learning to live ... as foreigners in a way that makes sense and includes ordinary people.
There's a book that we read last year at my church in Dallas, I can't remember the title, but it's this book of vignettes about being an urban missionary.
One of the stories is about the missionary family who was given a Saab, and how they finally came to the conclusion to sell it and get something else because it sent the wrong message, being an expensive luxury car. It really caused me to question myself. It would be easy to justify having that nice car because somebody gave it to them.
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