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News From The Philippines - 1
Mar 24, 07:28 PM
I arrived yesterday into Manila, Philippines. It is very hot here and the look and feel are very third world. Manila is a huge city. The Pastor’s Conference begins Tuesday afternoon and runs through Thursday afternoon.
My host, an OMS missionary, and I were talking about how difficult the work of the Church is in these kinds of cultures. Corruption is a way of life, personal behavior is often erratic, and there is always a crisis of one form or another among the people. Part of it is the result of poverty, but part of it is the mysterious phenomenon of life in developing societies. It is difficult to establish indigenous churches with stable, committed leadership. The churches that prosper here and in similar cultures seem to all be led by North Americans or locals who were trained in North America.
As we talked I kept thinking: how can the work of Christ prosper and become part of the fabric of these societies? I cannot believe that God’s Kingdom depends on those like us in North America who have stability, order, organization, and logical thinking! And yet, the thought process and lifestyle in some of these countries is so chaotic that it is difficult to establish anything lasting, progressive, and stable. I see this consistently all over the world. The Kingdom of God is not North American! It should not be dependent upon North Americans, our resources, nor our methodologies. Not only does this seem to be true in Kingdom work, it seems to be true in secular government as well. So many nations receive aid, training, and all kinds of assistance and yet remain mired in the same corruption and thinking that keeps them oppressed.
Of course, many people in these countries would rightfully maintain that it is precisely because of the years of colonialism and economic exploitation that the social conditions exist. However, this does not explain the continued difficulties posed by corruption and irresponsible personal behavior.
The Apostle Paul took the gospel originally into areas which were every bit as chaotic, if not more. So how can the church of 2008 do the same? I think and pray about this all the time. I am not here to judge anyone. I am not superior to anyone. I make that clear wherever I go. The world has had quite enough of American arrogance. American society is certainly subject to the world’s disdain in many ways. At the same time, I am called to the nations and the work of the Kingdom. I am always asking the question: what is the best, most helpful way to do it.