Geometry in Missions

    I believe Geometry was my least favorite math to take in high school. I still learned things from it, but not a lot of it made much sense to me. Therefore, the Geometry used in this post will be very simple, I promise. :)

    I used to think of missions in terms of a line. A missionary would be sent from one country to another, bringing the good news. The mathematical definition of a line is an extent of length, straight or curved, without breadth or thickness. Therefore, unless something was placed along the path of the line (in between the start and end points), then it would not intersect or come into contact with the line. In the case of my mission this summer, I was thinking: I am going to Tokyo, Japan to minister to the Japanese people there and be a light and bring the gospel to them. I was thinking almost entirely about being a missionary to the Japanese there in Tokyo. That line (heh heh) of thinking was not entirely wrong, just limited.

    I thought about home missions in this way as well. You decide what people you are going to minister in your life and what organizations (church, volunteer, school, etc.) you are going to be a part of, and that is where you will be a witness. Whoever is not a part of those specific areas will not come into contact with your line of missions. Again, I don't think it's wrong to be a part of specific ministry organizations and such, it's just limited.

   It's limited because the gospel is so much more organic, big, and all-encompassing to be treated as a line. Continuing to use that word organic, the definition of an organic shape (Most any shapes found in the natural world) is: having free-form, unpredictable and flowing in appearance. The gospel doesn't have definite shape because it's supposed to go everywhere! It shouldn't be confined to a man-made shape or line, because it should move and grow wherever you, the believer, are.

    What I have learned about this mission internship so far (and I haven't even officially started it yet!), is that it's about a whole lot more than bringing the Japanese people to Christ (though that is an excellent goal). There are so many people I have the ability to influence along the way. There are over 100 people who are receiving my newsletter (some of whom are not believers), over 30 people supported me financially, I am working with several staff and missionaries from Mission to the World, and in three days I will be living and growing with 60+ other interns who are doing something similar to me all around the world. All of this is happening even before I get to Japan, and most of these connections will continue while I am there.

    Missions isn't about going for two months to a foreign country to help with a gospel music ministry. Missions isn't about getting out for a day to go door-to-door, and then afterwards retreating back into your comfort zone.

    Missions is about blooming and shining brightly where God has placed you, and letting His love and good news blast out of you, reaching to ALL you come into contact with and treating everyone equally because we ALL equally need the gospel.