Because I grew up in a Pastor’s home, we oftentimes had missionaries visit and stay with us. I remember listening to the stories and watching the slide shows they’d deliver during the all-ages Sunday School hour. These encounters shaped my understanding of “mission.” I rapidly learned that the Christian’s calling is to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), both near and far, by “making disciples of all nations.” And the proper way to fulfill the Great Commission, I came to believe, was to “share the Gospel.” In other words, it was the verbal pronouncement of the plan of salvation that was at the heart of missions.
As I got older, my adolescent idealism led me to see through the hypocrisy of many adults in the church who emphasized this verbal proclamation of the Gospel, but did so in a way that seemed largely void of the actions that would back that proclamation up. The words of James resonated with me: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:24). I remember how refreshing it was to hear one of my youth workers tell me that “Christianity is better caught that taught.” Showing was telling. This led to a strong attraction to a quote attributed (erroneously we now know!) to Saint Francis about the missional power of actions: “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”
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Source: CPYU
