Education, Advocacy & Action

We are gaining a bit more clarity about our future ministry goals. Borrowing from the mission statement from the JEM website, the words in the title to this piece seem to best outline our ministry among indigenous communities of southern Mexico. We hope to educate people on both sides of the border about the reality of indigenous Mexico. We then want to advocate ourselves and provide opportunities for others to join us on behalf of those without a voice. We also will be involved in action whether that be offering medical service, community development projects or helping to market products from the indigenous communities. All of this is part of our Christian calling as we continue "Reflecting the Shalom of God" or announcing the coming of the Kingdom of God inaugurated by Jesus Christ.

When you have a half hour please listen to the following story about the difficult life of one Mexican family:

http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=16035

This story is quite disturbing about playing politics with lives of Central Americans:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16661333

more from Jacob...

Dependence & Inter-dependence

We are at the SouthEast Christian church in Louisville, KY this weekend for a Global Medical Missions conf. Last night's opening plenary was Eli Kachagunga, an indigenous person from Brazil translated by Steve Saint (of "The End of the Spear" fame). Eli was very eloquent in explaining the history of missions from the European and N. American--to mestizo Latin Americans--but says now that the time has come for the indigenous themselves to evangelize especially other indigenous in Latin America.

But, as he says, we in the north have things that they do not have (like financial resources) and they in the south have things that we do not have (like the ability to live in the jungle!). Therefore we need each other and must learn to work in unity as the Body of Christ. Long time urban minister, Bob Lupton, has developed the following "oath for would-be helpers."

1. I will never do for others what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves.
2. I will limit my one-way giving to emergency situations and seek always to find ways and means for legitimate exchange.
3. I will seek ways to empower the poor through hiring, lending and investing and use grants sparingly as incentives that reinforce achievements.
4. I will put the interests of the poor above my own (or organizational) self-interest even when it may be costly.
5. I will take time to listen and carefully assess both expressed and unspoken needs so that my actions will ultimately strengthen rather than weaken the hand of those I would serve.
6. Above all, to the best of my ability, I will do no harm.
(Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life--Rethinking Ministry to the Poor, Robert Lupton)

Justice & Mercy ministry with humility

Micah 6:8 has been an important verse in Dan's ministry over the years. What does God require of us, but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Can we meet the emergency needs of hungry people with food handouts while at the sametime asking the hard questions about why the people are hungry? We need to be careful of not falling into the trap of benefitting those who have already benefitted from an unjust system. For example, buying bags of corn to give away from the same corporation who flooded the market with their cheap corn driving the poor campesinos off their land. It takes courage to ask these questions but it also takes sacrifice to share from our abundance with those who don't have enough.

How would this type of balanced ministry look in today's world? Comments? Wise counsel?

The Person & Work of Christ

As we continue our journey through the midwest and discerning the shape of our future ministry among Mexicans on both sides of the border we continue to wrestle with various perspectives. Some on the Roca side of our ministry question the convictions of people in JEM as to their belief in the person of Jesus Christ. Is he the only begotten Son of God, Saviour of the world and the only way to God? Those from JEM tend to question people from Roca as to their belief in the work of Jesus Christ. Did he come to earth to die on the cross only for the forgiveness of our sins or does the way he lived and the things he taught also have relevance to our ministry today? If we believe that Jesus is the only way to God but don't follow his example for our life today are we not just as guilty as those who claim to follow the example of Jesus without claiming him as the only Son of God and Saviour of the world?

Is there a way to bring these perspectives together for each to serve as a corrective of the other?

Food for thought. Comments? Wise counsel?