Love-Hate Relationships
How possible is it to live in a love-hate relationship? Having just been debriefed about a short-term mission to India, it struck me that some of the living conditions in India can be quite atrocious by our affluent western standards. And it made me think "how can you effectively evangelise people if you can't stand the place they live in?"
Can you say "I want to evangelise these people, but I won't because I couldn't possibly live in the same conditions as them"? Is it possible to love the people but be put off by the environment in which they dwell?
Can you love the people but so hate their situation that you don't minister to them? Is it then OK to pick your ministries according to where you feel comfortable? Can you justify not doing a ministry just because it doesn't suit you?
Can you say "I want to evangelise these people, but I won't because I couldn't possibly live in the same conditions as them"? Is it possible to love the people but be put off by the environment in which they dwell?
Can you love the people but so hate their situation that you don't minister to them? Is it then OK to pick your ministries according to where you feel comfortable? Can you justify not doing a ministry just because it doesn't suit you?
posted by Richie at
11:53 pm
3 Comments:
Seems like blogging is dying a slow death :S, but I'll comment on this one. I think in many many many scenarios, we see a lot of this "conditional" love anyway, don't we? I'm not saying it's right, but think of the really stinky person in church...you can love them, but hate their smell :P I guess sometimes you can love them, hate their smell, *and* still talk to them....just like you can hate the living conditions but still go there.
By
Anonymous, At
4/06/2005 10:45 am
yeah, but talking to someone usually lasts all of 15 minutes. I'm talking about long-term stuff. What about being a missionary in a place you can't stand? A place that you just can't hack?
It's not a matter of conditional love, it's a matter of these other factors encroaching on your ability to do ministry. Is there such a thing as extenuating circumstances or is it just an excuse people use to cop out of what they can/should be doing?
By
Richie, At
4/06/2005 10:53 am
It's the same idea - just longer - and hence less desirable. Nevertheless, the same idea.
Of course it's conditional love! It would be extremely rare to have unconditional love. I will love and serve you as long as....1. I live comfortably 2. You're not stinky 3. X..Y..Z
I don't know if there are any extenuating circumstances that would prevent something from going - but I guess sin, stubborness of the human heart would be the main reasons.
By
Anonymous, At
4/07/2005 5:02 pm
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