An immigrant mission

David Evans is a professor at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. He began his sermon by asking why an immigrant mother would take her children on such a dangerous journey to come to the United States. He concluded that this mother was on a mission, she was a missionary taking her family to freedom. This lead to reflections on mission. Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 speaks of 70 unnamed persons who go out to mission in the town right where they were. Mission happens right where we are. We are immigrants from God's Kingdom to bring that Kingdom's news to our neighbors. But in the U.S. more and more Christians are engaging in short term mission trips where they go to "solve" or "help". We often ignore problems right around us, and assume that we have the answers to the problems of others. But an immigrant mission depends on neighbors and the assistance of those to whom we are sent. It takes courage, a willingness to take risks. We end up being in relationship with those around us when we are "in Christian mission". We serve a missionary God, and God desires missionary people. Every moment is a missionary moment.