Global Talk

We love hearing what God is doing in the hearts of people around the world! Here at the New Tribes Missionary Training Center we have a daily opportunity to receive updates from missionaries who are working with unreached peoples. Following is an excerpt from a missionary describing the fellowship of a group of brand new believers:

"So, what are the church meetings like? AMAZING! You know what is different about us and these people? They don't live in a dichotomy like we westerners do. They are more holistic in their thinking and in their living. Why? Because they live in communities. They cook together, work together, sleep in bamboo houses that are 2 feet apart...which means that every one knows what is going on in every house. There is no escape of accountability. There are no nice and neat little compartments to shove the parts of our lives in that we don't want our fellow church members to see. Everything is out in the open. As they meet in church it is just another important part of this new life in Christ...not THE main part. As they apply the truths that they learn, they are applying them fresh to their lives and not putting them through our western grid and sometimes the result is quite refreshing. An example...We have taught the people that God is everywhere. We have taught them that he loves it when his children to talk to Him and to praise him for the things that he has done and for the things that He is doing right now in our lives. We have now taught them that is why we meet together...to encourage one another and to praise his name for things he has done since the beginning of the world through...well, this past minute! So, as they meet to pray and praise...we often can't tell the difference between the two! They don't bow their heads and fold their hands when they are praying...they often look up and talk because he is right there...or they just start talking to all of us, telling what the Lord did that week to show his mercy or grace in their lives and then will end with AMEN! Why? Because as they are recounting for those gathered what the Lord has done and they are acknowledging that He is here among us! Almost every testimony or praise ends with..."It is like that, so I am giving you a big thank you Lord Jesus! Amen!"

Now most people will probably assume this is because their culture is different than ours. It is true that we have different cultures, but I think we could learn a lot from the way these tribal people interact with one another. I have been thinking a lot lately that we Westerners are growing further and further apart. I am not sure what started our independent, "I'm my own man/woman and I can do my own thing if it works for me." mentality, but I think it has gotten much worse and is continuing on the same trend.

With the invention of internet and e-mail, many of us don't have a need for real face-to-face interactions . We have so many virtual relationships that we have little time to invest in real live relationships that invite encouragement, challenge, and rebuke into our lives. Instead we come home from work, drive our car into the garage, and sit inside our house with our huge front and back yards with a fence all around our property. As we hide our emotions behind our computer while checking everybody's blog and Facebook page, our neighbor is so lonely and feels so purposeless that he is putting a gun to his head.

Is this what Jesus had in mind when He talks about His church? Does the life of an average American Christian exemplify how the Body of Christ should function? Do we view church on Sunday as the primary time that we function as a body or are we reaching out during the week to those who are lonely and hurting in our body? Are we going to church with a consumeristic mentality--trying to see what we can get out of it (whether we're hoping to gain time with friends or spiritual encouragment)--or are we being intentional about being a blessing to someone else? When we do get together with other believers either inside church or outside church, are we encouraging, challenging, and spurring one another on, or are we simply satisfied with talks about the weather, intellectual discussions that never change the way we live, or worse: gossip. When we shy away from the deeper conversations that penetrate our hearts and lives, we lose out on the true fellowship we could experience and we perpetuate a "Lone Ranger" mentality of the Christian life that is in direct opposition to how the Body of Christ should function.

I'm writing this as a challenge to all of us, me included, to evaluate how our virtual relationships may be impeding the deep, face-to-face relationships that I believe are in alignment with the Biblical model of the Body of Christ. Hopefully this made you think. If you have comments, please write.