Sometimes I’m caught off-guard by how people present this phrase differently: “You’re going on a mission…” – insert period, exclamation point, question mark, comma, dot, dot, dot…
Occasionally I hear: “So, you’re going on a mission.” I feel like this person telling me what I’m doing.
There is also the one who excitedly wonders: “You’re going on a mission?!” This person shares her or his ideas of how ‘exotic’ of an experience this will be and alerts me as to the dangers of travel or, better yet, travel tips.
Then the person who gently asks: “You’re going on a mission?” This one will always pause. And even though it is not fair of me, I am cringing.
I defensively smile and say: “Well…”
As I stammer through my response, the words “Relationship…Community…Living simply… and Accompaniment” jump out. If the conversation leads to a certain point, I will often replace the verb “Serve” with “Share” and, in all honesty, I can’t explain why. Sometimes I’m more focused on getting out those few important words than communicating what I expect the role of YAGM volunteer is like. It’s just another one of those things that makes me tighten my lips and squint my eyes when I again say: “Well…”
Occasionally I’ll say “Engage in global mission” or “Mission practice” but does this make a difference to the one who asks if I’m “going on a mission” – Period? Would these words fall flat on the wide-eyed, enthusiastic person who has lots of advice and stories to share after saying: “You’re going on a mission” – Exclamation Point? Maybe the patient listener who asks “You’re going on a mission” – Question Mark – is offering more understanding than I can realize. I am always thankful for their pause and maybe the next time this happens, I will ask what they mean by “Mission” because this is a packed word.
It might seem confrontational but I simply do not see the role of a YAGM as one who is or will “go on a mission.” I can’t bring myself to use that phrase. Borrowing from ELCA Global Mission: “Global Mission is God’s Mission. The church does not have a mission—the mission of God has a church!” This means that the two-thirds world is not the object of the church’s mission. Instead, I see the role of a YAGM volunteer as someone who embraces the possibilities of community and relationship; because mission service is - and is in - relationship.
Clearly, it’s too early to assume that I know exactly what my role as a YAGM in Mexico will be like but I’d add that - (1) under the model of mission by accompaniment, (2) of mission that embraces the fullness of God’s experience made possible in community, (3) and of mission where at the center of all reality is relationship - then yes (of course!), I am entering into global mission service!
We are all the products of many people and places, so how can we be whole without fully recognizing that relationship is what binds us as a global community? In community sustained by Love, mission takes its shape and form in relationship. I think this is what grounds our experience – the Biblical, historical and contextual meaning of relationship is central to our identity. And there is certainly enough evidence to illustrate the negative toll that mission can take when it is not done within this framework (which is probably what prompts these questions!).
While I’m still honing my ability to respond to the entire “You’re going on a mission” Period. Exclamation Point. Question Mark fiasco without a hesitant “Well…”, I’ll do my best to wipe that awful cringe off my face, stammer through my reply, and continue to mention the oh-so-important centrality of mission in relationship.
It might sound like this: “Well… Mission, shmishon… mission is relationship.”
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