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Are we willing to be converted?
Sharing. Giving and receiving. Reciprocity. Interdependency. All of these are central themes in Scripture. Even though the word dependency tends to have a negative connotation in missions, biblically we are all dependent on one another. Without each other, we are incomplete. Apart from each other, we can never be mature, whole. We need one another, as individuals and churches, since God has given us diverse gifts, and no one person or church has a monopoly on those gifts. This reality should result in interdependency. (We are, of course, dependent upon Christ, though he is not dependent upon us.) And, within the body of Christ, we are all dependent on one another, as outlined in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 4:1-16, Galatians 6:2 and 1 John 3:16-20. As this metaphor suggests, our dependency is complementary and reciprocal, but not necessarily equal or similar. Where one member is lacking, another member shares to complement the other, resulting in overall wholeness. Therefore, interdependency clearly forms among members for overall balance and maturity. Complementary interdependency is active, not passive. We are called to share with one another (Romans 12:13), care for one another (Galatians 6:2), serve one another (1 Peter 4:10), and support one another (Philippians 2:4). In this light, dependency is healthy as it relates to a complementary flow of resources. Dependency is unhealthy only when there is a one-way flow that fosters paternalism. To get beyond such entanglement, we have to believe in God’s design and embrace the truth that every part of the church has gifts to share. Paul berates the church in Corinth for valuing more highly the spectacular gifts like tongues. A modern-day Paul might berate the church for unduly valuing material gifts that are concentrated in the Western church. But what about the gifts of the church in the global South? We need their gifts of prayer, trust in God, spiritual vitality and evangelism. Too often, we observe their material poverty and cannot imagine that they have anything of value to share with us. That failure of imagination on our part may be symptomatic of the profound spiritual poverty that allows us to see value only in material terms. Our failure to receive may be a sign of a crisis of faith. Do we really believe that God has given other parts of the church what we need to be complete? Does our pride in our self-sufficiency, or self-reliance, or our fear of seeming to be dependent cause us to shut out others whom God has gifted for our sakes? Are we willing to be converted? I find the story of Namaan, the Syrian general, intriguing (2 Kings 5:1-14). People envied him because of his riches and fame, but what they didn't see was his fear and shame because he had leprosy. But a young slave girl, who had every reason to hate Namaan since he had stolen her from her country, heard of Namaan's plight. She remembered her people's faith in the prophets, who in the Lord's name, could do seemingly impossible things. Namaan thought he had everything. He never wasted a thought on his slaves. Yet when he heard of this slave girl’s confidence in the Lord’s power to heal him, he was ready to listen. After a simple and humble task brought him healing, he offered the prophet Elisha silver and gold in vain. In truth, he was the one who received the gifts — healing, restoration and peace. Everything was turned upside down, and he had never been so happy! In this story, it is the despised slave girl who is the bearer of God’s good news. We learn through this humble girl that unexpected people can be instruments of God’s purposes. When we visited the Congo recently, the temptation for me was to see only the struggle for survival of our Mennonite brothers and sisters there. Overwhelmed by the immensity of the need and little I could do, I felt desperate and upset. That is, until a young boy, Eldad, raised his hand to speak at the end of one of our sessions. He offered the guests from the United States a 500-Congolese-franc note so they could get some cake for themselves. What a remarkable gesture of hospitality! But it was more. In a country where most people eat only one meal a day, Eldad could have kept that money to buy one more meal. Instead, he was willing to trust God for his provision and bless his guests through his sharing. God, make us willing to learn from Eldad! God, help us see our need. God, allow us to be willing to receive gifts that you have for us through our sisters and brothers in the global body of Christ.
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