I was watching an old movie last weekend.
Well, when I say old, it was one of the teenage
classics from the 80’s, so while only from late
last century… it felt ancient! When the lead
character had an emergency, there was no quick
dial on the smartphone in their pocket or Siri
request. Instead they struggled with the coins in
their pocket as they ran to the nearest pay phone
and used the old rotary dial to call 911. (If you’re
not sure what I’m talking about, Google it or ask
your mum). The special effects, well they weren’t
that special and the lead character spent a fair
bit of time waiting beside the mail box for the
latest message from a friend.
Watching this movie, it struck me how much has changed
in a relatively short space of time. You know what I’m
talking about, because we seem to talk about it a lot.
The rapid pace of change, the impact of technology on
the speed in which we communicate and function, and
our ever-increasing addiction to the ‘next’. The next
smart phone release, the next Netflix season premier,
the next post, the next Instagram, the next… There are
research papers, studies, articles and podcasts all taking
an intricate look at the impact of continual change on our
ability to adapt and cope.
It got me wondering, what if we put mission under the
spotlight? Has the way we approach cross-cultural service
been effected by the pace of the world’s rapid change?
And what are the ramifications, both the good and the
bad, for the future of sharing the message of Jesus?
THE PAST
In generations gone by, it was a given that mission
was a life-time commitment. There are the stories of
missionaries who packed their belongings in a coffin
and loaded them onto the boat, knowing that they
would serve in a foreign country until they died.
Only one generation ago, the conversation around
serving as a cross-cultural worker didn’t include
timelines or end dates. As Mark Holt, Global
Interaction’s Director of Ministry recalls, “When I
applied for missionary service back in 1975, the length
of service wasn’t discussed as there was a pretty big
assumption from all involved that this was it – all we
would do for the rest of our lives.” In fact, it was the job
of the mission agency to discern where you would go,
what you do and how long you would be there.
WHEN I APPLIED FOR MISSIONARY
SERVICE BACK IN 1975, THE LENGTH
OF SERVICE WASN’T DISCUSSED.
resonate · issue 30 · page 3