Sharing Jesus in Glocal World.

When Jesus was giving final instructions to his disciples before leaving this world, he gave them what is often called the "Great Commission."  He said "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..."

There are a couple of important points to understand about the original Greek statement.  First, it was plural.  Second, the emphasis was on making disciples, with "going" attached to that.  The idea being communicated is "Ya'll go make disciples of all nations."

As Paul pointed out in Romans 10, this doesn't mean that we all get on an airplane and go, but rather that some of us go, and others send.  As John Piper describes it, we can be "Goers," "Senders," or disobedient. 

This means that the "Goer" has to communicate in several directions.  He or She must communicate back to the senders, out to the lost, and also increasingly to secular bystanders.  Traditionally, Churches would send missionaries, who would handle these communication issues in hostile environments by compartmentalizing them.  On the field, they were "aid workers," "relief workers," or "volunteers."  Back home at the Church they were "missionaries" and "evangelists."  There's nothing wrong with this if it works, because all of these things are true.

Increasingly, however, compartmentalization is no longer possible, or even desirable.  Not only will supporters back home read this blog, but so will neighbors in Lebanon.  People that we meet on the street will Google our names to see what we're really all about.  The term "Glocalization" is used to describe the idea that nothing is really local any more.  People on the other side of the world can read the home town newspaper and go to the Church website.

This means that in the modern world, we can't say the same thing three different ways.  We have to have one message.  Every public statement has to be made with the idea that anyone can read it.  Statements have to be made in such a way as to be relevant to supporters, friends in the field, and onlookers -all at the same time.

This is a challenge, but it's also a blessing.  It requires us to be above board and clear about everything.  When our Muslim neighbors Google our names, I hope they find this post.  We very much want them to know what we are about.

We want to tell people about Isa.  We want to tell His words to them.  That's what Words of Isa is about.