Irresistible Revolution Assignment

After reading Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution, I have a conflicting view on short term mission trips. Shane speaks about the danger of short term missions in which they can be too inwardly focused. This is why I posted the picture above. There is a positive and a negative to this captured moment. The obvious positive is there was an undeniable bond created between two individuals who do not speak the same language and come from two entirely different backgrounds. Each individual experienced joy and love and thus, the experienced moment is undoubtedly positive and good. However, what happens after this moment? I came home to a comfortable house with enough food at my disposal to fill my stomach. But when was this child's next meal? It could have been three days after I left or even longer. But then again, who am I to say this child's life wasn't changed through this rare experience of joy and love?

I sometimes think we, notice I said we not you, have a certain view on short term mission trips where we feel good about holding poor children in our arms for two weeks only to hand them over to the next westerner who has come to visit or back to no one at all. Where does my 'mission' mindset stop and my 'regular life' mindset begin? This is a hard question to answer and a prayer of mine that my life not be marked by intermittent mission trips but by a continuous flow of love. So perhaps I should not worry what happens to the children or the leper after I leave but instead focus on the moments I have with them. Pour out the love Christ has for me to them and trust that He will take care of them when our paths cease to cross. I am sure you can tell by the unorganized flow of thoughts that I am having a hard time discerning my exact thoughts on the issue.

I believe what it comes down to is the motive behind the action. I will obviously support any mission trip, whether it be one day or 10 years, because as long as the gospel is being preached we are fulfilling our calling. We need to be sure that our motive is not self centered so that we are not striving after that feeling of self-righteousness that we so often attain after serving others. True service is denying ourselves for the benefit of others. So that is what we must do. Deny ourselves, pick up our cross. and follow after Christ with every ounce of energy, focus, and passion we have in our very being.