glocal-mindedness

scott hodge hit the nail on the head today with his post "thinking and living glocally." if i had seen this post before putting up my "two links you HAVE to hit" it would have been "three links..."

here's a bit of the post:

For us, one thing we know for sure is that we're not interested in missions being a "department" that hosts a dinner once a year or outreach being an "event" that people can be a part of if they happen to be interested.

We want global & local concern AND action to be a WAY OF LIFE for our church community.

[read the whole thing here]

i grew up an mk (missionary kid) and have always kinda thought that those who don't go overseas are wimps. i was all about the whole thing that if you aren't called to stay then you ought to go (keith green).

i still feel that a lot, but there's a really true point in the fact the whole world is our mission field. it can be a cop-out to say we're doing missions in our own back yard. but i have seen (especially since katrina) desperately lost and hurting people as much here in the USA as i have in africa or asia.

the fact is that there are hurting people EVERYWHERE and there are desperate situations all around us. we need to go overseas. we need to go next door.

compartmentalizing missions and outreach int "departments" dilutes the truth that these are the very core of what being a Christian is all about.

like scott said, it is WHO we are, not what we do. at least it should be that way.