A New Perspective
It’s about 4:30 am on Tuesday morning in Toalmas, Hungary. Teana and I arrived safely on Monday. Our luggage will arrive sometime today. In the interim, I have ‘borrowed’ clothes from a dear friend here in Toalmas. This morning I will begin teaching 1 Samuel to about 50 international students in my ‘new look’.
It takes about 45 minutes to get from the airport in Budapest to Word of Life in Toalmas. If you’re ‘looking’ and paying attention, you realize that you’ve just driven your first 45 minutes in the country without seeing any evangelical church between ’there’ and ‘here.’ In America there is an evangelical church every 4.5 minutes. From Heritage, a person can drive by at least ten churches in 4.5 minutes and probably 45 churches in 4.5 miles.
We often talk about seeing things from someone else’s perspective. We want people to see things the way we see things. “If you could only see things my way,” someone will lament during a discussion. In the Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis wrote, “What you see depends a lot on where you stand.” In that light, more American Christians need to stand on foreign soil to look around and look back to America. It will help anyone better ’see’ America and American Christianity. It will help a person better see the world as it is and even offer a new look into his or her life.
Too many people to count took advantage of Heritage’s global burden in 2008. Almost every Sunday since the summer has finished, someone has offered a testimony about their mission experience. If you haven’t been to the foreign field for Christ’s kingdom, I hope you’ll take advantage of one of Heritage’s world-wide opportunities in 2009. Next year, Heritage is going further than its ever gone (Ethiopia) and deeper into the darkness (Muslim countries) than it has ever ventured. The trip will not only change someone else’s forever, it will also change you.
Our luggage didn’t arrive with us in Hungary. That’s inconvenient. Luggage is replaceable. Driving for 45 minutes, looking out the window into village after village, seeing hundreds of people who have never heard the name of Christ go about their daily business and knowing that one day their hearts will stop beating and they will face eternity without Christ; that’s more than incovenient - that hurts your soul. It brings to mind the old adage, “no pain, no gain.” Calvary’s pain garnered Christ a bride. The pain of conviction, confession and repentance grants us fellowship with God. And missions…well missions gives you a whole new perspective on everything. That’s priceless.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:42 am
That is the most beautiful thing I have ever read — such heartfelt compassion. I love you, Reg. Keep up the good work. I would like to join you one day on one of these ventures. I am so honored to be your sister.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Good post.
November 5th, 2008 at 8:27 am
Great perspective, as always Reggie. Have a blessed time as you spread the love of Christ in Hungary. I pray for you and Teena as you are away from us. God bless you both!