An interesting conversation transpired over the dinner table on Christmas day. The subject: gang violence in inner city Chicago. We all know the statistics and if you don’t know you can read about them here. The statistics are enough to make you cry in despair. What is most despairing is that I have heard nothing about addressing this problem within the four walls of the church. It is not a new problem. It is an ongoing issue in just about every inner city in America. Right now Chicago is getting the spotlight but I remember growing up in South Central and all the hoopla about L.A. Gangs and colors (You remember Sean Penn and Robert Duvall). Admittedly I was a kid back then but I heard nothing about how the church was going to address this problem.
In contrast we have raised millions of dollars and spent a considerable amount of man power to preach the gospel and help communities overseas. Evangelicals have gone to some of the most violent, war torn, and poverty stricken areas around the globe. All the while flying over the war torn streets of Compton, Detroit, North Philly, and Chicago. I have watched many people talk about missions and the importance of cross cultural work but I have not heard them talk about missions and the desperate need that is right in their own backyard.
Why is that? For one thing there is a myth perpetuated about America. It is the place where dreams come true. If you work hard enough and play by the rules you have no reason to be poor. Stop the madness. It’s just not true. Some people have entered into families that have been historically oppressed for years. It means that their grandfather may have tried to play by the rules but someone cheated to keep him from winning at the game. After generations of this the only thing that is left for those who come after is dysfunction and hopelessness. They have present day trauma and no happy future to look forward to. And this breeds nihilism. Translation: YOLO. Translation: I will play the knockout game, twerk, down liquor, smoke weed, and even kill because life is worthless anyway. So it’s much more complicated than work hard and play by the rules.
The second issue at play is the fact that if you go overseas you may put yourself in harms way and live with a lower income but you will be joining millions who do the same. Actually you will be doing a whole lot better than most of the people there. At the same time you won’t have billboards, tv, and random people on the street with fancy cars and clothes telling you what you need to buy in order to feel good about yourself. $40,000 a year in Irian Jaya feels much better than $40,000 a year in Englewood (Southside of Chicago). Especially if you are working among people who have a complicated history of oppression and nihilism. You will not have the same income or quality of life as your friends from college. You will feel the pressure to keep up with the Jones’….whoever they are. In the states there is a pressure to have your kids go to the best schools and to have a nice manicured lawn and for things to be safe and comfortable. In Irian Jaya you expect to be uncomfortable. I’m not saying that to go to one place or another is better but I do want to take a look at why someone would fly over the inner city where there is clearly a need and go to a more exotic locale like Indonesia or Ethiopia.
So which mission field is God calling you to: Irian Jaya or Englewood?
