jeudi 28 avril 2005
‘óλος - whole, complete; adverb: entirely
It looks funny with the banners in the corners but I couldn't decide on which one to keep, Make Poverty History or Discover Jesus Christ - so I went with both. I may take them down later on, but this was what I had in mind when I decided that:
"Meeting basic human needs is inextricably linked with the gospel, just as it was in Jesus' ministry. Sometimes social concern is a consequence of evangelism; sometimes it is a bridge to evangelism; and sometimes social action accompanies evangelism and church planting as an integrated activity." - Perspectives on the World Christian Movement Study Guide (Christian Community Development)
It seems as though one is usually emphasized over the other among Christians. Conservative Christians tend to get pitted with the gospel, and liberal Christians with social concerns (both gross generalizations of course). But they need to be balanced with a holistic view in mind. Jesus came in a body. And yet we can overlook that and believe that our only concern is the soul. Yet if the body perishes, where does that leave us? Or we put so much into caring for the body that we forget that the soul needs healing too. I'm far from where I should be on both sides, but I'm starting to see the integrative role that they have in ministering to the whole person.
I love this quote, which is also found in the Study Guide:
"God's inbreaking Kingdom is characterized by righteousness, justice and peace. The gospel of the Kingdom declares that sin, disease, and oppression are never the last word. Where Jesus is King, He brings forgiveness, healing and liberation. God alone will bring it to fulfillment at the end, when Christ comes again. But until then, God is always working to display tangible signs of the governing love of His Kingdom. The primary agent of the Kingdom is the Church, the redeemed community of the King."
Really, you can't have one without the other :)
Libellés : missions
