In anticipation of the post-Pentecost mission of his followers, Jesus trained and prepared his disciples. He instructs them with these words before he sends them:
“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
Based on Jesus’ instructions, the content of the good news (or the gospel) is the gift of peace embodied in the reign of God. Our mission in the world is to announce, and advance, the possibilities of peace that are the promise of God.
After five years of serving in Gaborone, Botswana, with our partners there, Nathan and Taryn Dirks will soon return to North America. The legacy that they will leave is one of God’s peace, shaped through their partnership with the Spiritual Healing Church. They shared the following observation: “… We’ve been exploring how to enact God’s teachings, to serve in creative, loving, unexpected … ways.”
Their expression accurately describes the roots of their interest and the nature of their particular commitment to their work. It is a description of the posture that Mennonite Mission Network has been pursuing for several decades now. Grounded in strongly held biblical convictions, we are deeply committed to the outcome that communities of believers and followers of Jesus Christ emerge, or are strengthened in their witness, as a result of our work in every place where we are engaged. We are also pledged to work in loving, respectful and creative (rather than stereotypical) ways with those among whom we seek to share the good news of the peace of Christ.
We believe that the incarnation of Jesus calls us into solidarity and identification with those among whom we seek to share the message of Christ’s kingdom. This posture of solidarity requires that we are deliberate, and disciplined, in making sure that we do not impose our vision and priorities for what ministry and mission look like in other contexts.
Mission workers have always sought to follow Christ through faithful witness, even when their actions appeared to be in line with western expansionism. Today, our commitment is to point to Jesus, and to listen to our hosts about what they discern will be most effective in their context as they make their witness credible and attractive. Whether it is a coffee shop in Kathmandu, Nepal (Dale and Bethsaba Nafziger); a water project in Uyo, Nigeria (with our partner, Mennonite Church in Nigeria); supporting women in a craft project in Bayanhongor, Mongolia (Laura Schlabach); or a futsal park in Gaborone, Botswana—we are pledged to work in creative, incarnational, and supportive ways that extend our partners’ effectiveness in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in their context.
By their witness for peace through Jesus Christ, Nathan and Taryn and their partners transformed a dreaded space into one that came to be illumined by the light of Jesus, and infused with possibilities for the peace of Christ to prevail. Through this project, God’s people came together to bless their neighbors in Gaborone. In many other places on each of the continents, in creative, loving and unexpected ways, women and men and families are sharing Christ’s peace and making a difference for healing and hope. They are able to be there, and are sustained in their witness, because of your prayers and your generous sharing.
Thanks for sharing the light and expanding the possibilities for the peace of Christ to transform situations of fear, hopelessness and despair in every place.
Stanley W. Green
Executive Director