Drive-by evangelism

Dalene tells of a youth leader she knew when she was in high school who publicly boasted that he wanted to date a thousand girls before he married. The look of disgust as she tells it reveals how it made her feel about him. And how about the poor girls who found out they were number 101 or 845 on one man’s notch-filled dating belt? I am not sure if he ever filled his quota, but there must have been a whole host of emotional casualties in this version of drive-by dating. Why does it sound kind of disgusting? Because it treats people as numbers. And it lacks in genuine concern for developing authentic relationships which take commitment of time and investment of soul.
Years ago there was a young woman who married an eighty year old billionaire and got him to will his entire estate to her. After his death, the man’s family fought this decision in court, rightly feeling that this woman was not genuinely in love with him but only after his money. No one likes to feel used. And we are all deeply suspicious of people who appear to have hidden agendas in their pursuit of people. Certainly no one mistakes that a telemarketer on the phone is interested in anything else than scoring a sale.
I have been thinking a lot lately about motives in missions and especially how it may feel to be on the other end of evangelistic endeavor. If missionaries, pastors and church members do not have as their number one goal the genuine love and care for any unbelieving person, then we may be blind to the fact that, to others, we come off like that youth leader or gold-digging heiress. We can pursue people, but if we do not continue to invest our lives and time in them once they are “caught” then we are guilty of drive-by evangelism. And the world has every right to be disgusted.

The End of Summer

I know there is an official date on the calendar designated as the first day of fall. But according to my personal indicators, two things signaled the official end of summer in our household. One, our daughter went back to school. Third grade, to be exact. New shoes, school supplies, immunizations (because we came this year from overseas), backpacks and sack lunches. It's a fall tradition.

And second, I went to the final home game of our local triple A baseball team, the Fresno Grizzlies. Summer is over when the lights go out at Chuckchansi Park. It's a sentimental night. And everyone would just like an old fashioned win under our belts as we head into a season of raking leaves, chopping wood, and hearing about Brett Favre's ninth retirement comeback as well as PETA, the Humane Society, and junior high girls picketing every Philadelphia Eagle's game. Everything surrounding this game was phenomenal. My guests, the mascot, the on-field entertainment between innings (http://twitter.com/dragkings), atmosphere, weather - it was a perfect evening. All except the game. It went 12 innings. My team had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th with one out. A simple sacrifice fly ball would have done the trick. Imagine, you make an out and win the game. Only in baseball. Only...no luck. Three guys were out there waiting to cross home plate and send everyone home winners. But they all got stranded. And so did the collective hopes of ten thousand spectators.

Being stranded reminds me of the situation facing many missionaries who are in the middle of their four year term serving overseas. The financial crisis has hit here at home with a thud like a wicked curve ball, catching everyone off guard. Most missionaries are locked into a pretty tight budget and depend on every dollar that was pledged to not only get them to the field, but to keep them there. So when people are unable to go to bat for them, it is like getting stranded. The season is not over, but the loss takes the wind out of your sails for the last games remaining to be played.

Think about it. Most missionaries that are supported don't need a grand slam or even a base hit. Just hanging in there and trying to make contact with the ball can keep the game going. And it leaves room for us all to be winners. If you're hitting it hard financially, and you have made a promise to a missionary, you may tempted to default to a pinch runner or forfeit the game. But stay in the batter's box. You just might get a break. God can keep it going well into extra innings if we just hang in there and don't hang up our cleats to early. There's some guys on base who are counting on us to bring them home winners.