The Gospel and Garbage

The Gospel and the Problem of Trash

This weekend was spent with Church Leaders working through a thought provoking process called “The Pastoral Circle”. It’s a simple pattern for properly thinking about ways the church should engage with the problems and issues of society. The process involves discovery of the issues, personal biases surrounding those issues, social analysis, theological reflection and planning on how the church will engage. While it’s a simple pattern,the process is involved. But, it’s extremely helpful.

The Gospel. The Church. Mission. Cultural and societal engagement. These are topics with interest me deeply. Indeed, in many ways they are subjects on which I’ve dedicate my life. It was refreshing to once again explain how the Gospel affects and impacts every part of the life of a believer. The issue which was raised during our time together this weekend was one which thrills me to no end.

The Gospel affects everything.

One of the important issues in the church today (at least in my non-essential opinion) is the fact that Gospel is not just a message to be proclaimed every once in a while on a Sunday. In many of our churches the Gospel is relegated to a moralistic Sunday School story (Jesus-died-on-the-cross-for-our-sins), rather than THE story that changes everything. I don’t think we are (shall I just speak for myself? I don’t think I am …) adequately stunned by the staggering implications of the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the West, we tend to practice (and export) the less-than-stunning, sterilized, Sunday School version of that story.

As a part of the process this weekend, the students were required to think about where they live (the geographical location). They had to talk about what they love about their home … and the things they would like to see changed. From this, each group connected to a specific problem. They covered everything from divorce to alcoholism in youth to garbage.

Here was the classic moment. To understand this, you have to understand that the term “Gospel” is literally translated “Good News” in Mongolian. So, I asked the question.

How do we connect the “Good News” to the problem of trash?

Some blank looks.

Then one student hesitantly said, “Well, the Good News is good …. and trash …. is bad?”

So we thought together about creation, stewardship, the Fall, the results of the Fall, the reason Jesus had to come and die, and the results of the death and resurrection of Jesus … as it relates to trash, the human condition and the stewardship of the Earth. We talked about Thomas Chalmers of Glasgow, and how he practically applied the Gospel in the poorest of neighborhoods - and saw those neighborhoods transformed through the power of the Gospel. It was an enlightening and enjoyable session. The Mongolian church leaders moved a step closer to what I believe to be a Biblical vision of the Gospel and the Kingdom.

Let me qualify … I am not a post-millennial reconstructionist. But, then again, I’m also not a pre-millennial, pre-trib, dispensationalist. The Biblical vision of the Gospel and the Kingdom is much bigger than our theological containers. I believe that until we begin to connect the Gospel with garbage, we’re not even beginning to touch the atom-bomb impact of the Cross on this planet.

This past weekend of teaching has convinced me that those of us working in the context of modern day cross-cultural mission also need to connect Gospel and garbage. Unless that connection at least begins to take place in our own minds, I’m fairly certain we’re fooling ourselves, and more tragically, fooling the good people who send money every month for our support. Mission has to be more than a numbers game and “Good News” is not just positive information in a newsletter. I think we’re way too easily satisfied with superficial "decisions for Christ" and church attendance. If the personal transformation that should be taking place in Jesus disciples is not transforming the environment around us (families, finances, the environment … finish out the list!), we need at the very least recognize that we are doing more tilling of the ground and seed planting … and a lot less “harvesting” than what we’d like people to give us credit for. I think honesty is important here, for the sake of all involved. Even if that means people at home are a little less “excited” about the work. (I really don’t like the word “excited” anyway … it sounds like the necessary ingredient for a riot, but that’s probably just me). If “the Gospel” is indeed “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16), surly the impact will be bigger than a splash at a meeting? I sincerely hope so.

I’m fairly convinced that the soteriological “all things new” of 2 Corinthians 5:17 is connected to the eschatological “all things new” of Revelation 21:5. And this does mean that the Gospel will affect the garbage.

We should not be satisfied until it does.

 

Comments

[Sue Rine]

YES, YES, YES!