Woe is me!!!
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are" (Mat 23:15).
How easily could we change that to "pastors and missionaries"?
Woe to you pastors and missionaries because you travel around on sea and land to make one convert.
Oh, we mean well, but then so did the Pharisees. How adept are we at distinguishing the gospel from our culture?
When the "savages" convert to the living God, they should live pretty much like us, shouldn't they?
But consider the Toba:
"The Toba take life as it comes, focusing on the present rather than the future. For example, when collecting food from the woods, they will take just enough for that day only. "If today they eat, fine. If not, that is fine too", observes Ramiro Schejtman, one of the Discovery Channel crew who filmed them. Ramiro continues: "No matter what the situation is, or the life they live, the Toba are never stressed or frustrated. They have no idea what stress is, they just don't know about that. They're happy people in their own way."
No stress, no hoarding, living in the present...for today..., "for tomorrow has enough troubles of it's own."
Now I ask you, Who has the better life?
Woe unto them if they convert...
How easily could we change that to "pastors and missionaries"?
Woe to you pastors and missionaries because you travel around on sea and land to make one convert.
Oh, we mean well, but then so did the Pharisees. How adept are we at distinguishing the gospel from our culture?
When the "savages" convert to the living God, they should live pretty much like us, shouldn't they?
But consider the Toba:
"The Toba take life as it comes, focusing on the present rather than the future. For example, when collecting food from the woods, they will take just enough for that day only. "If today they eat, fine. If not, that is fine too", observes Ramiro Schejtman, one of the Discovery Channel crew who filmed them. Ramiro continues: "No matter what the situation is, or the life they live, the Toba are never stressed or frustrated. They have no idea what stress is, they just don't know about that. They're happy people in their own way."
No stress, no hoarding, living in the present...for today..., "for tomorrow has enough troubles of it's own."
Now I ask you, Who has the better life?
Woe unto them if they convert...
posted by Gary McDuda at 9:49 PM
4 Comments:
Is anyone else reminded of Moses, the Israelites and manna?
It's very interesting that everyone (well, the 2 reading my blog) are reminded of everyone but the intended response. Sighhhhh
Good question RP.
I think that the concept of "fiscal year" might help. The ant works when there is work, because in the winter there is no work (for the ant silly, not you).
At the end of the year, how much does the ant have stashed away?
I think hoarding is stashing away in surplus of the needs of "the fiscal year." And how tightly we cling to it when we run across someone who is in need.
The foolish farmer who tore down his barns so that he could store more was hoarding...not the ant.
Oneeyeddeer...ha ha! Now I need to edit my post to say the 3 people reading my blog! You posted while I was commenting. Welcome to my confusions! (Somehow, though, I suspect that this is not a new experience for you!)
I may have splipped up and made a statement in my comment...for that I am truly sorry.
Notice, however, how often I say "I think". Those really cannot be construed as statements, merely questions in disguise.
Yes.
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