Friday, April 6, 2012

I Walked Through a Bad Neighborhood...

I was going to blog a little about Easter today, but something happened today that I wanted to share while it was still fresh in my mind, so I'll try to get to my Easter contemplations another day this weekend.  Today is Good Friday, and there were a few things that we needed from the store today (primarily ink for our printer so we can mail some letters out on Monday).  So, I decided to head to Wal-Mart today to grab a few things, assuming that they would be open when so many other places were closed today for the holiday.  Partially because the buses weren't running as frequently today, and partially because I just wanted to get out and move around, I decided to walk there today for the first time.  It's almost exactly 2 miles from our house, and I'd never walked it before, so I wasn't sure what to expect along the way, but I decided to give it a shot.

The first mile went great.  It was all neighborhood I'd been through several times, the roads were fairly empty because of Good Friday, so the stroll was peaceful, and I was blessed to just walk and pray as I made my way towards Sam Walton's wonderful store. (There will be a post upcoming about prayer walking, I think, but more on that later...).  I crossed the main road that marks the western boundary to San Francisco de Dos Rios, and there I faced a decision: I could turn right, take a longer route, but travel only on roads that I had been on before, or I could go straight, trust that Google maps was right when I looked at it this morning, check out some new territory and shave a few minutes off my walk.  The sun was hot, and I was feeling a little adventurous, so I decided to venture into new lands.

The neighborhood in question in today's story.

As soon as I crossed the road, I noticed that everything was different.  The roads were in much worse shape, trash was more prevalent (that's saying something in San José), homes and cars were much more wore down, and the whole area just had a different feeling of poverty than the streets I had just previously walked.  Also, I began to feel a little less safe.  I began to think, "ok, what am I carrying right now?  Small cell phone?  Probably won't attract much notice, but my electronic translator is in that same pocket, and that kinda makes for a noticeably full pocket.  Hmm, maybe if I slip the translator into my back pocket, no one will notice... I've got a wallet with me, it has some cash, I'd hate to lose that.  Gosh, why are all those coins in my pocket making so much noise when I walk?  Maybe if I put my keys in a different pocket, those darn coins will quiet down..." And so it went.

As a quick point of clarification, while I don't consider myself super brave, I usually don't have too much fear about things like this.  I frequently walk places and in situations that I don't think Sara always appreciates.  But, just a few weeks ago, a student from the Institute was robbed at gunpoint just a few blocks from our house.  Granted, I was walking at noon during Holy Week, and he was out at 9:30 at night, but still, the thought was now in my head.  Since we arrived here, there have been home robberies from time to time.  Oh, and the first Sunday we were in San José, our anniversary, we went to dinner at a great pizza place across from a gorgeous park.  Later, I found out that 2 men were shot at that park that same night, and one of them died.  So, things are on my mind at times.  I wasn't terrified.  I wasn't ready to turn around and take the longer route.  But I was definitely more on edge, and I could hear the conversations and comments should the inevitable happen: "Gosh, what was he doing in THAT neighborhood?" or,  "Of course he got robbed, what did he expect in that part of town?" or even, "wow, I sure hope they find his head someday!" (Ok, that last one might be a little extreme, but you get the idea!).

Do these kids in La Nueva Aurora, Mexico, deserve to hear the Gospel, even though their neighborhood is so rough?

The neighborhood turned out to be only about 3 blocks long, the people there were friendly, and I made it out with all my cash, possessions and body parts intact.  But, as I continued my walk, it got me thinking.  Everyone that I know, here and back in the USA, would say that I was just in a 'bad part of town,' or 'the wrong part of town.'  I would even admit that.  But, as a missionary called to Mexico, I know that there will be times (perhaps MOST of the time) when I'm called to go to exactly places like that.  The wrong places... the bad places.  The places that aren't exactly safe.  The places that aren't clean.  The places where the water is bad (or doesn't run at all).  Human desire (or, more specifically, American desires) would be to avoid those places, for all the 'right' reasons.  But if God hasn't called me to these, then who has He called me to?  As Jesus said in one of His explanations of the final judgement:


31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into leternal life.”  (Matthew 25:31-46 ESV, emphasis mine)

Could I, as a missionary for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, decline to go into 'that type' of area, or refuse to share with 'that type' of person, and be anything other than a judgmental fake? If I would refuse to share with the least of these (however you want to define it: socially, economically, spiritually), how could I with any authority take the Gospel to anyone else?  The Bible says that while I was yet a sinner, and while I was yet an enemy of God, Christ DIED for me!  It doesn't get more 'least of these' than that!  I want to be someone who will take food to the hungry, clothe the naked, bring water to the thirsty, and share the light of Christ in the darkness.  To put it simply, I want the bad neighborhoods to be the neighborhoods that we see Christ pour out His light and His life to those who need it.  Wherever He leads, I want to go!

It's not a pretty or safe neighborhood... but Christ desires the hearts and lives of those who live here.

And, to come to a more specific point, this is why we're not afraid or hesitant to go to Mexico.  Yes, we know, Mexico isn't always safe.  We know there are problems.  We know there are dangers.  We have had friends and family and even complete strangers tell us that we should reconsider.  We even had a missionary that's here at the institute try to tell us how crazy it would be for us to go to Mexico, as if God only calls people to the safe and comfortable life. (If you think He does, feel free to read about pretty much ANY Godly man or woman in the Bible!)  We know the issues... but we also know the need.  We know that the issues are the proof that Christ is needed MORE, not LESS!  Will we be careful?  Yes!  Will we be wise? (God's standards of wisdom, not ours...) Yes!  But will we go?  Absolutely!  To hear God's calling in our lives, to believe that we're called to Mexico (or any other neighborhood or location), and to NOT go would be the equivalent of spiritual racism.  "Oh, sorry, I know you need the Gospel, but you're just not _______________ (clean/safe/nice/developed/white/whatever other adjective might be an excuse) enough for us to come and share with you... maybe once you get those issues figured out, then we will."

Sharing Christ with a man in Guadalajara who had been living on the streets for a few days.  Definitely outcast, and definitely 'least of these,' and definitely loved by God.

Lord, we just want to go.  Wherever.  To whomever.  To the rich, to the poor.  To the downcast, or to the proud.  To the nice homes, or to the broken neighborhoods.  Wherever you want us, we will go.  Please remove any hesitations that our sinful hearts might cause.  Please strengthen us to go even when it isn't easy.  And please do incredible things as we do go.  We can't wait to see your light poured out across Mexico, Father, one broken life at a time.
Does God desire and deserve to be glorified and magnified here in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico?

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