Hearts and Minds

What is mission, really? What are we trying to do when we go "into all the world" and make disciples, as Jesus commanded?

Through the centuries, that question has been answered in different ways. Some have interpreted it to mean a carbon copy of the one going - teach the new believer to follow Christ in the same cultural clothing we use, having quiet times the same way, etc. Others have focused on criticism of the dominant culture/government, teaching the disciples to be revolutionaries. At another extreme, the emphasis has been on meeting practical needs with no effort to bring lasting change - merely leaving the people where they are, but making sure they hear the Gospel. Today's two most common extremes are an emphasis on evangelism to the exclusion of practical ministry, and an emphasis on practical ministry and social change to the exclusion of evangelism.

As usual, God's word blazes a different path - one that takes into account the needs of today and the changes required for tomorrow; one that emphasizes both evangelism and action; one that teaches contentment without complacency; one that comes ready to fit into any culture - and transform it where needed. It's the path of changing hearts and minds.

As "outsiders" in any mission situation, we have to focus on the hearts and minds of those we wish to reach. Even in the political realm, the idea of "hearts and minds" is critical: in the 19th century, the Opium Wars in China - after the West, including some missionaries, supplied opium to bring down tea prices and the Chinese government fought to have us cease the practice - and the forced opening of Japan show us that we can "win" and still lose if hearts and minds aren't with us. The longterm effect in both those societies and the West's relationship with them is significant. Part of what we see today goes back to those flawed encounters. Both China and Japan were totally closed to the West for much of the 20th century, and even today Japan remains one of the hardest societies to penetrate with the Gospel. The lesson was learned the hard way: for political relations to succeed, as guests in a country we should make ourselves useful so they want us there. When the hearts and minds of the people are on our side, the political relationship improves.

The same is true missiologically. Our "mercy ministries" meet practical needs but also form a strong link to the Gospel. The adage is true; people don't care what they know until they know that you care. Missionaries who seek to fit into the culture (in ways that don't compromise the Gospel, but might make them feel awkward or foreign at first), and who focus on meeting needs, are often the ones who are able to stay when everyone else is forced out of the country. Living with the people; dressing like them; eating what they eat; in general identifying with them, affords a relationship that can lead to conversations about the Gospel.

William Carey affords a great picture of a misisonary who had strong theology, solid evangelistic perspective, and yet was thoroughly socially engaged. An article I read titled "Who Really was William Carey?" presented a portrait of the man from different angles - showing the breadth of his involvement in India. From contributions in botany and other sciences, to fighting the social practice of widows burning themselves on funeral pyres, to translating Scripture, to sharing the Gospel - Carey made himself useful in his chosen country of service, meeting practical needs, blazing the trail for those who following, and even seeing conversions. He won the hearts and minds of the people, and in the process earned the right to share what was most deeply etched in his heart and mind - the Gospel.

Sure, there were political challenges in Carey's India. Yet he wasn't drawn into them just for politics sake. We have to be vigilant to pursue all things for the sake of Christ. We have to seek to "keep the main thing, the main thing". We have to focus on the hearts and minds of people. And in so doing, we may become a conduit for Him to change their hearts and minds for eternal good and temporal hope.