Stay Humble | Sojourners

Stay Humble

Letter to the Editors

Referencing a full book in a short article (“Mission: Transformed,” by Michelle García, September-October 2012) can sound stereotypical. But I appreciated Joel Van Dyke and Kris Rocke’s book Geography of Grace; it challenged the well-intentioned but hurtful actions we do in the name of Jesus.

I thought their book lined up with Tim Keller’s recent The Prodigal God in that both recognize that the kingdom of God offends the “good, blessed, and privileged” older brothers—and we well-intentioned members of the American Christian community are the older brother. It’s not bad to be the older brother. But what would it mean to do missions, and even adoptions, from a humble place, recognizing our inability to see much at all as we stumble across the tracks, cultures, and boundaries?

 

Steve Osborn
Guatemala City, Guatemala

This appears in the February 2013 issue of Sojourners
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