Dearest Theophili and Theophilae
When I was growing up, I used to hold the view that missions and evangelism was for the chosen few who had a special calling from God to give up their jobs to go "full-time". I held in tremendously high regard those who were prepared to take a further step of faith to venture into the remotest parts of China or Africa to carry out the LORD's work.
Recently however, God has convicted me that wherever He has placed us, that is where our mission field should be. There are pre-believers everywhere around us: in our household, amongst our relatives, at our workplace, in our schools. And we are to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8) and ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20) right where we are.
God does not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentence (2 Pet 3:9). That means every single person is of worth to the LORD. Whether he is a village chief of a tribe in central Africa, or the Hollywood/Bollywood filmstar who just won an award, or the Hokkien-speaking soldier in your platoon, or the janitor who cleans your office toilets, or the tea lady who serves beverages to your customers or clients. Red and yellow, black and white, they are all precious in His sight.
No one calling is higher than another. The missionary doctor who works among TB and polio victims is doing the LORD's work as much as the Member of Parliament who has a heart of compassion for her constituents.
Sometime last year, I bought a 3-CD album entitled "Marketplace Evangelism" by Rev Kong Hee of City Harvest Church from their online Attributes website (yes, I do listen to sermons from pastors other than from New Creation Church, thank you).
In that sermon series, Rev Kong mentions that there are 7 pillars of society, namely family, religion, business, education, government, the arts and media. These are what he calls shapers of society. If we want to change society, we have to engage each and every one of these 7 pillars.
The church has traditionally been very strong in the first 2 pillars, ie Family and Religion. She has conducted marital and parenting courses, as well as discipleship seminars to help her people to grow in the LORD. The other 5 pillars (collectively known as the "Marketplace") is where she still falls short.
Thankfully, there are already inroads being made into Business, Education and Government. For example, there are several Businessmen's Fellowships that meet regularly around the island. Several "mission schools" take their "mission" very seriously (and I am grateful to God that both my kids are in such schools). There are a number of Christians who serve in the government and we continue to cover them in prayer each day.
The challenge is the two remaining pillars, ie. The Arts and Media. In his sermon, Rev Kong mentioned a friend of his who labelled Hollywood as "the modern Sodom and Gomorrah" and had prayed for God's judgement to rain brimstone and fire upon it! Rev Kong called this "spiritual terrorism" and said that God's heartbeat is not to condemn Hollywood but to redeem it.
Our LORD said in Matt 9:37 that the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Let us pray to the LORD of the harvest to send more labourers, especially in the area of the Arts and the Media. Rev Wee Boon Hup has answered that call, for both his children have ventured into where few Christians have dared to go. Should my own children decide to pursue a career in journalism or mass communications, they have my every blessing as well.
Not everyone of us is called to go to Calcutta to minister among the lepers there. That was Mother Theresa's special calling. But Mother Theresa said," Find your own Calcutta", and that is the corporation, school, army camp, ministry or studio that the LORD has placed us in.
Let's do His kingdom work in our own Calcutta. Amen?
By the way, if any of you wants to borrow "Marketplace Evangelism", please drop me an email.
Shalom
Malcolm
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