Poverty

The first of four missionaries has left already making her return to the U.S. and this weekend the second of four will leave. My old community is dissolving and the new one has yet to be formed because the two new recruits are still in training in San Antonio.

With each missionary year, the house has an opportunity to redefine itself and revisit what it means to be living in the spirit of mission. This year will be no exception. Different people with different ideals bring into play a different set of dynamics. Every missionary this year was required to sign a covenant. It spells out the congregation’s expectations in regards to relationships, alcohol consumption, spirituality and materialism. All potential struggles and issues one encounters living as a missionary abroad.

Spirituality is a discipline as well as an awareness. As our new community explores how to live in mission, I hope they are willing to enter into an open discussion concerning guidelines on to how to limit material things such as internet use. When we are able to strike a balance between the two, we can be present to the community we live in and serve to the best of our ability. I recently entered into a conversation with my mother on materialism. She teaches a prayer and spirituality group and provided some food for thought below.

In Louis Evely's book, That Man Is You. In Chapt. 3, "Fortunate Are the Poor" are some thought-provoking words:

"Material poverty is an economic condition, not a virtue. If it sanctified us automatically, we'd be duty-bound to spread it rather than try to relieve it."

"Fortunate are the poor in Spirit" means: fortunate are those who are willing:

- to let themselves be censured by the word of God

- to re-examine their views,

-to believe they haven't yet understood a thing,

- to be taken by surprise,

- to have their mind changed

- to see their convictions, their principles, their tidy systems and everything they took for granted swept out from under them, and to face the fact, once for all, that there is no such thing as a matter of course and that God can ask anything."

" Poverty doesn't necessarily lead to love, but true love always leads to poverty."

So if we love Christ and want to follow him it requires an emptying of oneself. Creating a space for something new to grow. I am keeping an open mind and praying things will continue to improve.