by
Sylvia Dooling
Since I was a little girl which is more years ago than I care to think about
I’ve heard these two words debated by two different groups in the church. I
hate categorizing folks, so I’ll refer to them as Christians with different
emphases.
One group emphasizes how important it is to follow Jesus’ command to “go
into all the world and preach the gospel.” And there is no question that
that is important.
The other group emphasizes how important it is to “do justice.” And, there
is no question that that is important, too. Where the problem seems to arise
is in defining the content of each, and in determining whether or not the
two are mutually exclusive?
As I was growing up in the Presbyterian Church, I was taught a third way.
That is to say, I was taught that the church must combine both evangelism
and justice into what we might call a “whole gospel” (small “w,” small “g”).
Combined with education, evangelism and justice ministries become the three
legs of a stool. Without any one of the three legs, mission becomes
unstable.
An excellent example of what I’m talking about is Marion Medical Mission’s
Shallow Wells Project in Malawi. Marion Medical Mission is an extra
commitment opportunity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that seeks to
provide a sustainable supply of potable water to people who otherwise would
be dependent on easily polluted natural catchments (I.E., mud holes). But,
Marion Medical Missions does more than provide potable water; its
“missionaries” also share the water of eternal life in Jesus Christ.
Two members of our congregation in Colorado have been intimately involved in
the Shallow Wells Project in Malawi along with other Presbyterian mission
projects in the area. In the *attached articles,* Jim and Carol Nussbaumer
tell their story, and challenge us all to involve ourselves in “whole
gospel” ministries.
What these stories teach us is that it’s not enough to call people to “come
to Jesus and have their sins forgiven,” and then to walk away unconcerned
about their life and circumstances here and now. On the other hand, we
cannot hope to “free the oppressed” without sharing the message that will
free the oppression of their souls.
The church must always present the “whole gospel” to the whole world.
You can read more about Shallow Wells on the Marion Missions [1] web site.
[1] http://www.marionmedical.org/