Living with a Missionary Mindset, Wherever You Are

Recently, while singing a hymn at church, I was startled by the lyrics.

Even if I can't go to distant places to preach, wherever I am, I will always strive in prayer.

We often refer to missionaries with a region's name attached, such as Ghana missionary, Peru missionary, and so on. This made me curious about the word 'missionary' (선교), so I looked it up in the dictionary.

According to the Naver Korean dictionary, using the characters for 'to proclaim' (宣) and 'to teach' (敎), missionary work is defined as 'proclaiming and spreading a religion widely'. In other words, there's no mention of going to a specific far-off place or region; it simply refers to those who teach and spread religious doctrines.

This reminded me of a meditation note I shared with someone recently. I concluded it by saying that I pray intercessory prayers with the heart of a missionary to Japan. I was surprised that this remark inspired them to share it with others. They then reassured me that they had no other intention.

Thus, we laypeople can also become missionaries by interceding for specific groups, ethnicities, or countries, and sometimes supporting them materially. Of course, the criteria for missionaries defined in modern Christianity are quite formalized and rigorous, so my statement might inadvertently diminish their efforts and hard work.

However, what I want to emphasize is that regardless of whether or not one is formally appointed, considering the definition of "missionary" we shared earlier, our own neighborhood, our local district, and even our country can be the object of missionary work. Some might say, "Korea is full of churches!", but I believe there aren't many people around with a correct and true understanding of faith.

The same applies to the United States, where I live. Founded on Puritan ideals, and with the arrival of the Trump administration's second term, it's firmly standing again on God's word. However, this country, with its diverse mix of ethnicities, still desperately needs God's compassion and mercy. The disparity between regions is also significant; even a short distance from where I live reveals completely different landscapes. This is the reality of America.

Japan is also always on my prayer list. Idolatry is rampant, and the percentage of Christians is less than 1%, but thankfully, a prime minister from a fourth-generation Christian family was born, and now, they may have just finished a summit with President Trump, so I firmly believe there is still hope for this country.

For them, God should not simply be perceived as one of the world's many deities, but rather, the gospel of salvation through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, is what I desperately pray will comfort and heal those poor souls.

As we discussed today, Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for and bless those who persecute and curse us. I examine myself and reflect on whether I can become such a vessel. When I'm online, I sometimes get stressed by malicious comments, and instead of dealing with them wisely, I sometimes get caught up in anger; I confess this shamefully.

Since the beginning of this year, I've developed a good habit of regularly meditating on and sharing God's word. From now on, instead of returning evil for evil, I conclude that I have no choice but to earnestly pray to God to bless them and meet their needs, just as God treats us. Getting angry isn't good for mental health.