I Sending You
Immediately on identifying Himself as the Risen Christ, Jesus commissions the disciples with the words - ‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you,’. - pointing out that mission lies at the heart of our Christian faith.
These words emphasize the continuity between the mission of Jesus and our own mission as his followers. Just as Jesus was sent by the Father to bring salvation, healing, and reconciliation to the world, so too we are commissioned to continue this work in our own time and context. This reveals the essential nature of our role as co-workers with Christ in building God's kingdom on earth.
I see the role of this newsletter as empowering us to be missionary disciples. This week at a meeting of deacons from across the Caribbean, I learnt of the commonality of escalating crime and gang culture. Also, this week, I presided at the 3rd funeral in 4 weeks of young men killed by gunshot. Our Caribbean is in need of transformation. We the Church is the only hope.
Jesus' statement highlights the urgency and purposefulness of our mission. We are not merely passive recipients of God's grace, but active participants in God's plan of redemption for humanity. Our lives are imbued with meaning and significance as we join in the work of proclaiming the Gospel, ministering to those in need, and bearing witness to God's love and mercy.
Jesus' words challenge us to step out of our comfort zones and embrace the call to go change the world. Just as Jesus ventured into the margins of society to reach the marginalized and outcast, so too are we called to extend God's love and compassion to all people, especially those on the margins of society.
For most of us, we cannot carry out great missionary work, but we can mission to those within our circle of influence. “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa Our mission is to change the world one person at a time in a multi-level network missioning. We pass on the Word to those, who then pass on the Word to others. We influence those around us by our lives.
Jesus' commissioning reminds us of the empowerment we receive through the Holy Spirit to fulfill our mission. Just as Jesus was empowered by the Spirit to perform miracles and preach the good news, so too are we empowered to be agents of transformation and reconciliation in our communities.
Yesterday I launched our Founding Members Community, which seeks to use Life Transitions, as Conversion periods, to transform the trajectory of our lives to Success in Church and Small Business. I sincerely hope you will join us by clicking on the link below.