If I don’t have love…

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I’m passing this on, a thought provoking paraphrase of I Cor 13 sent to my by email from my close buddy, Jan Cone:

I may be able to speak fluently the language of my chosen field and even understand its culture, but if I have no love, the impact of my speech is no more for Christ than that of a businessman who comes to exploit the people.

I may have the gift of contextualizing God’s word when I deliver it to my hearers.  I may have all knowledge about their customs.  I may have the faith needed to combat witchcraft, but if I have no love, I am nothing.

I may give everything that I have to the poor, to the hungry in the favelas. I may even give my life for them, but if I have no love, this does no good.

Love is….

thinking in their thought patterns

caring enough to understand their world view,

listening to their questions,

feeling their burdens,

respecting them,

identifying with them in their need,

belonging to them.

Love is eternal.

Cultures pass away.

Dynamic equivalents will change because cultures change.

Patterns of worship and church administration will need revision

Languages will be altered over time.

Institutions will be replaced.

…..Because these are not reality.

Since I am finite, I can only study how to express the Message cross-culturally, Trying to free it from my cultural bias.  I am able to do this only in a limited way, But I pray that the Spirit will use my life to show Christ to those with whom I work.

Meanwhile these remain…..

Identification

Contextualization

And Love.

But the greatest of these is LOVE!

Jean McCracken (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

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About danforth

As Covenant missionaries, we are working with all the tribal groups of the Central African Republic (CAR) but are trying to give special attention to the Fulani, a Musxlim, cattle herding, and semi-nomadic people group. We live on an experimental/training farm, near a mission station which has a hospital plus bible and nursing schools. We are establishing relationships with the local people groups through compassion ministries; Roy through agriculture and Aleta through public health and visitation, in order, ultimately, to share the good news of Jesus the Messiah with them. CAR is one of the least developed countries in the world and is currently in continual crisis (since the coup in March 2013), so reaching out in compassion is key to reaching their hearts. Due to the ongoing conflict and resultant ethnic cleansing in CAR, we are crossing the border to interact with our Fulani contacts.
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