To The Ends of the Earth... Really?

We talk the big talk
On how to reach out
But we keep it to ourselves...



"Show me the Light"
-Sevenglory



I was playing this song on my music phone today as i was on my way for antoher visa run... Trees, and hills, and tall grasses, and sporadic houses against a gloomy sky. Felt like im in the middle of nowhere... Perfect scene to be reminded of how God has commanded us to go and preach the gospel to the ends of the earth...

Then i started pondering. Random thoughts passing through my mind as we travel. I have been in Thailand for seven years... maybe eight. Somehow i have stopped counting. Been doing this visa runs thing for like forever. I have thought of this a lot in the recent past... the last seven years, what have i really accomplished? Like, it was only the last two years that i have been really serious with improving my language skills. And how many hours each day do i actually spend interacting with the people? Does facebook even count? [I have this account that is mainly for my Thai Buddhist and Muslim friends where i interact with them in Thai. I realize that if i post in Thai then i get more comments than when i post in English. It's where i practice my Thai writing. Nothing spiritual although i sometimes post something that might trigger their curiosity about God and supernatural things.. But does that count as interacting with the people group?]

Then came back the number eight... I remembered reading from Dutch Sheets' book "Praying With Authority" that eight is a number of new beginning. Just as seven is the number of completion... If that were so, then this is my new beginning. The hit and miss, trial and error, pass and fail era is coming to an end. Gives me hope and something to look forward to. Mmm...

Then back to the Commission... The call to proclaim God's message to the ends of the earth... But at what cost? Seven years already and hardly scratched the surface. What an embarassment. Then i got to ask myself... How many of us God's people are actually responding to the call each day? That at this time of economic difficulties, how many are still bold enough to take the risk and go to where the harvest is ripe and plentiful? How many back home are still willing to send people to the field? And how many more unreached people groups are there? [Being in Thailand, i have difficulty having access to new editions of books like Operation World.] But even as those who are already in the field, how many are actually working towards fulfilling the Great Commission? Some dont even bother learning the language and culture well of the people group. Many are just content hanging out with other cross-cultural workers. Many are just content leading worship and getting involved in the local Christian circle. Those are noble things and im sure are acceptable services to our Father... But if the unreached are still hardly touched, then there's still something wrong with our "obedience." Dont get me wrong... im not judging or pointing fingers. My last seven years have been really awful. I guess, im just really evaluating myself. And with that, comes the realization that there are many other cross-cultural workers like me. Obedient, maybe yes. But faithful, that's for us to evaluate. It all comes down to this actually, in my opinion. What are we really called to do? Are we exhausting all effort, energy, and resources toward that calling? If we are called to reached the unreached, are we taking time to learn the language, the culture, and really take time to spend time with them in the process? How much comfort are willing to give up to accomplish the task? Didnt Jesus tell us to go to the highways and by-ways?

Sad that in as much as we talk about the Great Commision a lot, the gospel is till very much hidden from the very people we aim to reach out to...

See, i told ya. Just random thoughts that came across my mind while traveling whole day for my usual visa run... Maybe i should've listened to some mindless imstrumental techno-chill out music instead during the travel.