We Are All Missionaries

I still struggle to call myself a missionary, especially to those who don't have a religious background. In December when I was caving in Sagada, I was waiting to climb through a small hole surrounded by a bunch of other cavers. I began talking to a couple from Michigan and I told them I was a missionary. When it came out I thought, what? you always say volunteer. Their response was, "oh aren't most people in the Philippines already Christian?"



And that right there is why I don't say I'm a missionary. I went on to explain that no, no I'm not converting people but rather serving them through microfinance and economic development associated with the Episcopal Church. After the clarification, they said that's awesome and wished me the best.

The interaction made me realize it was an opportunity to break the stereotype of a missionary in their minds. I think that's huge! As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, "We are all missionaries or we are nothing."

Being a missionary isn't always about putting a Bible in people's hand and telling them to convert. While yes, there is an evangelism aspect to it but it is about sharing the mission of God. We were all given individual gifts and talents to share with one another in order to do God's work. Using those gifts for the work God's mission is being a missionary (at least in my book).

And so that makes us all missionaries. We are called to do God's work to fulfill his mission.

The Episcopal Church put together another amazing video illustrating just how people throughout the whole Anglican Communion are being missionaries.

We Are All Missionaries from The Episcopal Church on Vimeo.

Thanks for reading!