Mission from the Margins

As we ponder these questions perhaps we should consider what the good news is and how it might be manifested through people’s stories, actions and relationships.

So – what is the Good News?

The good news is a metaphorical term that describes a person many consider to be the greatest and most influential person to have ever lived on earth – Jesus Christ – and the impact of His life and message.

Jesus had a message of liberation, reconciliation and empowerment for people, ultimately expressed and emodied through His work on the cross of Calvary. In the ancient biblical text from the book of Matthew, (chapter 11), he is quoted as saying that through his own personhood, the good news has been brought to us, pointedly making reference to this being a liberating good news for the poor and oppressed.

Jesus said that he came to offer all human beings the fullest of lives. This includes those on the margins.  His intention was to see every member of humanity through acceptance, understanding, and opportunity, encouraging them to find wholeness and reach their full potential.

Psychologists Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow both considered as fathers of modern day psychology, had theoretical views consistent with this.

Rogers opined that people can become whole persons by being unconditionally accepted. He called this unconditional positive regard.  Abraham Maslow describes the fullest of lives as self- actualisation, a state where our physical, emotional, relational and spiritual needs are met and expressed. He outlines that along the way we gain respect from others and learn respect for others.

Good News In Action

So now that we know what good news is – what does it look like in action? How do we display unconditional acceptance for others? How do we show respect for others?

As people move toward their potential, the manifestation of good news can look like the caring deeds encouraged by Jesus – with a great example being his exhortations to create communities of generous compassion and justice in Matthew 25.

In this book and chapter, Jesus describes a type of servant hearted, compassionate interconnectedness, mobilised by loving concern and empathy for our fellow human beings. This is an essential and natural outworking of the followers of His way.

How so? Through helping, sharing and comforting others. Done in an action based response to the basic needs of people such as providing food and water to the hungry and thirsty. Providing shelter, company and clothing for those who are homeless and isolated. Caring for others when they are unwell. This is a model of compassionate ideal that aside from Christians, many would agree would be good to follow, and indeed over recent centuries the growth and impact of health and social welfare systems demonstrates this.

In addition to this, the scriptures also teach us in Leviticus (19:33-34), to love the stranger as our own. (In this instance, the term “own” is referencing family).  In other words not just communicate and say hello to the stranger, but to express deep love, welcome and support. This requires an intentionality to connect.

Perhaps we can start to intentionally connect by sitting down with people who are on the margins and meeting their basic benevolent needs as described by Jesus Christ. Many individuals and organisations currently do this.

Further to this though, it is crucial that we move beyond benevolence and develop deep relationships by creating a welcoming and comforting atmosphere where relationships can grow and flourish. An environment that is rich in the possibilities for the expression of God’s nature – His kindness and goodness.

Maybe we can do this by sharing meals with, or having a regular cup of coffee with people living in poverty. Being intentional in listening and learning their stories, understanding their strengths and developing relationship bonds and ties through finding common ground with each other.

For many people, this might mean extending hospitality to a stranger by sitting in a space where a significant values and lifestyle gap exists. To me this is where mission from within the margins begins. It’s about forming deep true relationships of warmth and respect with those who are strangers in a relational, values and social class sense.

As we form such relationships, and exhibit love to the stranger, we might see bonds of trust and vulnerability develop. Through these bonds an opportunity exists to role model and empower others.

Pro-Social Behaviours

Through role modelling it may be possible to exhibit aspirational positive behaviours, known in social science terms as pro social behaviours.

These behaviours are the good news that Jesus spoke of, i.e. demonstrating the helping, sharing and comforting of others. Individuals in the marginalised social space who we build relationships with can be inspired to act pro-socially based on learning, socialization, and support from mentors.

Social responsibility, standards and ideals can be modelled to motivate individuals to engage in prosocial behaviour even in the poverty space and to see this as the norm. Indeed as we understand their stories and strengths we find that they already have desires and examples of supporting those around them, but have often not had the capacity, stability, or encouragement to express their full potential.

Further and importantly, when acting pro-socially, individuals can begin to develop a positive self-image with evidence suggesting psychological benefits for the pro-social person. Can we really see this type of behaviour occur?  Well in my world I do.

I see followers of Jesus intentionally connect with those living in poverty around community meals and through regular cups of coffee, getting alongside them in a personal way. And in the personal relational space, they are then being aspirational role models and mentors.

One woman experiencing homelessness, Sharon, once said to her mentor Alison, “you can tell me whatever you’d like, because I know that you love me”. Sharon, with the encouragement of Alison’s pro-social modelling, learned to support many other people in practical and spiritual ways.

I have been fortunate enough to witness individuals living in poverty join together into community, with this catalysed by a team of mentors who built deep relationships and role modelled to them the value of healthy community interconnectedness. A connectedness mobilised by a common unity and shared sense of values.

In one instance, one community exemplified these values in a significant manner. Funds were raised from among a community of people living in poverty, meeting the needs of another community of impoverished people who had lost their housing and possessions in a caravan park that had been flooded by sewerage waste.

A woman, Carol, who was living in a caravan and on the edge of being homeless, motivated by empathy, fundraised $3,000 to purchase thirty backpack swags for those people living in the bushes nearby her local community.

I see people living in poverty, with their older model cars, taking their social peers who can’t afford a taxi, to important medical appointments where there is no nearby public transport.

A homeless man addicted to marijuana being mentored, expressing his love for God and others by purchasing extra food and cooking meals for aged people in his local community who were sick and unwell.

A homeless man with a prosthetic leg who was wrestling with an addiction to alcohol, showing care and compassion by collecting bottles and cans to fundraise and support children in a developing country.

These moments don’t happen in some mysterious vacuum.

They happen by the empowering presence of God’s Spirit, and because people who are living on the margins, through trusting relationships, are hearing about Jesus and are learning about Jesus’ ways. 

As this occurs, they see role models who have built authentic friendships exhibiting and talking about Jesus’ offer of life to the full and His ways of helping, sharing and comforting.

Imagine if these good news actions were not the exception in society, but now the norm in how an empowered culture works for those with the least in our communities.

As we support those on the margins, those with the least power in our society, let’s empower them  to understand and embrace that while sometimes they might be the recipients of benevolence and charity, they don’t have to be locked into this as the definition of their existence.

Let’s support them to understand and experience that they too can be and bring the good news to others. And to know that in fact this is the norm!

 

Mark Matthews

Co-Founder of Empowered Faith Communities  

Co-Author – Ordinary Mentoring for Extra-Ordinary Transformation