Ruth Lin
Compelled
Raised in suburban America, I grew up believing that the inner cities of America were home to the most dangerous people in society and therefore places I should avoid at all cost. But then in 2007, I landed a job working at a high school in Southwest Detroit. My experience of teaching urban youth challenged many of the deep-rooted notions and fears I once had, burning a desire within me to live and learn among the urban poor.
Earlier this year I went to listen to Shane Claiborne speak to a congregation of believers. (Shane Claiborne is a prominent Christian activist for nonviolence and the redistribution of resources to the poor.) In his reflections on the gospel, he poignantly pointed out that while the world may separate itself from suffering, being a Christ-follower means that we purposely move toward suffering. It means that we refuse to live in a well-manicured reality and proactively find ways to love the hurting around us. Out of my response to that message and many messages like it, I felt compelled to commit one year to urban missions (MISSION YEAR!). As I live in neighborhoods among the urban poor, my hope is to walk alongside them day by day and share in their lives and sufferings. Through my experience, I hope to learn how to most effectively impact the lives of people in some of the toughest neighborhoods in the country. Moreover, I want go grow in my view of God as I embrace a new culture and see how God is moving all around this country. Finally, my hope is that Mission Year will be like a discernment tool, helping me determine the kind of role God is calling me to play in His ministry to the poor.
About Mission Year
Mission Year is a year long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. We take teams of young people, place them in an area of need, and help them to serve people and create community. We are committed to the command of Jesus to “love God and love people,” by placing the needs of our neighbors first and developing committed disciples of Christ with a heart for the poor. Learn more about our first year program…
Ruth Lin's Blog
Opportunity / May 11, 05:46 PM
Everyday on my way to work, I pass by a long line of trees that border the side of a local elementary school. Each tree is unique and was planted in memory of a graduating class from that school. Now that it’s springtime and the flowers are in full bloom, that block is easily my favorite view in all of Englewood. In fact, every time I walk by, I am reminded to count my blessings. It’s funny how beauty has that kind of effect on us, especially beauty that is found in unexpected places. I see nature’s beauty every day; and while that image doesn’t match the stereotypical perceptions people have of my neighborhood, it captures the unseen and unrecognized side of Englewood. I shared a neat conversation recently with a woman who views Englewood as the up-and-coming “Brooklyn.” Her passion for the community and perspective reminds me that there is one of two outlooks on Englewood: it’s a hopeless ghetto or a place of opportunity. I haven’t met too many people who hold the latter view, but their presence in the community has made all the difference and their example is definitely worth emulating.
Sharing My Faith / Feb 3, 06:13 PM
I’ve given a lot of thought recently as to how I want my ministry here in Englewood to look. Mission Year emphasizes approaching evangelism through neighborly love (versus techniques, methods, and the beloved blow horn), which I strongly agree with. Yet, while my experience here has been empowering and enriching, I can’t help but wonder how much of an impact I will make on my neighbors while I’m here. The traditional question that follows any missionary endeavor is, “How many souls hast thou saved?” and though I don’t think that question is an adequate tool for measuring “success,” the question still remains: What am I trying to accomplish?
My city director (Shawn) recently led a workshop on “Sharing Your Faith,” which gave me some clarity on the matter. He explained that Christians operate in either one of two paradigms when approaching evangelism: “Heaven/Hell” or “Abundant Life.” In the “Heaven/Hell” paradigm, the focus is on saving souls. The goal is to convince those standing on the side of damnation of their need to cross over to the other side, which guarantees a future in heaven. The “Abundant Life” paradigm, on the other hand, argues that ministry involves the whole person (body, mind, soul, and spirit, not just the soul), because Jesus was concerned with the whole person (John 10:10).
Furthermore, he shared that the Heaven/Hell paradigm leads one to treat evangelism as sales (“I must persuade the lost of their salvation.”), conquest (“The lost need to be saved.”), and manipulation (“I offer friendship to the lost so that they can be converted.”). The Abundant Life paradigm, however, asserts that all of us are on equal footing and that we’re all on a journey that leads us through numerous “conversions” (moments of personal change and redemption). The responsibility for believers, then, is to make disciples, not converts— a call that leads us to influence others (non-believers and believers alike) in the direction of Christ and His Kingdom, as we too are moving in that direction.
I’m still not sure how my ministry will look this upcoming year, but I’m learning to count conversations, not conversions; to share my testimony, not theology; and to listen to learn and speak to inform. I’m learning to invite dialogue and to resist debate, to pray for others and to request for prayer from others! God has been teaching me that the most dramatic expression of the gospel is found in Christ’s friendship with sinners. One of my teammates keenly observed recently that I use the word “friend” carefully and selectively when referring to others.
I realize it’s easy for me to offer my service to others, but friendship on the other hand— well, that’s far more costly. Friendship requires a humble confession that I can learn just as much from the other as he/she can learn from me. But that, I’m learning, is the rhythm of the gospel.
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