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So, I've been wondering about what direction I need to start heading with my life. I want to end up teaching in college, but before that, I feel the need to go to some far away place and help others. I've been thinking of going into either missions work or relief work. I haven't decided which one I'd like to do. There is a big difference between the two, and, I've noticed, there's sometimes some animosity between the two. I've heard chapel speakers come to JBU and say that we shouldn't be trying to preach to people; we should be feeding them and caring for them. I've read articles on the Internet by people who believe that we shouldn't be giving food and clothing to poor people because that's only false hope; we should be giving them Bibles and telling them about God's love.

Both sides of this argument just make me want to shrivel up and fall into a coma. Both sides have good points. It is true that giving a starving person food won't save their life; it's only going to keep them alive. As far as preaching to people, what good will that do if they can't see the love of Christ through His followers? When they see us living in relative wealth “denying for others what we demand for ourselves”, how are they supposed to believe in a system that doesn't follow the greatest tenet of their religion: love God, love others, love God by loving others.¹

What's my point? There is a place for both relief work and missions work. Christ spoke of caring for the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick and the prisoners.² We must feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, clothe the naked, cure the sick and visit the prisoners. However, Christ also told us to get the word out to all the world.³ So, we have a great commandment and a great commission. It seems obvious to me (and should be obvious to everyone) that there's a place for both in Christian ministry. Some are called to be relief workers; some are called to be mission workers. Others are called to be both. I don't have any ill feelings toward people who preach and people who help. However, the next time I hear a chapel speaker talking about the evils of proselytising people or of feeding people, I might have to resist the urge to pull them off of the stage by their ear.

1. Mark 12:28-34
2. Matthew 25:31-46
3. Mark 16:15