Ministry of reconciliation

                                                     

God Has Given Us the Ministry of Reconciliation
                                                         by Linda Hokit​

“Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
(2 Corinthians 5:18 HCSB)

     I wore red, white and blue to church the Sunday of the Memorial Day Weekend, but I am not sure my intent was noticed or realized. It is a special and important time of celebration for me, first as the child of veterans and second as a missionary. I did not were a flag pin or a poppy until Monday, because I wanted to acknowledge that even with the sacrifices made, there are still people in countries unable to worship Christ safely and freely.  

     In respect to those who served in the military in my family, I will share that my father served in the Air Force and my mother in the Army. My father served in Germany with Occupation Forces. I have uncles who served in the Air Force and Marines in battle zones. A great-uncle served in the Army and died in the line of duty. So, when they sing the “Armed Forces Meledy” I standing a lot! So, we celebrated Memorial Day as Decoration Day. 

     Growing up around those who served in the military was a nature experience. We lived in places near bases and in places where people were influenced by that culture. Yet, I have no doubt that I learned things that influenced my work as a missionary.  The first profession, I considered as a high schooler was Military Chaplain. It did not work out at the time, but it would influence my future. Let me share a few examples about how that happened. 

     I learned early to be polite and respectful, for example by saying “Yes Sir” and “Yes Ma’am”.  That served me well when I moved to the South! It was comfortable for me to show courtesy in a way that was not only culturally appropriate but often expected. Because my father worked on a military instillation, we also learned to follow rules and protocols, because what my brother and I did reflected on him. So, no speeding on the base! My first job was a youth agency administrator. On my first assignment, I organized groups on two military-bases. 

Being a rule keeper is a good quality to show as a missionary as well. It helps us show consistency in our behavior as Christians living out God’s expectations and purposes. It was helpful for me when I went to a new place for missionary service as well. I was strides ahead of other missionaries who had never experienced different cultural practices or boundaries. It helped me merge into life in both the church and community quickly!

     Along those lines, we moved a great deal. Before I left home I had lived in California, Alabama, Mississippi, Alaska and Colorado and moved 25 times. After I left home I lived in Georgia (twice), Alaska (four times), New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Vermont. So, when I became a missionary, I was the person that was asked to go and quickly set up ministry for large special events. It was called Resort Ministry, which I explain by sharing that it is ministry to PEOPLE: Persistent, Evangelistic, Outreach to People on Leisure everywhere God leads of to meet them in His name.

     It also helped that in each place we went there were churches, sports program and Girl Scouting. So, when I was asked to serve as the director of the Winter Games Ministries during the Calgary Olympics or the director of the World University Games in New York, I was able to quickly learn the church and community culture. I would often find a church and then quickly start joining in clubs and community activities. Often, I would meet key people before I understand the value they would be to the ministry!

     Another thing that helped me was learning about the various cultures in each location. For example, in California I grew up around Mexican-Americans. To this day, Spanish is a language that is music to my ears! I don’t usually know exactly what a Spanish-speaker is saying but I am able to follow them enough to offer help. In Vancouver there are a number of people groups, but I was taken in by Chinatown. I became very comfortable worshipping in churches where I could not understand the language spoken.  
Likewise, during seminary, I went to classes with pastor from Korea and the Philippines. In these experiences, I learned to ask people to share their story.  Which of course, also opened the door for me to share as well.  When I was assigned the responsibility of supporting English as a Second Schools in Alaska as a ministry director, I already loved the people and had some sense for how to guide churches in helping them learn about American and God! 


     Finally, as a child I learned about respect. Respect for those serving in and with the military, whether that was in America or someplace else. I also learned to show respect to the flag and have been thrilled to teach children what to do when the flag comes by in a parade. One of my joys was looking up at a flag barrier in a parade who saw the children and smiled! Sometimes the smallest actions mean the most!


     In closing, remember we all have been prepared to share the story of spiritual reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). As the old hymn goes, “We’ve a story to tell to the nations, that shall turn their hearts to the right. A story of truth and mercy. A story of peace and light. For the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noonday bright. And Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth. The kingdom of love and light.” (Hymn by Henry Ernest Nichol).

                              A Missionary being appointed to serve in a location with Unreached People (2022)




 

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