Touchstone #7

Following Christ means removing denominational and national blinders. This is what it means to be truly ecumenical. Christian mission is ecumenical because it works with all Christians and all countries. It is inclusive in that all people are sinful and fall short of the glory of God. Everyone is equally in need of the salvation of Jesus Christ; no one is exempt. On the other hand, Christian mission is exclusive in that it is in Christ alone. Christian mission is not generic or non-specific. It is very specifically, even exclusively, about Jesus Christ. Mission is sacrificial in that we follow in the footsteps of Christ who sacrificed his life for our sake. All of these characteristics of mission will be costly and may be misunderstood.

It is our own small-mindedness that has allowed divisions to develop in mission. We must resist unchristian forces that tell us that we must be involved only in denominational mission or only in local mission. Starting with an assumption of unity and wholeness, we are called to include all people in the mission of God. No sin is too great, no evil too wicked that it cannot be redeemed by the work of Jesus Christ. The inclusive nature of mission requires that we constantly push outward to the fringes of cultures to reach out to all people.