Goodbyes

Saying goodbye is something I really don't do well. I prefer to just leave and then contact later through letter (yes I still write them) or email, and just keep looking forward to the next meeting rather than lamenting the end of the current one.

The Red Hots weren't having any of that. With a handmade card, a lovely gift of a sketch of two Karen tribal women, long goodbyes and even a video of our time together, we all reminisced until there were no more words and we went our separate ways.

Now I'm watching the full moon come up over a large Banyan tree surrounded by Red Palms. The fragrance of jasmine is lingering in this small outdoor cafe where I just enjoyed the last Thai dinner before I head to the airport at 3AM. I'm thinking of the students of Media Light and particularly the ones who go right back to ministry work.

I'm excited for them because they now have a developing skill set that will enable them to share their stories more effectively. This will mean a lot to them for several reasons; fund raising, youth outreach, credibility building with other ministries, gathering prayer partners for their work. It just makes a lot of sense to be able to show people what you're doing in a timely manner and to use media to reach a group of people that otherwise might not - and actually probably not listen to you speak to them about eternal life or a resurrected savior.

I'm not at all disparaging preaching. It's by far the most effective way to tell the gospel story. But I am looking at today's global media-driven youth and seeing the western paradigm of "no truth is the real truth except the truth you make up in three whole minutes of deep thought" sweeping over every country. Music videos, movies, TV and the internet are way more powerful than us old folks care to admit. It's astounding, really. It's melting the miles away and the languages away and a new Tower of Babylon is certain to push up through the soil of provincial thinking as the new "no god but us" culture absorbs the most resources.

We've got to confront it. We have to. Francis Schaeffer once did a film series called "How Should We Then Live?" that pointed to the arts as the once-Christ-driven domain of believers. He also warned of what was coming and I'm certain he couldn't have imagined how fiercely the wave of media would change just after his death. We've ceded the territory of the arts and we won't gain the upper hand again in this age. But that doesn't mean that we quit. There are millions of people who can still be reached with the call of God through media and media can open the door for preaching, teaching and works of compassion on a more personal level.

This is the kind of thing that Beyond Borders wants to continue to push. Not arguing the truth, simply presenting the truth, teaching others how to do it more effectively and then putting life-blood into our faith through good works.

We'll be working more with Media Light and those students who desire more assistance with their ministries. We'll also be working with our partners in Benevolence and Evangelism all over the world.

I personally appreciate your prayers and the gifts you sent. I wanted to try this blog to see if it would help in keeping our friends up to date with what we were doing on a more "up-to-the-minute" basis. Next stop - Haiti and our partnership with Organisation Rome Haiti cranks up as we work with them to help rebuild some of the infrastructure and a new Christian hospital and radio station.

For more information about any of our efforts or to reach us personally, please email info@beyondborders.com and we'll respond quickly.

Bye Red Hots. Send chilis.