Debriefing with OM

We spent some time on Wednesday debriefing with the team from Operation Mobilization that coordinated everything we did here. And it was a great time. There was one phrase that kept coming back to my mind: partners in the gospel. In the New Testament Paul continually calls his colleagues by this name and celebrates their partnership. And that's the way I feel about these brothers and sisters from OM. Part of is because of the dramatic movement of God's Spirit in India. Part of it is because of their faithful and tireless service. And part of it is just the deep friendship we kindled working together. But it's exciting to feel so strongly about people that you are together in partnership for the sake of gospel.

And what makes me so excited about that is that OM is preaching the gospel. The whole gospel. They aren't just trying to get people to convert to Christianity. They don’t just want people to pray to receive Christ or get baptized. In fact, in several situations, they want people to move slower in their proclamation of faith out of respect for family dynamics or cultural issues. The gospel they are preaching includes following Jesus, but it is so much more. They want communities to learn the truth about HIV transmission so that HIV positive people aren't thrown out of their houses. They want children to get education so they can improve their quality of life. They want women to understand basic issues of health and hygiene. They want sick people to get well, poor people to have a better life, oppressed people to gain freedom. They want change on the personal level, the community level and the national level. In short, they want to see God's spirit of justice move throughout India. And that is a beautiful thing to partner with.