Scarred by Missionaries Who Took

“Hey, why are you here?” a guy yelled at us as we turned the familiar corner on the walk between my house and the language school. I had never seen this guy before, but it was clear that he was addressing me and the American friend beside me. As I stopped to answer his questions and engage in conversation, a crowd quickly formed to listen in. He continued, “Are you Christians?” to which we confidently responded “Yes, are you?” “No, I am not Christian, I am not Muslim, I am nothing. Are you missionaries?” Knowing that the term “missionary” is a loaded term that I would much rather avoid, I responded to him with the truth “I am a linguist.” He asked all sorts of questions about my intentions for coming to Ethiopia which I answered carefully sensing that there were some deep emotions behind this pointed interrogation. Eventually, this well-educated Ethiopian man shared his story of having worked with a mission organization for 14 years, only to walk away with a very sour opinion of missionaries and their so-called good intentions.

“They come saying that they want to help Ethiopians, but all they do is take; they take people’s money, they take people’s clothes, they start businesses and take away jobs from my people…(and on and on).” I can’t remember all of the examples that he gave in his charge against missionaries, but I can’t forget the gist of his argument – they came promising to give, but in the end they took.

The first missionaries in the New Testament spoke about this very situation a number of times. Sure, Jesus commanded his disciples to go out without provisions for the journey, expecting God to provide through the hospitality of others – Matt 10:5-14, yet both Paul and John were very clear in stating that they did not take anything from those whom they were ministering to (2 Cor 11:7-9, 3 John 7) and Paul lamented those who peddled the Word of God for profit (2 Cor 2:17).

Likewise, I lamented the fact that these who called themselves missionaries had tarnished the name of Christ. I thought to myself: these were either bad Christians (using the message of the Gospel for their own gain), or they were bad missionaries who failed to see how they were perceived by the nationals, or they are simply victims of one man’s judgmental perception and now slander. When it came time for me to respond, it was obvious that this man’s mind was not going to do a one hundred and eighty degree turn as a result of anything that I said…so I decided to start simply by acknowledging that I heard his frustration and agreed with him that these things as he described were in fact wrong. However, with a bold confidence that I normally lack in such confrontational conversations, I strongly challenged him with the idea that even if these men claiming to be missionaries had totally corrupt motives, that that did not meant that ALL who claim to be missionaries follow suit. Then, launching out from the sin he had noticed in the “missionary’s” lives, I asked very pointed questions so as to talk more broadly about sin and God’s need to punish it. When I couldn’t get him to talk about Jesus through my questions, I launched into my own emotional monologue about the REAL gospel message that these so-called missionaries so poorly lived out to him. He listened to my words (as did everybody else nearby), though it seemed he heard very little. In the end, as he was returning to his examples of “missionaries who took,” it was time for me to go and so I thanked him for his thoughts and talked of the possibility of doing coffee sometime. He seemed open to talking more, though not open toward my message.

As I and my friend walked toward home, I was lamenting what appeared to be a very closed heart, yet thankful for the boldness and confidence the Holy Spirit gave me (that definitely did not come from me). I was lamenting the scarring on this man’s life from the so-called “missionaries who took;” yet thankful as it served as a reminder to me of my need to watch my actions, knowing that they are being taken into account not just by God, but by the people I am here to serve. For, although I am a linguist serving here in Ethiopia, I am still a Christian and therefore Christ’s ambassador no matter what geographical area I live in and what type of work I am engaged in. I pray for this man, for the Holy Spirit’s work to heal some of those scars. And I also pray for Andrea and myself, that our lives would point others to Christ, not drive them away.