By Deacon Bruce Carlson
Twenty-five years ago today, I was a few days away from leaving for my first mission to Sucre, Bolivia. There was no question in my mind I was doing the right thing. I was part of a mission team that had prepared for several months. Yet, the seeds of mission were planted several years earlier when I attended the Peace and Justice Institute. One of the presenters was from CRS. He was in the Chicago office and was about to transfer back to the Philippines. As he was working his way through his presentation, he started talking about how he was looking forward to returning to the Philippines in a field position. As he talked about what he would be doing in his new position, his voice dropped a bit, and I could hear his compassion for the people. That was the moment I knew I was being called. I didn’t know exactly what it would turn into, but I was on the lookout.
I have come to appreciate being with the people at our mission sites. To see their lives and share in their culture has provided me a different view of life. The opportunity to learn about people and their ways has helped remove fear of others. I don’t see people’s way of living a threat to me. Instead, I’m excited to learn about their ways. I get to see the world through their eyes and suddenly my point of view broadens. I can see points of view I hadn’t considered before. I move from a dualistic view, my way and their way, to a view that can see many choices, many ways of understanding.
I have to admit I am sad to see people becoming more individualistic. It seems we are moving away from a sense of community and family. Covid-19 hasn’t helped. Perhaps in the midst of this extreme isolation, if we draw close to God, the Spirit will give us a renewed sense of the value of community. I can’t help but think this was what Jesus did, He built community. We do see him on occasion talking one-on-one with a person, but normally he was in a group or crowd setting. Mission gives us the opportunity to be in community. As we interact with the people at our mission sites, we get to experience the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of the community. We see how they build their communities. Through our relationships we have built we can begin to exchange thoughts and ideas. We share in their celebrations, even in their way of doing Mass. I have to smile when I think about how a pastor and the people in any of our parishes of the Diocese of Joliet would react if a dog or other animal came walking down the main aisle of the church. Animals are a commonplace event in our mission churches. Normally our missioners return with their eyes and hearts opened. They see their world at home in a new light. Missioners more easily see poverty when back home and have an increased willingness to help. They return with a greater acceptance of other cultures, able to see the beauty and grace shown to them. Perhaps the greatest benefit is being able to see Jesus/God in others. To know we are brothers and sisters of God, we are family.
Mission does have its challenges. Doctors and nurses face daunting health and surgical needs. Construction teams run short of supplies or can’t get the job done in time. Outreach teams can’t feed or help everyone. There are limits and that becomes the thorn in our side. Yet, it reminds us our mission of service is never done. As Jesus said, we will always have the poor. We won’t run out of missions.
We are Mission! 