The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell mentioned in yesterday's blog also raises the issue of missionary impact on a foreign culture. Something seemingly as innocent as a vegetable garden becomes a huge issue. A very long time ago I read a sci-fi piece in which reverse time travel was possible. The time travelers would go back to a much former time being very careful not to disrupt anything. A group, on their trip to the past, unknown to them accidentally killed a butterfly. Killing this butterfly totally changed the course of history.
The Japanese Christian author, the late Shusaku Endo, wrestled with how Christianity could enter Japan without bringing with it Western contamination. His answer, illustrated in many of his novels, was in a selfless, though wounded, person who labored totally for others, i.e., a suffering servant. The travelers in The Sparrow significantly, though unintentionally, disrupt life on the other planet with dire consequences for themselves. (Read the book.)
Grace University Lutheran in response to needs caused by the pandemic is sending a daily devotional. Tom offered this today and it's appropriateness speaks for itself.
We will not go back to normal.
Normal never was. Our pre-corona
existence was not normal other than
we normalized greed, inequity,
exhaustion, depletion, extraction,
disconnection, confusion, rage,
hoarding, hate and lack. We should
not long to return, my friends. We
are being given the opportunity to
stitch a new garment. On that fits
all of humanity and nature.
SONJA RENEE TAYLOR
Yes, let's reflect on this!
Takk for alt,
Al
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