I Don't Want To Tell Them

| By Scott McClellan | Found in Communication | 8 Comments

Igniter Media, our sister company, recently developed Spanish version of two popular Easter videos — “ESTAMOS REUNIDOS (DÍA DE LA RESURRECCIÓN)” and “LA ÚLTIMA PINTURA.” As is standard practice when a new product is released, Igniter sent an email newsletter to its customers announcing two new resources “en Español.” It wasn’t long before Igniter received a curt reply:

“Do not – I repeat – do not send me emails advertising Spanish.”

We know a few things about this guy: 1) he’s an English speaker 2) he’s a Christian and 3) he has a strong objection to being told about church media resources in Spanish. Personally, I assume that his email response was a reaction to the rapidly changing demographics in the US, and that he views Igniter’s foray into Spanish resources as part of a larger trend, issue, or problem. Admittedly, that’s an assumption on my part, and this guy has the right to complain about emails if he wants to. But here’s the kicker …

Guess what comes before the guy’s name in his email signature?

“Until The Whole World Hears”

The incredibly ironic combination of his adamant reply and his missional signature is indicative of a significant challenge for the Church in the 21st century. We want the whole world to hear but we don’t want to be the ones to tell them. We believe we’re to fulfill the Great Commission but we prefer to engage with people who look, speak, act, live, and smell like us. We like the way the gospel sounds in English. We like the way it looks when it’s expressed in America.

I think Jesus wants to lead us past terse reactions to being confronted with other cultures. I think Jesus wants his Church to transcend even the slightest hint of ethnocentrism.

The future of the Church isn’t white or English-speaking. It’s a dazzling mosaic comprised of every tongue, tribe, and nation, and it’s characterized by deep fellowship (shalom, if you will) among its members and with God Almighty.

Do you want the whole world to hear? Great. Me too. Now comes the hard part — doing what it takes to translate, communicate, and connect. Spanish videos are just the beginning …

  • Nate

    Great post!

    "We like it way it looks when it’s expressed in America." I think there is a typo in this sentence.

  • CLW

    Wow..I think that is a major double standard that we are discovering as our Christian culture and our country grow and change…I went to seminary in Texas and that was a common problem around our campus. People who wanted to go to third world countries and proclaim Christ didn't want to share anything with the Hispanic population that surrounded them. And I don't think it's a problem unique only to Hispanic resources. It's easy to love on people when their existence has no impact on our day to day lives, but it's much harder to love on people that we feel have either caused us pain or inconvenience. What strikes me the most about this guy's response is not how curt or hypocritical it sounds, but how easy it is for me to slip into the same mindset. This is why it is so vital that we learn to pray for people as soon as we realize that we are irritated with or hurt by them. Satan loves to go to work on our attitudes so we have to constantly let God renew our minds and transform our hearts.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/ScottMcClellan ScottMcClellan

    Typo? I don't see a typo. OK, you got me. Fixed.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/ScottMcClellan ScottMcClellan

    Great thoughts. Thanks for sharing.

  • Mac

    We have similar problems on the other side of the Atlantic. You couldn't run to making a video entitled "God is Polish and She loves us", could you?

  • http://worshipVJ.com proctor

    Not tooting my own horn, but i have a vast network of resources & people who are involved in missions….spanish, chinese, indigenous tribes wearing penis gourds (they wear their special gourds on Sundays, of course)… and if you can help me connect with this guy, I can just tell him he's won a vacation or something but then i'll just drop him in the middle of the jungle somewhere for a week or two…or six…
    we can set up hidden cameras and make a great little mini-movie out of it that churches could play for "missions sundays" (which i hear happens once a year usually…which is how it's supposed to be…NOT).
    it could be amazing.

    hey, it worked for me! :)

    just an idea.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/ScottMcClellan ScottMcClellan

    We need to make this video happen. It'd be like 'Tropic Thunder' for Missions Sunday.

  • http://worshipVJ.com proctor

    Did you ever see the new Rambo movie? It was like that…except you won't find it in the "comedy" section.
    Nate (biz partner) heads to Cambodia to film in April…in '11 we're going to the top 5 closed countries in SE Asia….Rambo's backyard…. so let's get the ball rolling! :)