Comments on: Open Letter to Missionaries http://chosunjournal.com/2001/06/30/open-letter-to-missionaries/ Informing, provoking, and mobilizing consciences for human rights in North Korea. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:47:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: TF http://chosunjournal.com/2001/06/30/open-letter-to-missionaries/#comment-31281 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:35:56 +0000 http://chosunjournal.com/2001/06/30/open-letter-to-missionaries/#comment-31281 I would like to thank this writer for having the courage to post an interview which deals with such a complex and sensitive argument. As a 'born-again' Bible-believing Christian and human rights activist (in training) I constantly struggle with the fact that the church and the media so often seem to be at odds with one another. Furthermore I find it profoundly odd, given the overwhelmingly love-centered nature of the Gospel, that modern missionaries can find themselves under scrutiny regarding their work on the mission field. It simply cannot be that Christ would have us use food, shelter and basic human necessities as incentives to 'win souls' for Him. Consider the Feeding of the 5000. The crowds listening to Jesus were not promised any food. In fact catering arrangements seem to be something of an afterthought as far as the disciples were concerned. Yet it was Jesus and His disciples who brought up the subject of dinner. The people listening to His message had stayed on late into the day without thinking about their stomachs. Of course, Jesus could have promised, and delivered, a vast banquet in order to attract listeners. The point is He didn't have to. The Gospel speaks for itself, attracts to itself, without us having to bring it down to the level of a 'bread and Bible' approach. Instead the church must use every resource it has to ease the suffering of its neighbors whilst separately offering the Gospel as an explanation for our actions. Let's not risk distorting the true beauty of God's Message by using incentives: amazing grace is incentive enough. I would like to thank this writer for having the courage to post an interview which deals with such a complex and sensitive argument. As a ‘born-again’ Bible-believing Christian and human rights activist (in training) I constantly struggle with the fact that the church and the media so often seem to be at odds with one another. Furthermore I find it profoundly odd, given the overwhelmingly love-centered nature of the Gospel, that modern missionaries can find themselves under scrutiny regarding their work on the mission field.

It simply cannot be that Christ would have us use food, shelter and basic human necessities as incentives to ‘win souls’ for Him. Consider the Feeding of the 5000. The crowds listening to Jesus were not promised any food. In fact catering arrangements seem to be something of an afterthought as far as the disciples were concerned. Yet it was Jesus and His disciples who brought up the subject of dinner. The people listening to His message had stayed on late into the day without thinking about their stomachs. Of course, Jesus could have promised, and delivered, a vast banquet in order to attract listeners. The point is He didn’t have to. The Gospel speaks for itself, attracts to itself, without us having to bring it down to the level of a ‘bread and Bible’ approach. Instead the church must use every resource it has to ease the suffering of its neighbors whilst separately offering the Gospel as an explanation for our actions. Let’s not risk distorting the true beauty of God’s Message by using incentives: amazing grace is incentive enough.

]]> by: Chosun Journal » Blog Archive » Missionary Ethics http://chosunjournal.com/2001/06/30/open-letter-to-missionaries/#comment-7620 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:37:43 +0000 http://chosunjournal.com/2001/06/30/open-letter-to-missionaries/#comment-7620 [...] I asked myself why proselytizing is punishable by death in North Korea? (Josh writes that these days North Koreans caught illegally crossing the border are no longer put to death unless they return to proselytize) Another way to ask the question is: what does Kim Jong Il have to fear from the spread of the gospel in North Korea? In 2001 Edward Kim, editor of Chosun Journal, wrote Kim Jung Il “knows that once the missionaries and refugees were to bear witness to the world of their unbreakable courage and undying love strong enough to move the whole world’s conscience, that his freedom to abuse would be lost forever.” There lies hope - and yet that quote comes from a conversation that Edward had with one of these missionaries and it leaves me with much concern. Learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Isaiah 1:17 Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? Isaiah 58: 6 [...] […] I asked myself why proselytizing is punishable by death in North Korea? (Josh writes that these days North Koreans caught illegally crossing the border are no longer put to death unless they return to proselytize) Another way to ask the question is: what does Kim Jong Il have to fear from the spread of the gospel in North Korea? In 2001 Edward Kim, editor of Chosun Journal, wrote Kim Jung Il “knows that once the missionaries and refugees were to bear witness to the world of their unbreakable courage and undying love strong enough to move the whole world’s conscience, that his freedom to abuse would be lost forever.” There lies hope - and yet that quote comes from a conversation that Edward had with one of these missionaries and it leaves me with much concern. Learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Isaiah 1:17 Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? Isaiah 58: 6 […]

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