Missions 101

Turbo Tax is a wonderful thing and I have found it very helpful in preparing our tax returns.  It shows me in a crystal clear fashion how much money I have made and the various deductions I can take – in particular, charitable giving.  Last night as I finished and clicked “Send” to e-file, they alerted me that I had a high risk of being audited.  A few thoughts crossed my mind.

Rendering to the US

I don’t like the tax system in the US – it’s very American to think such a thing.  I don’t think it’s fair (but not in the way most people complain about it), but my conscience and Scripture leads me to believe that fudging my tax return is not a good way to protest.  I’m not going to give the government more or less than they want.  I will stay within the parameters of the law.

Jesus once said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's” (Luke 20:25 ESV).  I'm sure the Roman government was doing plenty of immoral things with the taxes people paid.  For Jesus, that was not the issue.  He did not take a moral stand by not paying taxes, nor should we.  I am sure that last sentence should be nuanced, but let us have Luke 20:25 start the conversation. 

My Integrity is Worth More Than $900

My wife is amazing.  One of things she does on top having four little children is teach private music lessons.  Before children she was an opera singer (for real!), a high school teacher and a college instructor.  Now she teaches the kids of two families.  They are lucky. 

The IRS would never know if I didn’t enter her income.  When I did, our return dropped $900.  For us, that is quite a chunk of change.   Thoughts ran through my mind for a day as I thought about whether to enter her income.  Who cares, I thought, about a few hundred dollars.   They won’t miss it anyway.

Even thinking of it caused turmoil in my soul.  Could I sell out for a few hundred dollars?  Unfortunately, it was tempting, but in the end I trusted Christ and the promises of Scripture and moved on.  It is amazing how doing the right thing is burden lifting.  

Scripture says,  "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold" (Proverbs 22:1 ESV).  May it be true of all of us who name Christ as Savior.  Report all your income to the glory of God.

If I am Audited, I Hope They Can Tell I am a Christian Without Talking To Me

Someone might take a peek at tax return, and I hope they can see how much I value Christ.  I remember first thinking something like this a few years ago when I was trying to buy a home and the mortgage broker was a Christian.  He knew my job, my income and my giving.  Was he challenged and spurred on to a life of generosity or was he appalled by how low my giving was?

I know first hand that there are complicating situations that cause giving to increase and decrease in different seasons of life.  There is also a lot of giving that can’t be recorded as a tax write-off, but I hope the IRS agent sees that I value Christ and serve Him, not money.

Jesus said,  “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24 ESV).  May it be true of us.

And What of the Return

Many of us are going to have money coming back to us.  What should we do?  Are you asking: Does this count as income that we need to give away?  If so, it's the wrong question.  We should ask: How can I use this to glority God?  It could mean employing a friend to do work or helping a non-profit or church.  It could mean buying a gift for a family member.  It's all His.  

Maybe next year I will get audited as well.

When I was in seminary a man I knew came up to me in the library asking me how to pronounce some Greek words out of Revelation 2.  I did my best without thinking twice.  Later I realized he wanted to say the Greek correctly in a sermon.  He didn’t know Greek. 

It’s a situation I hope never to be a part of again and it still makes my stomach turn thinking about it.

"But in the Greek it says…”  I am sure you have heard it before or possibly even said it.  You know the pastor (or you!) is getting serious when they do. 

It is here where I want to throw a whole lot of caution.  It’s a dangerous thing to utter such a phrase in a sermon.  So what follows are five cautions to think about if you dare venture to use this phrase.

1. If you have to say, “But in the Greek…” a lot, you probably are preaching from a bad translation.   I have a friend who teaches Greek at an evangelical seminary who, when he hears anyone say, “But in the Greek…” he says to himself, “Then why didn’t the translators say that.”  You are not using a good translation if you feel the urge to go this way often.
2. You probably only know enough Greek to be dangerous.  Of course, it’s hard to know when you know enough!  Reading Exegetical Fallacies is a good start, but that is just the tip of the iceberg! You are most likely getting insight from a commentary, which you probably do not understand fully.  Be slow to think you understand Greek.
3. Knowing the original languages is a gift from God, but it is also elite knowledge.  99% of Christians don’t know it and when you quote the Greek you undermine the translation in their hands, which is their only access to Scripture.  It sets you a part and can turn you into, at least in the eyes of your church, a professional.  
4. If you really feel there is such an egregious error in the translation, maybe it would be best to say, “I am really helped by another translation here that translates this passage…” There is no reference to Greek and it still allows a thoughtful Christian to think and appreciate the text you are talking about more deeply.
5. Consider your audience.  If you have a bunch of farmers, you might want to steer clear.  If you have a bunch of academics, you might dare mention “Greek.”  You just need to be careful.  Not mentioning Greek does not mean your preaching is shallow.  Academic does not mean more godly.  Deep preaching does not mean more intellectually stimulating.  

These are not excuses to be lazy.  Seminaries don’t teach Greek and Hebrew so their students can forget and discard what they have learned.  Knowing the original languages for most of us is a life-long process which takes a lot of discipline and hard work.  We are average linguists at best, but are afforded the benefit and joy of reading the Word of God in it’s original.  That is AMAZING.  Just be careful how you wield the sword.

I wish TLI could create so much dialogue with one 30-minute video.  In 5 days Invisible Children has raised the profile of Joseph Kony, the man now famous for turning children into soldiers, with a video that has 55 million views.  The video's aim is to bring Joseph Kony to justice by raising his profile amongst people, especially younger ones tied into social media.

It Worked

I suppose that if the goal of Invisible Children in this film was to raise awareness in the US about this evil man, then mission accomplished.  Last night on local news channels in MN, the video was the lead story.  Popular radio commentators talked about it today. While I wonder if everyone has even watched all 30 minutes, it seems most people at least know the gist. 

What Christians Can Learn

This is one example of how quickly new can spread through social media, and Christians would do well to take note.  There are many worthwhile causes in the world that deserve help from people with great talent creating short films.  Christians are known for being behind the times when it comes to anything artistic.  Organizations that do invest in websites, good graphic design, branding and video production have a much easier time explaining their mission and inviting people to partner with them. Just think of Desiring God, Resurgence and others.  

But What about the Finances

Of course, anything that gets this big is going to receive some criticism, and we would be wise to take note.  The Atlantic Wire posted a tongue in cheek article about the finances.  Yesterday's post by Jeff Atherstone also highlighted the problem.  There seems to be some strange things going on with Invisible Children’s 990 (that's the tax form all non-profits file every year).  While reports vary, the group's financial statement indicates that 32% of the money Invisible Children received last year actually went toward direct services (money to Uganda).  The rest was spent on the production of film, travel costs and staff salaries.   Charity Navigator gives them 3 out of 4 stars.  

The rub of course is whether you believe in what Invisible Children is selling.  If you want to give to a non-profit who sees itself as raising awareness in the US by making t-shirts, bracelets and movies, then this is your organization.  If you want to see your money going directly to children in Uganda, you should probably go somewhere else.

What Christians Can Learn

Thank God for the Evangelical Counsel of Financial Accountability.  Started by Billy Graham as a way of bringing financial accountability to Christian organizations, the ECFA logo on an organizations website is a sign that you can trust where your money is going.  To be part of the ECFA you must have your books checked by an independent accounting firm yearly and adhere to the practices set forth by them.  Not only that, but at any time the ECFA can audit their members books to ensure people are following the rules.  The ECFA also has a lot of free resources, including compensation data to help churches and non-profits determine salaries for their employees.  If you are supporting an organization that is not part of the ECFA, call and ask them why!

Another take away is that we must be careful to clearly explain where the money goes, and it should not just be on our tax returns.  For example, TLI's books are open.  We can tell you the salaries of our employees, the cost of training pastors and the administrative fee (10%) that we take for all of our activities.  

But What about the Truthfulness of the Video

Here is where some criticism is justified.  Let me again say - Kony is an evil man.  There are many men like him in the world.  He does need to be dealt with.  But let's look at some facts:

• A 2011 story accused Invisible Children of exaggerating the scope of LRA (Lord Resistance Army) abductions and murders and the use of children soldiers.  That does not mean what Kony has done is not evil.  It just means that Invisible Children expands the facts.
• Joseph Kony has not been in Uganda in six years.  Not only that, we are not even sure he is alive!  This of course is a huge problem. Maybe the makers of the film are just unaware.
• The LRA's numbers are now in the 100's and most of their crimes were 15-20 years ago.  That of course does not lessen what they have done.  The video is just 15 years late.
• The Ugandan security forces are not exactly the kind of group you want to get behind!  As a matter of fact, they have been accused of similar crimes against humanity.

What Christians Can Learn

I have heard wonderful and glowing testimonies from short-term trips of how 1000's of people have come to Christ because of the trip that was taken.  I have read wonderful and glowing reports of how villages have been saved, sickness has been thwarted and churches have had their physical needs met, all from a group of 10 people who stayed somewhere for 10 days.

We are prone to exaggerate or imagine that our service has created bigger results than we think.

This is a problem.  It is so easy to exaggerate numbers.  I have caught myself doing it, almost as if it were natural.  Let's all try not to exaggerate how much we do and even relay the truth to supporters when things do not go as planned.  This leads to a great deal of transparency.

Western Charity - Toxic or Helpful?

I do not doubt the intentions of the filmmakers or those who are reposting this video all over Facebook. However, when the dust settles, what actually is going to be accomplished?  I offer some guidance here.

First, I would encourage you to read Toxic Charity and When Helping Hurts.  These two books might open your eyes to the complexity of giving to charity and the often harmful things we as Western Christians cause through our generousity.  $1 trillion dollars in aid has been given to Africa in the last 50 years and they are worse off because of it!  It's good to think through why this is.  I am so thankful that people in the United States desire to help people in desperate need.  We just need to be more careful!

Second, read what Ugandans have to say.  Read the thoughts of a principal of a Christian University.  Read what a survivor of the LRA's attacks, whose life has been transformed by Christ says about this video.  Read what some Ugandans are saying.

Third, think about supporting gospel centered organizations that are restoring the broken lives of those who have been oppressed by the LRA.  Support ARCC, who is the only school I know of that has a degree in Child Development as well as an emphasis on disability ministry.  If you know anything about Africa, you know that this type of education is important.

Lastly, don't just repost a cool video until you know the facts.  Helping is just not that simple.

Who do you think is holding a machine gun to his left and right protecting him?

And now Kony thinks that Obama is after him… don’t you think he is getting ready!

Unfortunately, the US is not after him. The US is only advising. Now Kony is preparing to fight the world’s elite when in reality it is the same army that has been unsuccessful in capturing him for over 20 years that is after him.

I’d much rather have him believe that all he has to worry about is the UPDF!

Invisible Children is Spending Less Than Half the Money They Raise in Uganda 

41 cents on the dollar makes it to Uganda and less than that goes to the children they claim to support.

Charity Navigator gave them a score of 2 Stars out of 4 when it comes to Accountability and Transperency – do you really know where your money is going?

Over half is going back to you in the form of cool t-shirts, bracelets and film. Your money isn’t supporting children in Uganda – it's supporting you!

Conclusion

Think before you post, share or tweet!

The work of Bible translators around the world is to be applauded. The Bible has been translated into many different languages and as a result, people in their tribes have the Bible in their mother tongue. It is a beautiful thing, for a grandmother, who cannot read, to have a book in her house and have someone read it to her in her own dialect. There is no doubt that this brings them closer to the word of God and creates an even greater interest in seeking to hear more of it. So, the work of Bible translation is to be applauded and encouraged at all costs.

There is a lingering question in my mind, though, when I look at the work of Bible translation and consider its impact on the target people group. Here is my questions: What is the goal of Bible translation? Is it (a) to have a Bible in a particular people group’s mother tongue so that they can read it and hear God’s word in their dialect or (b) is it to have the people in that people group actually understand what is said in the Bible (interpretation) and thereby not only hear God’s word read but understand what God, through the authors of the Bible, intended to communicate, or (c) is it both. The answer to this question will impact the direction taken in the process of Bible translation and will determine where resources are poured.

Before I state what I believe a helpful approach or answer to this question, I want to briefly explain the situation in my own tribe, the people of Kom, Cameroon, West Africa. The Kom people have had the Bible translated into their own language and that is a wonderful thing. It is good to have the Word of God read in church in your own dialect. The work of literacy is ongoing, seeking to teach Kom people how to read the Kom Bible. That is a worthy cause as well. So, we have a Bible in the Kom dialect and people who can read it. What is missing? As helpful as this process of Bible translation and literacy is, it is only a small part of the work. Anyone in the Kom tribe will be quick to point to the need for proper Bible interpretation for people to actually understand the word of God and for the need for well-prepared pastors who can proclaim the Word of God to them. It would seem that Bible translation, literacy programs, and the training of church leaders in properly handling the word of truth need to go hand in hand. I know one would object that Bible translators are doing their part and others should do their own part in the preparation of pastors to interpret the Word. Fair objection. Is it happening? Is there a way to use the resources at our disposal to do both? Could we not only translate the Bible but also train national leaders whose job it will be to help their people not just hear but also understand the content of the Bible?

The goal of Bible translation, then, should be twofold: 1) To make the Bible available in a peoples’ mother tongue (translation) and 2) to make God’s word understandable to the particular people group (interpretation). The first goal will require men and women gifted in linguistics to take on the task of Bible translation. The second goal will require a conscious effort to prepare people who can interpret the translated word of God. When these two are combined, the result is powerful: the Bible in a people’s language and a people who do not only hear what the Bible says but understand what God is saying to them through the written word. This second goal involves an interest in theological education.  It means that as the Bible translation progresses, there is at the same time progress in the training of national Bible interpreters. Oh, for the day when the dedication of a Bible translation is done at the same time as the dedication of those who have been prepared to proclaim faithfully the truth of the word of God.

Why is this important? Several reasons:

1. Having the Bible in one’s own language is not enough. It is at the most the beginning. Those for whom English is their first language still need to have the Word interpreted by those trained to do so. If we need trained Bible interpreters to help us understand our English Bible so that we hear what God intended to communicate, how much more those who have a Bible in their language, do not know how to read it, and do not have our level of education to understand written speech?
2. Teaching all that Jesus commanded and declaring the whole counsel of God is key for building a healthy church. What Jesus commanded includes all of Scripture since he both fulfills it and it points to him (see Matt. 5:17-20; 1 Cor. 15:3-5 and Luke 24:25-27). The church will be stronger when the whole counsel of God is proclaimed (Acts 20:26-35). This task is enhanced greatly when properly trained teachers and preachers do so in the language of the people.
3. In most oral settings, the only chance people have to hear the Word of God is from their pastor on Sunday, or what he may teach during the week. Knowing that the pastors are the main sources of transmission of the Word of God to the people, it makes sense to provide them with the tools that they need to properly interpret the Word and preach it, so that the people can understand and trust God and obey him.

The history of missions has been such that Bible translators have done their thing and theological educators have done their thing. It has somehow been assumed that the two will work out in the end. It has not worked. There are theologically educated pastors who cannot even read the Bible in their mother tongue, not to mention preaching from it. There are those without theological education who can read their mother tongue well but cannot interpret the word for their people. These two need to be brought together, so that Bible translation goes hand in hand with the theological education of those who will use that particular translation for their people. This will involve not sending people off to a remote school somewhere removed from their own people groups, but providing them with a solid theological education on site. They can be learning both how to read their mother tongue and receiving training in how to interpret Scripture in their mother tongue.