On Skype, Clout and Other Random Thoughts

Think of today's post as something of a smorgasbord, if you get bored of one topic, scroll down until you come to the next paragraph or two and I will probably change subjects. I will resist the urge to invoke our dear and dedicated mothers (including you, Rachel) again and instead say, thank you to all of you who can find nothing better to do than read our random thoughts.

Subject 1: Brazil. Our fair and fine country has certainly made a name for itself over the last year. In fact I don't think that after today there is much debate that we are pretty much the hottest place on the market these days. This country seems to have been able to finally shake the shackles of government instability, financial insecurity, and aristocratic mentality that had been holding it back from being a world player so that today its stature and influence are simply exploding. (a quick disclaimer: Brazil still has a long, long way to go) Here are a few examples:

• Brazil was recently made a major player in world economic policy at the G-20 summit.
  
• The Brazilian economy has hardly skipped a beat while major economies in the northern hemisphere continue to struggle.
• The American Dollar has lost more than 25% of its value against the Brazilian Real since last January.
  
• Brazil has taken a central role in trying to resolve a conflict in Honduras (whether by choice or coercion it remains to be seen).
  
• Brazil, long a world leader in sports, will host the world cup of soccer in 2014.
  
• Brazilian cultural, political and financial clout were all on display today as the International Olympic Committee awarded the summer games of 2016 to the city of Rio de Janeiro. While it might have been inevitable, it is interesting to note that the three cities Rio was competing against to host the games all sit in areas of the world that have since WWII been the traditional centers of economic power- Asia, N. America, Europe.
  

All of these things would have seemed impossible 15-20 years ago. The truly interesting part of this story is that in a lot of ways, Brazil has yet to realize (or should we say utilize) their vast and diverse natural resources. More than simply political or economical, this is a spiritual fact as well. I remember reading a couple different articles on missions in the last couple of years that argued that the geographical center of Christianity had already shifted from its traditional Euro-American center to South America and Africa. In other words, the majority of the world's Christians now live south of the equator instead of north. I don't have any facts to back that up but I'm sure they could be found with little difficulty. One of the most populated of those southern countries is Brazil. I will not be surprise if we see something, that has already begun to happen in big numbers, start to explode: a great missionary movement, similar to ones in recent church history, also come from this part of the world to reach traditionally sending nations with the gospel of Christ.

Subject 2: Internet communications has, without understating the obvious, transformed missionary work. My own personal history. When we lived in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa in the early 1990s I remember talking on the phone to someone in the United States two or three times. I was just entering the tender ages that end in teen and I remember waiting by the community phone in the little "mail" building that NTM for their missionaries at the appointed time for the phone call from the states. Then, once it rang I would wait patiently for my turn to talk to Grandpa and Grandma on the other end of a long delay when they would ask me about what girlfriends I had or some other important grandparent type thing. This is a long way to say I am so grateful for Skype. What a blessing! I am cooking on a short list that may or may not appear on this blog sometime soon. It has something to do with the ten commandments of {voice-and-video-over-internet-calling} etiquette. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

Subject 3: Denielle and I read this morning Psalm 71:14-18. Verses 14-15 say: "But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day. For I do not know their limits." Imagine how dull life would be without the righteousness and salvation of God! Imagine how lame it would be if we were left to provide our own righteousness or salvation on our own merits. We would quickly find their limits. Instead we get to sing and praise the righteousness and salvation of God which are magnificent and matchless, endless, glorious in grace, and profoundly practical when it comes to my personal holiness. God, be glorified!

We have had a tremendous privilege throughout the last couple of weeks during the Bible Study that we have joined here in our town of helping to teach new believers their first songs about Christ. I get a thrill when I think about people who formerly despised God now learning to sing for the first time, "Christ is exalted, the King is exalted on high. I will praise Him!" What thrill to teach men and women who for all their lives did not have a chance to sing a song with any true eternal significance, songs about the majesty, glory and beauty of Christ. Awesome! (we wrote about this subject in our monthly prayer letter also released today, if you did not receive it but would like to, send us a note!)

Until next time . . .