On A Mission

I have followed with interest the news of the death of Benazir Bhutto and some of the opinion pieces about her. Many have alluded to the fact that she was on a mission and quote her as saying "I did not choose this life; it chose me." I admired her from a distance when she was prime minister - a woman in power in a Muslim country. I followed with interest her tumultuous return to Pakistan last October after years of self-imposed exile following the dismissal of her government amidst corruption charges in 1999. I watched with horror the reports of the bombings that night, which she barely escaped. And I watched with admiraton as she vowed not to quit. She seemed to understand the risks involved in returning to Pakistan but couldn't seem to help herself to choose otherwise. In the end she died because she was on a mission that others opposed.

When I watched the accounts of Ms. Bhutto's return to Pakistan in October I wondered what it was that would drive someone into such obvious danger. It seemed that a cause greater than herself had gotten a hold of her and she saw herself as being destined to lead it.

I call myself a follower of Jesus Christ and claim that as his follower he has taken a hold of my life and asked me to join his mission, the establishment of his influence through people committed to the cause. His mission includes establishing justice, mercy, righteousness, peace, love, and so much more. He launched his mission by being put to death by his enemies but then overcoming death and empowering his followers to multiply his mission wherever they went.

His mission often invites danger but I must admit that whenever there has been the foreseen possibility of danger to my own life as I have traveled the world, I have made a detour. I did that once in 1990. I was due to visit Karachi to encourage and enable Christian leaders share the mission of Jesus with their own people. Riots broke out a few days before I was to arrive and I opted to change my flights and avoid the visit.

Perhaps I need to read the enlistment agreement again and sign again on the dotted line.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it - Jesus. (As recorded by Luke 9:24)

rpk