Not By Putting Little Crosses On The Shoes

“The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes…”

                                                                          ~Unknown

Yesterday I got quite a lot of feedback about my post on what modern missions can learn from medicine.  Namely, First Do No Harm.

I got pushback from people who defended John Chau’s actions because he breached a remote island in the name of God, to tell people about Jesus.

There are a lot of opinions and a lot of emotions and, I believe, a lot of important conversations to be had.

I think what’s important to remember is that doing something in the name of God doesn’t make it right.  Doing something for Jesus doesn’t give you a pass to be reckless, sloppy, subpar, outdated or even damaging to the intended recipient.

Christians who engage in any vocation – whether it’s medicine or writing or singing or academics or architecture or business or social work or international aid – are to do it with excellence, to the best of our ability, without using Jesus’ name as an excuse for poor quality or poor judgment.

Christians who practice medicine should be excellent clinicians and diagnosticians.

Christians who practice business should be savvy and sharp and ethical.

Writers should write compelling narratives that meet quality literary standards and hold up to scrutiny.

And those who practice international aid should do so with humility and wisdom and determination and persistence, while adhering to current recommendations for engaging in cultures not your own.

Doing something in the name of Jesus doesn’t autimatically make it right.  Doing something in the name of God doesn’t mean you did it well.

Jesus isn’t an excuse for poor judgment or subpar performance or shoddy workmanship.  And those who follow him are called to do more than put little crosses on poorly-crafted shoes.

We’re to make the world’s most excellent shoes because we labor in the shadow of The Cross.