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Every Christian arrives at their beliefs with preconceived notions. We carry fears, opinions and images into our perspective. Early on, these ideas (both positive and negative) shape our interactions. We might push away from Christ, His followers, and their activities based on our past experience. Or, we could feel led to learn more, to draw closer and seek Jesus because of who we understand these people to be. And, while God can bring someone from a harsh negative opinion of the Church (take Paul for example) just as easily as he can bring someone who has seen the warm disposition of Jesus (take Peter for example) to faith, I believe Christians can always do a better job of removing those obstacles. We don’t have to be the source of someone else’s negative opinion of the Church.

For most people who find themselves in the world of Relief and Development, they usually ended up there because of a life changing moment. A decision they made based on a culmination of events: They saw some incredible injustice, they were prompted by a move of God’s Spirit, or they were nudged by the gifts others saw in their lives. In that moment, something moved them, something significant happened, it changed them. It changed their direction.

If you’ve ever done any sort of international relief work, you know that a couple of things happen when you get home:

1. Some people want to know everything about your trip and, 
2. the other people just can’t wait for you to shut up about it.

Those expectations, either way, will affect how you are processing your experience. And, I would think, most people are unprepared to give an adequate account—short or long—the moment they step off the plane.

That brings me to my last experience. It’s been about a week since I returned from Haiti and I think I’m ready to share a few observations from my time there. And, like I said, these thoughts are still under development, subject to change, and ultimately unable to describe the totality of what God is doing there, or even just what He is doing through me.

Have you ever had someone tell you, “I am not religious?” What does that even mean? They never say, “I have no religion.” And, unless they are a true Atheist or Agnostic—taking notes from Ricky Gervais—they won’t lead with that either. No, it seems like the “non-religious” crowd got their line from the same franchise coffee shop. 

I recently had an interaction where this position was stated… more than once. And, I wasn’t prompting it—except by the pure fact that I was known to be a Christian. It’s as if my unstated belief demanded a statement about non-belief in defence of the off chance that I might try to state my (still unstated, but commonly known) belief. Sorry, that was a mouthful. Maybe next time I should get in front of their preemptive strike with one of my own: “Don’t worry, we aren’t really looking for new ushers at the moment. Sundays are running just fine.”