Compelled by love . . .

Our motive for mission can be as important as our method. Wrong motives can spell trouble for the witness of the church down the line.

The apostle Paul, whom most missionaries take as their model for mission, revealed his motives in his letters to churches and individuals. At one point he confided, "Christ's love compels us" (2 Corinthians 5:14).

Paul understood the death and resurrection of Jesus to be historical events which brought great benefits to all of humanity.

He believed that one of the purposes of Jesus' death was that all people would live for him "who died for them and was raised again" (2 Corinthians 5:15). His motivation for mission was the compulsion of Christ's love.

It so happens that 'compulsion' is a word that comes up in some discussions of mission activity. When my wife Gwenyth and I were working in India, we sometimes heard expressions in the public media that Christian evangelists were using compulsion - allegedly forcing Hindus to convert to Christianity.

It is an accusation that is frequently made without substantiation. In October 2002, the government of the province of Tamil Nadu passed legislation outlawing "forced conversions."

The decree now requires all conversions from one religion to another to be reported to the district magistrate. "Forcible means" include allurement and even "the threat of divine displeasure." And anybody found guilty of "forcing or inducing people to convert" faces up to three years in jail, or a hefty fine.

Whether or not Christian workers are actually using compulsion is not made clear by such authorities.

Christian leaders in India deny using compulsion in their evangelistic work, and suggest that the accusation is a politically-motivated attempt to prohibit faith conversions of any kind. Indeed, the government of the province of Gujarat moved to do exactly that just last spring.

These reports raise major questions about freedom of religion, the caste system and other matters, which Indians are presently debating. As for Christian workers, the controversy gives them a chance once more to check motivation and method.

Whenever Christian workers use compulsion - and I did not see or hear of evidence for this in India - they show a serious misunderstanding of mission.

The only compulsion which we read about in the New Testament is the compulsion of Christ's love. This is a compulsion which safeguards freedom in the witness encounter - because the only true conversion is a free personal response to God and the work of his gentle Holy Spirit on the human heart.

Any attempt to force the response would be out of keeping with the love which motivates mission.

Gordon Nickel,
Assistant professor of Intercultural Studies,
Director of Master of Arts
in Cross-Cultural Ministries Program,
ACTS Seminaries, Langley, B.C.

Mission Fields Spring 2007