Yesterday, I sat down with a friend and discussed the whole Bible - diaspora connection and we came to the conclusion that diaspora, the scattering of people or (as Sadiri Joy Tira likes to say) the "people on the move" are a major highway of biblical thought. It is no side issue that boasts of only a few poignant texts. Rather, consider the "fill the earth" command given to Adam and repeated to Noah (Gen. 1:28, 9:1), the "Tower of Babel" scattering which we've already discussed, and the wandering patriarchs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Consider the huge diaspora themes permeating the story of Joseph bringing Israel into Egypt and Moses leading them out. There is also the Jewish diaspora resulting from the exile and practically the entire New Testament mission that is built upon the infrastructure of that diaspora (including the Pentecost of Act 2, the Great Persecution of Acts 8, and the launching of the gentile mission through the great diaspora realities of Cornelius, Antioch, and Paul's missional strategy of utilizing the scattered synagogues of the Roman Empire).
So, it is something I'm thinking much about and don't know exactly where I'll end up. A next big stop will be traveling to Paris, France, to the newly formed Lausanne Global Diaspora Network consultation. I am humbled and thrilled to have been invited to attend and to serve as a part of the network. I consider it a huge opportunity to serve the global body of Christ as well as to enhance what our ministry, Trinity International Baptist Mission, is doing here to bring the hope and wholeness of Christ to people of all nations. I believe strongly that we are sitting at the brink of the unfolding of some exciting days ahead in our local-global ministry. I do, of course, need your help with a couple things:
1. Please pray for me and the entire Trinity team. Our work among diaspora peoples never stops and neither does our need for prayer. In particular, I have a lot of travel coming up. Tomorrow, I'll be taking a group of people to Kentucky and North Carolina to conduct Christocentric satsangs among Bhutanese-Nepali people in those places. Next month is the meeting in Paris, France. Also in February, I'll be presenting on diaspora missiology at the Evangelical Missiology Society North Central Regional Conference. In March, I'll be traveling to Nashville to help conduct some training in ministry among Bhutanese-Nepalis at LifeWay. In April, I plan to be in Orlando, Florida for the U.S. Lausanne Committee's National gathering. In between it all will be the daily, ongoing needs of our local mission field here. So do pray.
2. Some of our upcoming travel will require raising additional funds. Most immediately, I need your support to help me cover the expenses related to the Global Diasporas Network meeting in Paris. The couple dozen of us that have been invited from around the world are all committed to raising our own support to get there. This is in keeping with the Lausanne spirit of volunteerism. You can find some more information about the gathering here or click the widget below to donate now through our secure, online donation system.
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