Guatemala Mission Trip - Why Missions?

Karl Marx is accredited with the following quote: “The struggle against religion is, therefore, indirectly a struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma is religion. Religious suffering is at the same time an expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of men, is a demand for their real happiness. The call to abandon their illusions about their conditions is a call to abandon a condition which requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, the embryonic criticism of this vale of tears of which religion is the halo.”

Of course, this is the source of the phrase "religion is the opiate of the people." It may seem strange that I would attempt to explain why I support mission trips by using this quote, but I think its essential to understand what I truly believe missions is NOT. Missions is NOT about religion because in an extreme sense, Marx may have been at least partially correct in his assessment that religion can be illusory. By "religion" I am a Southern Baptist but I do not seek to press the tenants of Southern Baptist propriety on people. Still I am greatful for my Southern Baptist upbringing because it pointed me to a greater "somebody." Perhaps, this is where Mr. Marx may have missed the mark (marx... mark, yeah that's bad). Whereas Marx saw religion as the "end game," others, like myself, see religion as a pathway leading to "somebody." Somebody that we need; somebody that wants us; somebody greater than ourselves; somebody that Loves us; somebody seeking after us; somebody that compels us to share; somebody that gives us a mission to share about greatness, need, Love, and seeking. Missions then becomes talking about somebody with people who need somebody, not religion, but somebody.

There's Somebody Out There

There's somebody out there hurt

And confused

An innocent child being abused

There's somebody out there whose heart is

Breaking in two

There's somebody out there feeling alone

A husband, a wife being done wrong

There's somebody out there shattered from

A broken home

Chorus:

But there's Somebody out there with arms

Open wideWho longs to embrace you, dry the tears

From your eyes

He's hope for the hopeless

He'll carry the burdens you bear

When you don't have a prayer

There's Somebody out there

There's somebody out there who thought

It was coolTo keep taking chances thinking they'd

Never lose

Now they're hooked on a feeling that'sLeft them empty and fooled
There's somebody out there who can't

Quite decide

Whether to live or whether to die

They're searching for strength to get

Through their crisis in life

Ron David Moore