Broken

We insulate ourselves from the painful things that go on around us.
The way we live in 21st century "Western World" we are vaguely aware that there's somewhere out there called the "mddle east" where impossibly large numbers of people are dying or fleeing their homes. We're vaguely aware that if we stop and think about it we'll probably realise that those nameless, faceless masses of people are made up of individuals very like us, and they're not enjoying themselves.

So we slide our finger up the 4" oLED screen and move on to the next story.

Some of us though, come face to face with the Horrified and catch a glimpse of reality. It's a strange experience. It's different when it smells and feels and doesn't end as soon as the interesting action sequence is over. It's not the same when you then have to eat dinner with the weeping victims.

What's even more surreal is when you leave, and come home and try to explain it to everybody who still imagines it on their Apple Device, everybody who thinks they understand, thinks they're being sympathetic, but they just Don't GET it.

I've... seen... an odd thing happen to some... others...  who fly out, see horror for a while and fly home. We retreat into ourselves. We come to believe that nobody understands but us, that nobody cares but us, and that, since words can't explain what we've seen, we are helpless to do anything but mourn.  Christians who went out with big plans break down and succumb to deep depression.  The irony is that those we went to help are relishing the joy, seizing every opportunity and growing in the Lord - often buoyed up by the support we brought and the promise of our prayers, while we shut our minds off from the world and suffer a whole different kind of pain.

The story is not about us. It's never about us. God's plans are always unexpected, always complex and He always sees the bigger picture.
We are always selfish, always biased and can't even see what's right in front of us.

If you meet someone who has been on a traumatic mission trip, treat them carefully, listen properly to what they're saying and encourage them.  I mean really listen and really encourage them.
If you've been away, look after your head and understand that you've had a bigger impact than you can ever imagine.  Keep telling people what you've seen.
They won't understand; but neither do we.

(picture - not everybody from Somalia, Northern Ireland and Pakistan is a terrorist)