Missionary

Yes. But only if we let it be broken.

Let’s be honest. When you hear the word “Missionary,” what image pops into your head?

And that, I think, is a mission worth keeping. Missionary

The best missionaries in history weren't the ones who built the biggest churches. They were the ones who learned the local word for "pain" before they learned the local word for "sin." Here is my proposal for the 21st-century missionary mindset. I call it The Law of Subtraction .

The old model was additive: We bring Jesus. We bring medicine. We bring schools. We bring civilization. When you hear the word “Missionary,” what image

At its absolute core, a missionary is simply someone who is sent . Specifically, someone sent to love people who are not like them.

Because of this, the word carries baggage. In many global south communities, "missionary" is still a slur, shorthand for religious imperialism. They were the ones who learned the local

If we are going to use the term today, we have to check that backpack at the door. Strip away the colonialism. Strip away the judgement. What’s left?

The new model is subtractive: You take away my comfort. You take away my agenda. You take away my assumption that I am the hero of this story.