Dec 28 2019 2 Corinthians 5: 16-20

We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ

This morning’s pre-trip reflection focuses on being a good ambassador for Jesus, versus being a loud-mouthed, stereotypical Ugly American, when travelling. As someone who’s travelled, I appreciate this reminder, and hope I’ve never been the Ugly American. Possibly the closest I came was the trip in college to East Berlin and the Soviet Union. It was hard to not stick out there, both because of my youthful impishness, and the severity of the host cultures. 

But that trip aside, I’ve been keenly aware of how different we are in the US, compared to nearly every other place. I’ve tried to blend in, or at least not stick out. I’ve tried to respect and reflect local culture and customs.

But still that’s not quite what this reflection is encouraging me to do. This is reminding me that I am an ambassador of God while on this trip. My sister- and brother-in-law have had long and interesting careers in the US State Department. I see what ambassadorship looks like, when they talk about policies or politics, and they clearly are expressing the perspective of those they are to represent; sometimes it was hard to see where the individual stopped and the ambassador started, the lines were so blurred.

The devotional provided a great analogy that I inherently understand, given my years in local government. If I go to a public meeting as an individual I can share my individual perspectives. But if I go to a public meeting on behalf of my city employer, my language is metered, and my thoughts are filtered; is this the perspective of my boss? If not, better not said.

For this upcoming trip, it’s clear whose agent I am. I should do nothing that is inconsistent with what that Governor asks of me. In my baptism, those requests are clear:

• Continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship
• Persevere in resisting evil and when I fall into sin, return to the Lord
• Proclaim by word and example the good news of God
• Seek and serve Christ in all people, loving my neighbor as myself
• Strive for justice and peace, respecting the dignity of every human being

While on this God-inspired mission trip, I need to be an agent for those things, and always act with this in mind. If what I do or say is not supportive of this, my ultimate lord, best not done or said.

And here’s the thing. This trip is nothing different than my every-day world. In my every day, I am just as much committed to God’s will, and should be just as much an ambassador of Christ. Because I work for the church, and read and reflect on scripture daily, it’s increasingly easy to remember where my focus should be. Whether I’m praying in the morning, or writing, or scheduling meetings for clergy, or arranging for spiritual retreats, God is in my mind, and God is the focus of my thoughts.

This morning, I’m thinking about how to be sure that my focus on God, which feels sort of one-to-one – me to God and God to me, actually needs to be one-to-one-to-all. In my interactions with everyone I encounter, I am God’s ambassador. I do not have the luxury of ‘speaking my mind’, because I’m always on the clock, with God as the ultimate and eternal authority.

I’m increasingly in the habit or practice of remembering my one-to-one relationship. I will use this short term trip to remember it’s really a one-to-one-to-all.