If you survey most Christian college or high school aged students, many will enthusiastically state that they have participated in one or more short-term mission trips. They will quickly gush about the difficulties of visiting a third world country, show some pictures, and proceed to Instagram their daily bible/coffee pic. By no means are short term missions inherently negative or bad. In fact, so much good can from them...the issue begins to form when white Christians fool ourselves into thinking that one week in Africa suddenly fulfills our servanthood quota.
Yet again, let me make this perfectly clear! I AM NOT ANTI-MISSIONS. Having fallen into this specific group of people, my room to speak is fairly small. I can't, however, continue to ignore some very serious and concerning problems associated with short-term mission work.
The first area of fault usually lies in the programming of the trip. White Christians invading a secluded and established culture to share the gospel (usually) makes very little difference. If anything we are modeling our "white American savior" complex as we tirade into villages and leave five days later...never really getting to know the people there. Cross-cultural relationships can take years to build, and although sharing the gospel is never a bad thing, it is doing a disservice to ourselves by thinking we are saving lives through uncomfortably sitting in corners. Instead, tactile means must be produce. Building houses, providing health care, or aiding in basic human needs can be much more effective than simply "doing life" with someone for a week. That is not doing life, it's doing your college required community service hours.
The second issue falls within the hearts of those who go. Christianity is inherently founded on the principle of missions (Mathew 28:16); however, Paul did not stay in a place for 48 hours before shipping off again. He committed to the long haul. He was fully prepared to die in a foreign place if God did not call him back home. Even more importantly, Paul did not take selfies with starving children, post them on Facebook with a bible verse and then pretend that all if right with the world. We as Americans are so quick to be the "fixers" and "saviors" of the world, when in reality we are only furthering traditional stereotypes associated with an overly apathetic people.
As a very privileged white American I can not pretend that I understand what a child in war-torn Syria is going through. I will never understand. Assuming that I have something to offer people of different socioeconomic status or affluence is insulting to that people group. Does this mean I should accept injustice and allow my fellow man to continue to starve? By no means. But if I claim to be as "shaken" by this fact as I was when IN that country, then that should reflect in my actions back in the states. Posting pictures is not activism. Reliving a week in Haiti for six years is not helping anyone. We cannot continue to pacify ignorant consciouses with a week of our lives. People are still starving when you leave, so what are you going to do about it? What am I going to do about it?
Long term missions aren't for everyone. That's ok. Life is a mission trip. Whether across the street or ocean, Christians are called to represent Christ in their very breath. They are not called to move in and out of a village to create some beautiful stories to tell their friends. I am by no means against going to see the world. Do it! Learning about other places and cultures only creates a more well-rounded individual! It is when we mask true intent and stamp "mission trip" on an excursion rooted in self-interest that we only hinder God's work. So yes, please go serve in Africa or Asia, but be quick to have a humble heart; recognizing you are not the savior, God is. If he calls you for a week be obedient to that, if he calls you for life, serve with joy. The Christian church has missed the mark with missions as of late. To truly save the world, you must realize that you need to be saved too.
