The Biggest Missions Question Coming
The three (minimum) fundamental questions that drive the human experience are 1) "Who am I?" 2) "Who do I belong to?" and 3) "What is worth living for?" I would argue that questions 1 & 3 are subservient to 2. Allegiance drives everything.
Throughout time, culture has asked pivotal and varying questions that require decades of wrestling and response. "Who determines reality?" was answered by Descartes. cogito ergo sum! It wasn't just a statement of existence, but of WHO to trust to shape reality (Answer: the individual, not God). Enter modernic thinking and a whole slew of implications that shaped missions witness, dialogue and approaches for decades (scratch that - hundreds) of years. Humanity doubled down on "rationality" and missions strategy turned to the "provability" of God. Because human experience isn't entirely rational, the question changed. "What is truth?" was answered with postmodern philosophy. Again, missions strategy adjusted by beginning with the subjective experiential in order to point toward a transcendent standard.
The kitchen table question over the last five or so years has been, "What is a man or woman?" Enter gender neutrality and gender fluidity. These are less questions of biology than identity, and though the two are separate, they are also intertwined. A lesser recent question, though one that is perhaps more fun to entertain, has been, "What is the nature of reality?" (real? imagined? simulation?). But there's a convergence of the two coming.
There's a new question on the near horizon that will shape everything for the next several decades, if not hundreds of years. It will shape missions, strategy, and the future more than we may realize. Human augmentation, AI advances (example: AI now creating artwork, the science of sentience, etc.), bioethical issues (cloning, etc.), genetic research (Homo sapiens vs. Homo denisova, etc.), and a host of other research and advancements will force this question over and over. Here it is:
What does it mean to be human?
The answer to that question will require a serious Biblical response. It is neither a simple question nor one a pithy response can satisfy. And we will need a response to be effective in missions tomorrow. Moreover, we'll need to equip others with the tools for sharing faith in the framework of that question. The good news is that there is an answer and we have (some) time before it goes mainstream. The bad news is that we've currently yet to formulate it in a way that is satisfactory for most. (Consider how many are yet grappling with a good response on gender identity or further behind, with a postmodern worldview). If you're thinking about the future, missions, and strategy, this is the cultural question on the horizon. Start preparing now for conversations to come.
