Listen, learn and reap
Nearly 100 Canadians are attending Cape Town 2010, the third major Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization. Half of us are official "participants" and the remainder serve in a variety of leadership and support roles. We've come to South Africa to be with Christians from around the world and together reflect on what it means for the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world.
The Canadian contingent met together for the first time on the afternoon of the first full day of one of the most representative gatherings of Christians ever convened. We are a small part within a crowd of more 4,000 participants from 198 countries in South Africa. The sounds of the world are resounding in Cape Town, and it ain't the vuvuzelas.
The word "participant" is deliberately chosen; we are not "delegates." Each of us represents only ourselves as we sit scattered in table groups of six with people from other countries and other callings. We are meeting new people and gaining new perspective.
We are listening to speakers and hashing through issues. We are asked to listen. We want to learn. We pray that the benefits we reap—both personally and in our workplaces when we return—will far outweigh the costs of coming.
We expect to return in a week's time with fresh inspiration, helpful ideas, new friendships, strengthened networks and a clearer understanding of what it means to be a more effective Christian community in Canada. We'll be meeting again just before the Congress ends to address the question: What does this mean when we go back?
In the meantime, we are grateful for our experience here. We regret that more than 200 Christian leaders from China were not permitted to leave their country to attend the event in Cape Town.
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