Missionary -

The old model was additive: We bring Jesus. We bring medicine. We bring schools. We bring civilization.

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? Missionary

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

Because of this, the word carries baggage. In many global south communities, "missionary" is still a slur, shorthand for religious imperialism. The old model was additive: We bring Jesus

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. We bring civilization

That core is still beautiful. It is the doctor who leaves a comfortable city practice to treat river blindness in a remote village. It is the teacher who learns a difficult language just to read stories to children who have never held a book. It is the engineer who digs wells not for a contract, but for the quiet joy of clean water.