For many of us, the word mission or evangelism carries mixed emotions. We love Jesus and care deeply about people, but we are also aware of the painful ways Christianity has been tangled with power, colonialism, and control. That history is real, and it matters. If we ignore it, we risk either repeating past mistakes or quietly withdrawing from the call of Jesus altogether.

This Sunday, we will be sitting with Matthew 9:35-10:1, where Jesus looks at the crowds and is moved. not by strategy or superiority, but by compassion. He sees people who are "harassed and helpless" and from that place of deep mercy he invites his disciples to pray; and then sends them out as an answer to their prayers! My hope is that this Sunday helps us recover Jesus' heart for people and his hopeful vision for the world, right where we live and far beyond us.