Going Global Nelson Analysis

In Going Global Nelson, King, and Smith have a simple aim - to provide a practical introduction to transcultural missions in the 21st century rather than an academic one. The fact that they succeeded so well in reaching this goal could easily be misconstrued as a flaw of the book. But rather than being a flaw, its strength lies in its simplicity and humble, real world understanding of Canadian misconceptions of mission (and the intercultural struggles that are at the root of many of them) as well as its appeal to look at the larger picture and how we can contextually fit into it. It is the sort of book that has a singular goal and does not lose sight of it. For this reason it can be tempting to read the introduction and then skip to the
The authors are not shy about admitting that each of these starting points stems from their conversations during their carpool trips to and from the office of Canadian Baptist Ministries where they all worked at the time (in fact, the original name of the book was to be “Carpool Conversations” before it was understood that it came with connotations that were less than desirable). Here already we see the first signs of the authors’ desire to speak from their daily lives and to share their struggles and the insights gleaned from them. They are also not shy about where they disagree and whether those disagreements have been resolved or remain. Despite any disagreement, each person is heard and allowed to make their case, both in the conversations that began it and in the book to follow. They value the wisdom and humanity and perspective of each contributor. This is a running theme throughout the
Perhaps the biggest issue facing an improved understanding of the other is whether or not the increasing globalization that is self-evident today is even a good thing. Even how we define globalization is difficult to pin down. An economist is likely to define it in economic terms. Others define in political terms as the eroding of sovereign borders. Anthropologists would define it as the eroding of societal differences. And so as the reality of globalization comes into focus, so too do the challenges. To put it simply, globalization is messy (particularly by Western standards). “When the window is opened the fresh air comes in… but so do the bugs.” Some might question whether the benefits of globalization – “the fresh air” – are worth the “bugs”. But whether or not it is a net positive or negative is irrelevant because it is a reality nonetheless. Therefore we must be intentional and careful about exploiting the benefits of this shrinking world and at least attempt to mitigate the pitfalls of it. To complicate matters, the perceived benefits and pitfalls must be carefully gauged by people of different backgrounds and cultures to ensure that we are not unilaterally making those decisions for others. From our relative place of privilege in Canada it is easy to suggest that people and cultures are best left to their own devices, but to those living in the Global South facing abject poverty, conflict, and persecution,