Mr. Rogers, Missionaries, and Christmas
Ironically, Fred Rogers didn’t care much for television and watched it even less. Coming of age in the 1960s at the same time as the television set became a ubiquitous permanent fixture in most American households, Fred Rogers, or as many affectionately know him as Mr. Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, realized that television, like it or not, would shape the cultural and even moral landscape of the American people.
He could have avoided television altogether and poured himself into the work of the cloth…after all, he was an ordained Presbyterian minister. But, Fred Rogers had a calling, and that calling was to use an influential social medium–television–in an absolutely counter-cultural fashion.
In missiological terms, you could say that Mr. Rogers was a missionary who understood well how to contextualize his message. Although most other children’s programming of the time was fast-paced, loud, and slap-stick in nature, Mr. Rogers believed that what children actually needed was very different–children needed someone who was predictable, who spoke slowly and calmly about real things, even very hard things. He was a master at using what the American population thought was a felt need–entertainment via television–but using it in such a counter-cultural fashion to meet people’s real needs: simplicity, authenticity, imagination, and acceptance.
At Christmas we remember that Jesus was the very first missionary, making the gargantuan cultural leap from heaven to earth. God’s best medium to proclaim his message of salvation was to become exactly like the very people he had created and desired to save–by becoming human and then proclaiming a counter-cultural kingdom. Although some rejected this kingdom, some were also “amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Mt. 7:29, NIV).
Fred Rogers, why did you develop your career and ministry within a medium you viewed with skepticism and at times dislike?
God, why did you choose a medium-humanity-that had rebelled again and again to get your message across?
Perhaps the answer is because this was the best way to communicate love to a world so desperately in need of it–to meet the deepest need of people’s hearts.
Dear pastor, missionary, and all followers of Jesus, look around. Through what mediums are people defining their identity, their value, their sense of community? How might you partner with God to repurpose these culturally accepted mediums into vessels that can, with authority, proclaim His love and truth?
Check out how a few of our international workers around the globe are using counter-cultural methods to meet felt and ultimately real needs!
B&M in France:” In France, establishing a recreational gym through a non-profit association is common, but unlike most organizations that focus solely on sport or community, ours opens its doors to children with disabilities and is guided by a faith in Jesus that shapes both our mission and our methods.”
B&J in Japan: “Something we noticed right away when we got to Japan is that, while walking around, the Japanese people often look down and stay to themselves. We also noticed that, because we look different, people look up at us. We intentionally decided to take advantage of this. We want to leave an impression of Jesus even on the strangers we pass, so we make eye contact, and smile, and even say hello. This is not very normal in Japan, but we view it as tilling the soil for hopeful future opportunities to plant gospel seeds.”
C&R in the Middle East: “Hospitality and family are very culturally important to the majority cultures here. However, when this value interacts with other aspects of society here, it often becomes everyone deep in their own camps, with closed circles of you being with your group and we will stay with our group. So we are trying to create a space (a community and coffee space) where everyone is welcome and included, and to go a step further to find those marginalized in society and show them there is always a seat at the Father’s table for them, for everyone.”
C&J in Taiwan: “In Taiwan, one social norm that we seek to redeem in a counter-cultural way is the value of ‘saving face.’” The idea of ‘saving face’ often prevents people from showing weakness or admitting failure. In our community, we intentionally do the opposite. I regularly share my own failures and lessons learned, whether from the pulpit or in small groups, to model authenticity and grace. When leaders show vulnerability, it creates an atmosphere where people can be honest about their struggles and find hope in God’s redemptive work.”
In a world of polarized authorities vying for our allegiance, may our surrendered voices carry a Spirit-empowered authority attracting all those in need of a Savior. May we seek God for Spirit-indwelled creativity and intentionality in how we are telling His story of love and hope this Christmas season!
References
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Directed and produced by Morgan Neville. Tremolo Production, 2018. Netflix.
Katy Eisfeld
Director of Connections
Parkside Church, Waconia, MN