Incarnational Living?

Help me think through this. Most of you have heard the term "incarnational living" used to refer to those who go and live in the hood to minister the gospel. Some ministries even term their workers "incarnational", if they come from somewhere else, or "indigenous", if they are from the area. But I am not sure that the term "incarnation" is an accurate term for this ministry. Furthermore, it seems to bring some dangerous implications with its use. And what is worse, it probably creates a wrong mindset in those who would consider themselves "incarnational".

I will begin by saying that everyone I have ever met who calls himself (or herself) an "incarnational" minister of the gospel has sacrificed much for the sake of the gospel and has had no ill-intentions in using the phrase. But that said, the term may still be a dangerous one. First, the term "incarnation" refers to a spiritual being taking on flesh. Jesus did that, and no one else has. True, he stooped to take on flesh. But if we minister to the poor, we do not stoop in a "spirit taking on flesh" way. We may need to sacrifice to minister to the poor, but we do not incarnate when we do so.

Second, it seems using this term puts the poor in an awkward position. How are they to relate to the "incarnational" ones? As Spirit filled believers, are the indigenous not just as "incarnational" as those from the outside?

But mostly, it seems that the term runs a huge risk for those who apply it to themselves. There are some qualities of Christ that he called others to take on. And there are others that only he has. Jesus was a teacher, and he called others to be teachers. Jesus was a shepherd... And Jesus was fully God who became fully man (the incarnation), and he did not call anyone else to do that. So by using this term, we may be inadvertently applying a uniquely divine attribute to ourselves. Not intentionally, of course, but not without risk of shaping our thinking.

Please don't hear what I am not saying. We absolutely are called to sacrifice for the sake of our brothers and sisters. We are to defend the cause of the poor and the oppressed. We are to watch out that we don't let money and luxury consume us. And some of us are called to live among the poor, just as Jesus at times did. But I am sure that most "incarnational" Christians will tell you that while they have sacrificed much, they have received and learned even more from their poor neighbors. Then the question becomes, who is really ministering to whom?