Mission possible! Toward a new perception of mission

“Mission” is a concept with a thick history and many meanings. In such circumstances, it is inappropriate to either negate or glorify the conflicts which have arisen among these meanings. While many Europeans now hesitate to use the terms “mission” or “Jesus Christ”, people in the so-called former mission countries do not necessarily share this preference, and live and work positively with such terms on a daily basis. While it is important to take seriously the negative impact of missions, and to reach an understanding of their “dark side” within our evaluation of the past, it is also important to underline, and not diminish, positive aspects.