Called by the Heart
- tonytangebirah
- Feb 1
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 2
At the Social Mission Mass organised by Caritas Singapore and CHARIS on 17 January, celebrated by Cardinal William Goh, one message rang out with clarity and conviction: mission is not about appearances, titles, efficiency, or visible success — but about the condition of our hearts.
Many people quietly disqualify themselves from mission. I’m too old. Too young. Too busy. Not skilled enough. Too comfortable.
Cardinal Goh addressed these doubts directly through Scripture.
When Israel sought its first king, Saul was chosen because he looked the part — tall, handsome, a head above the rest. Yet history tells us this was a tragic mistake.
Saul’s heart was proud and self-serving.
When Saul was rejected, God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king.
One by one, the strong and impressive sons were presented — and rejected. Finally came David: the youngest, overlooked, short in stature, and unimpressive by human standards.
Samuel hesitated. But God corrected him with a truth that cuts through every age and every excuse: the Lord does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart.
This truth has echoed again and again in my own mission journeys.
Mission Is Not for the “Most Talented”
On one of our missions, a volunteer confided on the first day that she felt inadequate.
She had no medical skills, no teaching background, and no experience working with the poor.
What she did have was a listening ear.
Over the week, she spent hours sitting quietly with the elderly and children — holding hands, listening to stories, offering presence.
On the final day, one elder said through tears, “No one ever sits with them like this.”
She didn’t change policies or build infrastructure. But she touched hearts. And in mission, that is never a small thing.
Cardinal Goh reminded us that it is not those with the most skills or talents who make good missioners, but those with the right heart.
This challenges a culture — even within the Church — that sometimes prizes efficiency, credentials, and outward success over humility, prayer, and love.
Beyond Legalism, Toward the Spirit
In his homily, Cardinal Goh also warned against becoming overly concerned with externals: reputation, honour, recognition, and rigid legalism — much like the scribes and Pharisees.
Rules and accountability matter, but when we become so focused on procedures that we no longer have time to pray, to listen, or to love, we lose the very spirit of mission work.
I have seen this tension on the ground.
In refugee work, in disaster response, and in serving marginalised communities, situations are rarely neat.
People can be demanding, impatient, angry, or deeply traumatised.
Volunteers can misunderstand one another.
We all bring our own eccentricities and imperfections into the mission.
It is precisely in the messiness of human encounter that conversion happens — not just for those we serve, but for us as well, because as Cardinal Goh reminded us, we are all imperfect: mission is not a gathering of flawless people serving broken ones, but broken people walking together toward healing.
Touching Lives, Not Just Completing Projects
One line from Cardinal Goh struck me deeply: “If not, your zeal becomes very corporate — like getting a project completed rather than touching hearts.”
On a mission with refugees in Indonesia, we delivered supplies, coordinated programmes, and met our objectives.
But the moment that stayed with me was not in the reports.
It was a late-night conversation with a young refugee who had lost hope after years of waiting. He didn’t need another programme.
He needed to be seen, heard, and treated as a person with dignity.
Mission is not ultimately about outputs. It is about presence. It is about entering into the lives of people, understanding where they are coming from, and allowing compassion to shape our response.
A Church That Walks With the Suffering
In her speech, Ms Josephine Koh, Chairman of CHARIS, shared that member organisations undertook around 15 overseas missions in the past year alone. These missions reflect a Church that continues to be present, attentive, and responsive to the realities of our brothers and sisters in the region.
Yet, as she rightly pointed out, numbers are not the point.
We live in a world that often feels engulfed by chaos. Humanitarian crises persist. Natural disasters strike without warning. Conflicts displace families and strip people of dignity. Floods in Vietnam, landslides in North Sumatra, earthquakes in Myanmar, cyclones in Sri Lanka, typhoons in the Philippines, and border tensions in our region remind us how fragile life is.
So the question remains: how do we continue to be pilgrims of hope?
Ms Koh offered a profound answer: by remaining faithful to why we serve. It is a privilege to be entrusted with this work — to witness how love, solidarity, and hope take shape through service.
It is especially meaningful that this year has been declared a special Jubilee Year honouring St Francis of Assisi. St Francis reminds us that authentic Christian charity is lived humbly, joyfully, and with a sincere longing for peace.
As St John of the Cross wrote, “In the twilight of our lives, we are judged by love alone.”
Mission as Healing and Conversion
Cardinal Goh reminded us that while we serve the poor, our mission goes deeper still.
Jesus came not only for the physically sick, but for the spiritually wounded — and that includes all of us.
Among those we serve, and even among those who serve alongside us, there are hearts in need of healing, reconciliation, and hope.
Many collaborators who join our missions are not perfect Catholics. Some are non Christians.
Yet, through shared service, through witnessing Christ’s love and mercy lived out concretely, hearts are opened.
People encounter Jesus not first through words, but through love in action — and lives are quietly transformed.
At the end of the day, our task is not only to save bodies.
Our task is to bring people to Jesus and to help save souls.
When someone comes to know Christ through the works we do and the people we serve, then we know we have truly been apostles and disciples of the Lord.
An Invitation to Walk Together
Mission work is not easy. It demands patience, compassion, humility, and perseverance.
It will stretch our comfort and expose our weaknesses.
But when we serve with the right heart, mission becomes a place of grace — where both those who serve and those who are served become better versions of themselves.
As we prepare for our upcoming missions, I warmly invite you to consider joining us — not because you feel ready or qualified, but because you are willing to love, to listen, and to be present — and we welcome partners, collaborators and volunteers who may be interested to support us in bringing God’s Love to those we serve and in return, Grace to ourselves.
If you feel inclined, please like, share or comment, connect and follow me at https://lnkd.in/g7abtTas
I love hearing your thoughts.
Stay tuned to find out about our next mission or humanitarian project.🔔 https://www.gebirah.org/mission-trips
Please click on the Forthcoming Missions for more information:
Timor Leste – 7 to 11 Aug 26
Ashiya, Japan – 25 to 30 Sep 26
Tamil Nadu, India – 9 to 13 Oct 26
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