05 April 2024
This book was written for western minds. Naturally, it is structured the way westerners think. The mere presence of practical application is a uniquely western concern. This is often noted by non-western Christians. We like systems, lists, steps in sequence. We struggle to process gestalt thinking that isn't concrete.
In the end, one cannot simply learn cross cultural awareness that way. Aside from direct experience with other cultures, there's almost no way a book, or even face to face teaching, can open the non-western world to us. The best we can do is learn our own culture well enough to be aware that differences do exist. (That's how I learned it myself, digging deep into the meaning of Western Civilization first.)
Think about the Magi seeking the Messiah. Do you know that they sought the Messiah because of Zoroastrian assumptions? They were expecting three messiahs; Jesus would be just one. Do you understand that this religious background permitted reading the stars, because they assumed the stars knew things humans didn't? And yet, the Hebrews were forbidden to do that. Did God actually send that star for them to read? We assume it was three men, but wealthy travelers in such a small number would have been robbed before they ever got close to Bethlehem. No, they traveled with an armed escort, and it was very tricky, since they came from the Parthian Empire, which was not at peace with Rome. It was even trickier since King Herod began his career leading Roman soldiers against the Parthian Empire.
We assume their visit was a good thing, but it nearly got Jesus killed, and it did get a bunch of other little boys His age killed. The birth of the Messiah brought slaughter to innocents.
It's easy to jump back and forth too far. We walk through life thinking God has planned every minute step. I personally recall when I was rather young praying about which computer operating system I should study. But when I realized how silly that was, it would have been too easy to swing too far in the other direction and act like God didn't care what I chose, as long as it seemed honorable. It's not all-or-nothing. It requires sensitivity; you must develop the ability to know in your heart when something matters to Him and when it doesn't.
I've lost count of how many times something I chose was smart or not so smart in human terms, and nothing more, but learning to live with the consequences was what God cared about far more.
So, you need to know when stocking up on something is righteous, and when to learn from the lilies of the field. Learn that making mistakes is part of the process, that human outcomes are not nearly as important as how you relate to the Father. The authors mention our passion for efficiency, our a priori assumption that if something is more efficient, it is automatically the righteous answer. That's why most Christians reject all the subtle differences between angels, demons, seraphim, cherubim, elohim, etc. Ask any evangelical; it's just demons, angels and God.
Don't be like Procrustes, chopping or stretching things to fit your preconceived notions. We need to study the Bible with others, especially people outside our background. If you check with the average mainstream American church, Philippians 4:13 means God has promised to provide you the newest iPhone.
We need other cultural viewpoints.
Comments
Dan D.
"...especially people outside our background." I can wholeheartedly second this from recent personal experience. If you want to learn the value of forgiveness or atonement, study with someone who has been to prison.
This was a very useful series and your continual observations about the folly of so many Western thinking patterns makes notable dents in my brainpan. For which I am grateful, thank you.
Dan
PS: I hope you chose CP/M
CatRez
Dan, I dithered between Linux and FreeBSD.
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