The more and more I have been reading for my Religious and Cultural Conflict Transformation class, the more and more I am realizing how "my culture-centric" I am. It is a great thing to realize now as I can adjust to changing that in my little encounters in my community. My neighbors are almost all of different cultures, some people I deal with at work are different cultures, and the lady I bought the engagement ring from was a different culture. Conflict happens because of different expectations - like when the ring was actually going to be done.
This carries over in effectiveness in proclaiming the Gospel. Yet I am not trying to mask my Gospel idea in other cultural garb. Rather, I am trying to present the universal Gospel so that all can understand it in their context. This is very different than what I see even some people in my own organization doing. Here is a technique for the So-and-So culture to understand the Gospel as "we" understand it.
Wait a minute...who's to say we understand it well at all. Probably not.
This idea informs me of the very America-centric Gospel that I hear, and when I look deep down, sort of buy into by comfort. The individualized hope of eternal salvation and stuff like that. I have come to see however, that if I ever get martyred for my culture-centric Gospel, I will be left with no jewel in my crown. Culture does not reward its fallen as culture has no power to resurrect.
If however I am martyred because the essence of the universal Gospel comes through whatever presentation I'm giving, though I doubt I will receive a jewel, I will be raised by the Lord Jesus Christ who commissioned us all to preach the Gospel.
So my question is this...for me and for whoever: If I am to be martyred, am I being martyred for my cultural skew or for Jesus' love that indwells through His Spirit within me?
Permalink
