Blog
So, what have you learned?
Author: Jim Thomas
Date: 14.06.2010
Category: Partnership
Translations
What do we learn in cross-cultural relationships? How does our understanding of God’s kingdom expand by spending time with people who see the world differently than we do? I was part of a church-to-church conversation where this question came up.
The conversation was in my living room in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. My family and I were hosting an evening with our church leaders and a team of worship leaders from Mavuno and Mavuno Downtown Churches in Nairobi. They are part of the Nairobi Chapel family of churches with whom my church, the Chapel Hill Bible Church, has had a relationship for two decades. These Kenyan churches also have relationships with other churches across the US and they were on a tour, visiting them and blessing them with their musical worship.
The Kenyans and our leaders church filled our living room and over-flowed into the kitchen area which is all one big room in our house. We talked about recent developments in our churches and prayed for one another. Then our minister for young adults asked the question, “What exactly have we learned from each other in all these years?” The room went quiet for a moment. We were each caught off guard by such a simple but important question. What had we learned?
One of the Americans who had visited Mavuno Downtown went first. He said to the Kenyans, “I have learned about joy from you. You have exuberance in your relationship with God that I wish I had. When you lead me in worship, I am able to put aside the things that had been on my mind and enjoy with abandon the presence of God.”
A Kenyan replied, “We have learned about love of the poor from you. You come to Nairobi and head straight for the slums.” (We are well connected with Beacon of Hope, a ministry among women infected with HIV who live in one of Nairobi’s slums.) He explained that Mavuno is a church of middle-to-upper-class urban Kenyans. The poor in their city are so numerous that they have been conditioned to not see them. But when they host people from our church, they see our passion for showing poor people the love of God, and also witnessing their love of him.
“Your faith is what impresses me,” said an American. “You take risks that I am afraid to take, and you trust God for the details. Perhaps you have exercise faith more often because your daily lives are filled with more challenges. Here in America, our electrical power is always on, clean water always flows from our faucets, and almost everyone who wants a job can get one” (unemployment in Kenya is about four times higher than in the US). “We Americans live in such comfort that we can get lulled into thinking we don’t need God.”
Another Kenyan said, “I see my own country differently through your eyes. I see beauty that I hadn’t recognized before. I used to take the Jacaranda trees for granted. But when you Americans look at them with such wonder, I too see their beauty and God’s handiwork.”
Each of these was an example of how people of one culture had helped people of another culture to overcome blind spots and see more clearly the kingdom of God. By seeing God’s kingdom more clearly, they were led to praise him more strongly and follow him more fully. This is how we grow when Christians of different cultures develop lasting relationships and spend time in each other’s worlds.
Keywords: cross-cultural relationships
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United States
Hey Jim,
As one raised in the West now living in the East, I have daily opportunities to consider this question.
Unfortunately I too often find myself thinking - why in the world do they do that? It is an easy bias that comes from a self-centered bent.
I’ve really been challenged over the years by Ephesians 2 where Paul talks about the truth that the dividing wall has been torn down in Jesus Christ. If Jesus can do that between Jew and Gentile, then He can do it between cultures as well.
From that place of unity and peace (which seems so elusive oftentimes, though) I find that I can better embrace and celebrate the differences and expressions throughout the body of Christ.
As far as tangible lessons for partnership across cultures, we have a saying. Relationship is first. Without relationship, there will not be lubricants of grace and mercy that cover over inevitable miscommunications and misunderstandings.
It’s obvious from your living room snap shot that you practice relationship well.
30.08.2010
Nigeria
Thanks Jim for this blog that is obviously on the positive. Its encouraging to read that there’s something to learn from Africa and evrywhere else. Thanks so much. I’ve learnt and I’m learning oyur sacrifice. In the most we seem to think that to give we must have a surplus but relating with Westerners, i am learning the opposite. I was greatly humbled to learn that a couple sold their only house and moved into another part of the town and bought a cheaper house and gave the balance to build a Church in Africa. We may not have houses that cost that much but we have cattle, sheep and land. Yes, we are learning to sacrifice and what is more, we see God blessing our feeble efforts.
18.06.2010
Kenya
Hi Jim, and thanks for your ongoing posting of conversations.
Amongst the things I have learned from inter-cultural interaction in the church context, is the importance of learning to use other people’s languages. Doing such enables the beginning of a deeper grasp of what is going on in a ’foreign’ Christian context.
The rest would take a book to explain I guess!
16.06.2010
Argentina
Thank you very much, Jim. Oscar Muriu from Nairobi Chapel says: "We have to work on better communication, on face-to-face relationships. This relationship kills email" . Yes, we must understand the biblical faith based in the being, that is in the relational aspect, the incarnation of the model. The beauty of the incarnation is that Christ Jesus being in very nature God willingly made himself nothing to be with us. First of all we belong to trinitarian community hence we are trinitarian christians. We should question ourselves about how can we reflect on this and to put into practice the love between us. First comes the relationship. To relate to one another in an authentic way. This requires honesty, truth, vulnerability, submission, encouragement, and work.
What do we learn in cross-cultural relationships? We learned have to know our weaknesses. When we are weak then we are strong. The strongest testimony, has not come from a perfect and strong church. What amazes the world is a weak and faithful church. The association, the partnership, the collaboration, the strategic alliances can work when every church, agency, or institution recognizes it’s own weaknesses. Each one is not just a donor but someone that also receives, it’s not only what we can give but also what we can receive.
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16.06.2010
United States
@ MisionGloCal1Scott:
Thank you, Carlos, for your insights and exhortations. Your comments are right in line with Henri Nouwen’s insights in his book "The Wounded Healer." That book is key in my mentoring of rising leaders. We minister most powerfully to each other from our redeemed weaknesses.
16.06.2010
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