Читать книгу Peoples on the Move - Anthony F. Casey - Страница 8

Introduction

I went to college 600 miles northwest of my Ohio hometown. I loved snow and cold, both of which Wisconsin had in abundance. I knew I would have to adjust to the temperature, but I never thought I would be confronted with a different culture. I soon assumed the nickname “Ohio Man,” though people often asked if I was from Texas because of my “Southern” accent. My first memory of confusion came on my very first night at college. My roommate and I decided to explore the town and as we were driving around, he mentioned he needed to find a time machine. I found this statement perplexing—had I unwittingly been matched with a Back to the Future junkie? Not wanting to appear ignorant, I said nothing and went along. After making several rounds, I again heard the statement, “Surely there is a time machine around here somewhere!”

I was beginning to rethink my housing arrangement when he exclaimed, “Ah ha, there it is.” I eagerly looked up, wondering what he was talking about. And there it was. A TYME machine (Take Your Money Everywhere), an interbank ATM network in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I had a good laugh and explained to my roommate how I thought he was crazy, driving around looking for a time machine. I quickly found out I had much to learn if I wanted to be a local and shed the moniker Ohio Man.

Most people understand the need to learn their way around their community. Where are the schools, the grocery stores, the churches? But, in my experience training church planters and missionaries in North America, Christians get suspicious when I talk about the need for cultural research. “Isn’t that social science stuff unnecessary? I’ll just love people and preach the Bible.” Little do they know, cultural research and adaptation are themes that run throughout the entirety of Scripture.

The Pattern of Jesus

Jesus is the supreme example of one who learned deeply the cultural context in which he ministered. The incarnation at its core is a model of immersion and identification with humanity. Jesus left his heavenly home, where he had been lacking nothing. He took on flesh, language, and culture of a specific region of the world (John 1). He dressed as the Jews dressed. He spoke with a Galilean accent, which was distinct to his hometown. Jesus did what Jews did—he grew up in a locally recognized family structure, apprenticing into the profession of his father, as was common. He regularly went to the synagogue, as his friends would have. He took part in the local festivals and feast days. In many ways, Jesus lived so regular a life that people were shocked when confronted with his true identity. “‘Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?’ they asked. Is this not the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?” (Matt 13: 54–55). Before Jesus began his public ministry, he was fully immersed in the local culture, where he truly knew the people.

Furthermore, Jesus identified with his people in their humanity and temptation (Heb 2:10–18). He suffered when tempted and is able to help those who are being tempted. He can sympathize with our weaknesses (Heb 4:15). Jesus understood what it was like to live as a first-century poor Jewish man, and this understanding aided his ministry. I remember living in Malaysia, making a Malaysian wage teaching in a local college. One day a Malaysian very familiar with Westerners told me I was the first American she had known that wasn’t rich. The first that really needed Malaysians to get by in life. The one that lived as Malaysians lived. In some sense, I had sacrificed and maybe even suffered a bit to live at a lower standard than that to which I was accustomed, but that statement helped me see that I could identify with the failing local currency and many of the economic problems my local friends faced. And this identification helped my ministry.

Jesus, in this same passage from Hebrews, is called our brother (Heb 2:11). The metaphor of family is a powerful one throughout the New Testament. Christians are called children of God, sons and daughters, fellow heirs. There is a closeness and a genuineness that comes from these relationships. This is the depth we strive for in our ministry. My family became very close with a Malaysian family; we were adopted you might say. The husband and wife had both studied at a US university and had known the love of an American family who served as their adopted host family. This Malaysian couple wanted to extend the same love toward my family—to the point that they let us see who their family really was. They invited us to their home for a Christmas dinner but warned me that some of their extended family were not Christians and things might get a little uncomfortable at times. Tongue in cheek, I was told that Americans aren’t the only people who have that drunk uncle that likes to get loud at family events. I was struck by their vulnerability as they did not try to hide who they were. We were truly treated as family.

Jesus showed us what it must be like if we are to truly immerse ourselves in another culture. The incarnation is our model for ministry. Yet, we must remember that Jesus incarnated as we never can. He was the 200 percent God-man, fully God and fully man (Phil 2:5–8). We can never fully enculturate as Jesus did. He lived in the culture, but was without sin. Jesus incarnated as Savior. We only point to him; we cannot save anyone ourselves. Yet, to be accepted as a local, to speak the language, to be called brother or sister as Jesus was must be our goal.

The Life of Joseph

God allowed Joseph to experience severe hardships, but did so for the good of the kingdom (Gen 50:20). Joseph was betrayed by his own family and sold into slavery, yet he ended up in the house of Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh and captain of the guard (Gen 37:36). Rather than sulk in bitterness, Joseph went to work learning the ways of the Egyptians. The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered in what he did. Because he understood local customs and did his job well, he found favor in the sight of his master and was promoted to a position of influence (Gen 39:1–6). Joseph spoke the local language and knew how to lead according to local customs. He even took an Egyptian name—Zaphenath-paneah (Gen 41:45). Joseph had adjusted so well that he continued to gain influence until he was placed over the whole of Egypt and given the Pharaoh’s signet ring, signifying the ability to make decisions in the name of the Pharaoh himself. Interestingly, Pharaoh noticed Joseph’s faith and said, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” (Gen 41:38).

Things did not always go well for Joseph, but we find in him a model for full involvement in a foreign land and people. Joseph did not retreat or isolate himself from local life. He fully learned the ways of the Egyptians, yet never compromised his faith, to the point that the pharaoh clearly saw Joseph’s faith in God as the reason he was successful. Joseph served Egypt, an enemy of his people, for the good of the kingdom and God’s name and fame were magnified as a result. I know an American who lived in Indonesia and ran a scuba-diving tourist company. This man is a Christian and had been having a hard time connecting with the locals, who were Muslims. One day, as happens all too often, an overloaded ferry capsized and many people died and much property lay at the bottom of the channel. This American Christian volunteered his diving services to the local government and offered to retrieve bodies and recover as much property as he could. The government was so thankful that they no longer hindered his ministry and allowed him full access to any resources he needed. This man, and Joseph, show us that when we fully engage local life and use our God-given gifts, God is glorified and we have a more effective ministry.

The Life of Moses

Moses grew up in a powerful Egyptian household, presumably speaking their language and receiving a local Egyptian education (Acts 7:20–22). As with Joseph, Moses rose to a place of power and influence among a people who were traditional enemies of God’s people. Moses could have lived a life of comfort and ease, but he never used his status as an Egyptian for personal gain. While fully immersed in Egyptian culture, Moses never lost his Hebrew identity. Moses confronted the injustices of the culture, though not in the most ideal manner. The Bible tells us that Moses “went out to his people and looked on their burdens” (Exod 2:11). He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of “his own people,” and took action.

Moses benefitted from a good education, knew the local language and customs, but retained his Hebrew identity. He lived among the people but still made an attempt to sort out the sinful components of the culture, such as Egyptian privilege over the Hebrews.

The Spies Check Out the Land

God’s people were about to make a big move, and the Lord thought it wise to give them an idea of what they were getting into. God told Moses to “send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel” (Num 13:1–2). Moses wanted to know what the land was like, what the people were like who already lived there, and what kind of crops might grow best (Num 13:17–20). The spies went on a forty-day mission trip, so to speak, did their research, and brought back the report. The land was fruitful and fertile, but there were challenges. They saw large fortified cities and strong peoples (Num 13:25–29). Essentially, the researchers brought back a description of the peoples, and where and how they lived. They produced an ethnography.

It was important to God and to Moses that Israel know something of the land and peoples they were going to encounter. In this manner, they could best prepare to enter the land successfully. While we no longer engage in physical warfare for the kingdom, we do engage in spiritual warfare. It is naïve to cross cultures without first understanding something of the people. Just as the spies in Numbers discovered, so too can we identify bridges to aid our ministry and barriers which must be addressed for the gospel to go forward. Many mission and ministry teams undertake some kind of prayer walking or exploratory trip prior to full engagement of a new community. Such trips help the missionaries learn the best place to live and conduct ministry. Before moving to Kuala Lumpur, I spent time on Google Maps understanding the city layout, train network, and other infrastructure. I consulted with local people on the ground. I ended up deciding to live on a train line that connected both the seminary at which I taught part-time and the university at which I taught full-time. I triangulated housing through an online apartment finder with neighborhoods within walking distance of the train line, moving away from the city center until I found an area that suited my needs and in which I could afford to live.

The Life of Daniel

Daniel was captured by the enemy and raised in Babylon. Yet, as with those before him, he saw his lot in life as an opportunity to serve God. He worked hard and became skilled in learning, literature, and the local wisdom (Dan 1:17). He excelled in culture learning to the point that his abilities were recognized and he was asked to teach Chaldean literature and language in the king’s palace. He did so well that he was promoted to a place of influence and authority. In many respects, Daniel lived as a Babylonian, speaking their language and working in their governmental system. Daniel lived incarnationally, except when it required him to transgress the law of God. Daniel refused to defile himself with the king’s food, yet in an extraordinary act of compassion for the local servants in order to keep them out of trouble, made sure he would not lose too much weight or change in appearance as to draw the king’s notice (Dan 1:6–16).

Daniel worked in a pagan king’s palace, but lived openly acknowledging his God. He did not try to hide his faith, but did his job well and sought to bless those around him. The king took notice of Daniel’s faith and his God and exclaimed, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries” (Dan 2:47). Daniel’s faith was tested, none more so than in the lion’s den, but God was faithful and Daniel became a great witness among the people.

Daniel models one who learned the local language and customs well, used his gifts to serve the people, and lived openly, acknowledging his God. One of my roommates from college moved to China a few years ago for ministry. He worked hard at the local language, as he was on a student visa for language school. While in China, he did the two things he was good at—working with wood and running. In an amazing act of providence, God used these very two gifts to enable my friend to get a long-term visa and start a strong ministry. He began entering mountain running events and won. Before long, he was a bit of a local celebrity. Here was a white foreigner who could speak the local language and run fast. He was on magazine covers, had news interviews, and became a sponsored athlete from Solomon sports. He used his fame and skills to start a local running club and now has a wonderful platform from which to minister.

One day, he walked in a local wood shop and asked if he could use the equipment. Not knowing what to say to this brash foreigner, the guys said yes. My friend began making high quality furniture and even teaching the locals. Before long, a local university heard of this foreigner who could speak the language and make great woodwork. Long story short, they hired him to teach woodworking at the university, bought him more than $100,000 in equipment, and gave a long-term visa. Both my friend and Daniel are the fruit of those who work hard at excelling in a craft in order to become fully immersed in the culture and using their place of influence for the kingdom.

The Message of Jeremiah

In the midst of the book of Jeremiah is a letter to the Israelite exiles in Babylon. God’s people had failed to honor God with their lives and as a result of continually turning their backs on God they were exiled. In a sense, the exile was meant to be a punishment for their sin. God had handed them over to their enemies. Yet, as if a paradox, God asks his people to live in Babylon as if it was their home. He tells them to build houses and plant gardens. To marry and multiply. And amazingly, to seek the welfare of and pray for the city where he had sent them into exile, for in its welfare they would find their welfare (Jer 29:1–9).

God wanted his people to have an anti-isolationist mentality. It would be easy to see the exile as a period of God’s abandonment, like a stint in prison that must be endured. Yet, God sees so much more. He wants his people to strive to be a blessing to their captives, even though they are enemies of God. No matter the length of the exile, God wants his people to take a long-term perspective and live fully in the culture. The letter demonstrates what true incarnational living can look like.

One of my friends models this engagement. He had worked with Nepali refugees for years and eventually decided to move into a neighborhood where many Nepali families had bought houses. Now, rather than having to drive for thirty minutes to do ministry, he simply has to open his front door and look across the street. Others in a similar situation have fully engaged their neighborhood. They seek its welfare by mowing lawns, painting fences, and fixing porches. They go to community meetings and speak up about injustices. They volunteer and tutor in local schools. They start and equip others to start local businesses to keep money in the neighborhood. And they share the hope of the gospel in a hurting community. Two of them were robbed while painting a mural on the side of an abandoned building. The incident resulted in them being interviewed on the local news. Why would these people endure such hardships? They were able to answer in front of thousands of viewers, “Because we love God and we love our neighbor. We are committed to this neighborhood because it’s our neighborhood. We believe the gospel renews all things and we want to see people follow Jesus and engage their community.” Jeremiah and these Christians seek to live incarnationally for the sake of the kingdom.

The Life of the Apostle Paul

Paul is perhaps the classic biblical example of one who engaged in cultural research for more effective ministry. However, Paul’s approach went far beyond simply walking around Athens until he found the statue of the unknown god. Paul knew the importance of understanding his target people’s worldview—the lens through which they understood reality and answered the biggest questions of life such as who is God, where did humanity come from, what is wrong with the world, how is it fixed, what is the afterlife, etc. In Acts 13 we see that Paul understood the Jewish worldview and he used a specific strategy to evangelize them by making his case from Old Testament history. He knew the Jewish people had a basic biblical understanding of God, humanity, and the OT sacrificial system so he built on what they already knew and bridged to Jesus. Just a chapter later, we find Paul in a different context, that of a thoroughly pagan worldview. Here, people confused Paul with Hermes and attempted to worship him as a god! Paul appealed not to Old Testament Jewish history, but to God as creator in order to present the gospel in an understandable way to this pagan audience. He pointed out that people needed to turn from their vain worship of idols to the living God, who made them (Acts 14:14–15). In both instances, Paul understood the cultural context in which he was working and used an appropriate evangelistic strategy.

Later, Paul spent time walking around the city of Athens in order to better understand what people believed and how they lived. It did not take long for him to realize that the city was full of idols to every sort of god, even to unnamed and unknown gods (Acts 17:16, 23). He then bridges off his observations to tailor his evangelistic appeal to the specific context in which the people lived. Paul contextualizes the gospel but does not change the substance of his message—repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. Biblical contextualization is simply communicating the gospel in a way that is biblically faithful yet culturally understandable. In order to be culturally understandable, one must know something of what the culture believes.

Paul took incarnational ministry very seriously. He sought to live like those to whom he ministered so as to not present any unnecessary barrier to their hearing of the gospel message. Paul gave up his rights to live more naturally among the people (1 Cor 9:19–23). Furthermore, Paul sometimes worked a regular job alongside those he was reaching (1 Thess 2:9–10). This approach helps the minister know fully the trials regular people go through as they make a living. In some contexts, working a regular job can alleviate some of the suspicion people have of foreigners, especially of missionaries. Working with the people can bring added credibility and respect and give tremendous insight into life in that culture.

My main platform in Malaysia was teaching anthropology at a Malaysian university. I worked with colleagues and had students who were Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Daoist, atheist, and Christian. It was natural for me to tell people on the train and in my neighborhood that I was a local professor. My job made it natural to ask people about their own culture and faith. People were not suspicious of me because they understood why I was there. I was paid in the local currency, which was not doing well. I had to work the same long hours as other Malaysians. I made one-third of the salary I would have made in the United States, and as a result could not afford a car or to travel extensively. However, I had something more important—credibility and the respect of non-Christians around me. People looked to where I found my hope as the currency devalued. People asked what I did over the holidays when I could not afford to leave town. While not always the ideal situation, working a job alongside those to whom I ministered proved to be a great vehicle for effective ministry.

Paul did not advocate “tent-making” or bivocational ministry over support-based ministry but used either as the need arose. Whatever his job, Paul sought to learn about the communities and worldviews of those to whom he ministered. He lived incarnationally and contextualized the gospel in order to be biblically faithful and culturally understandable. When necessary, Paul appealed to his status as a Roman citizen. Other times, he gave up the rights of a Roman and an Apostle. Similarly, we may be in situations where appealing to American citizenship is helpful. But, like Paul, we need Holy Spirit guidance to discern the best path. Paul is our model as he submitted to the authority of Scripture and sought to become all things to all men so that he might win some for the sake of the gospel. He was a learner and a lover of people and God blessed his approach.

The 150 Percent Missionary

We have seen many examples in Scripture where the people of God made a great effort to learn the local culture and language in order to serve God faithfully. As missionaries and cross-cultural workers, we enter cultures very different from our own. We learn all we can about the local culture, but like Daniel, we place limits on how far we go to live as the people. This approach is what Sherwood Lingenfelter calls becoming the 150 percent missionary.9 The idea flows from the model of Jesus being the 200 percent person—fully man and fully God (Phil 2:5–8). He was born and grew up in a local culture (Luke 2:46). He was fully recognizable as a local Jewish man. Yet, he was without sin. He was fully God.

Similarly, we are all born into a culture and one-hundred percent fully acquire that culture growing up. We know by heart the language, customs, family systems, food preferences, and cultural roles common to our area. We like grits, or clams, or lutefisk, or fried chicken. We say y’all or you’se guys. This process is called enculturation and it happens naturally and almost subconsciously. Our culture forms our worldview and shapes our values. We know what it means to be on time, late, or early. We are familiar with our expressions of church.

Then one day, in response to God’s prompting, we attempt to minister in a different cultural context. In order to simply communicate we must begin making changes, learning a new language and a new culture. However, it is impossible to fully give up who we were. At the same time, we can never fully take on all aspects of the new culture. We must adjust, giving up some of our old ways and taking on some of the new ways. We become bicultural, a 150 percent person with maybe 75 percent of our old culture and 75 percent of our new culture. This process of cultural acquisition and learning in order to have a more effective ministry is where the rest of this book goes. Such learning does not always come naturally, and certainly comes at times with great frustration and difficulty. But it is possible for those who make the effort. As we have seen, taking incarnational living and cultural learning seriously is not something we have the luxury of avoiding. If we truly want to follow the biblical pattern, we will, like Paul, seek to learn all we can about the people to whom we minister so that we might win as many as we can for the sake of the gospel.

9. Lingenfelter, Ministering Cross-Culturally, 24.