Living cross-culturally can be exciting, interesting, humbling, eye-opening, fun aaaaand completely and utterly frustrating. We have some situations going on right now that are stirring up the later feelings…
I have learned over the past five years of living here, that my perspective on MANY things needed changing. It has been a humbling and freeing experience that has caused me to let go of many things I thought I knew about life, ministry, the church, family, friendship, serving, leadership - just to name a few areas – and forced me to really seek God and His word for answers. I needed to get (and still do at times) the American-culture mind-set out so that I could see what true Kingdom of God culture actually is. I am of course still in process with this. It takes quite a bit of work to deconstruct mind-sets and thought patterns that have been second nature to me for over twenty years. Now don’t get me wrong there are so many things I appreciate about American culture and I am very thankful to be an American citizen with the different rights and privileges I have. But I want the reality of my Kingdom of God citizenship to come way before any citizenship I have here on earth.
I admit that in this journey of deconstructing and reconstructing mind-sets I have always felt a little guilty looking down on different ways of doing things here in Haiti. I figured that most of my disagreements came from a biased, prejudiced, white-American, middle-class way of thinking that I knew was wrong. But now that I can see the motivations of my viewpoints a little more clearly I can honestly say that there are plenty of cultural things in Haiti that are just plain wrong. And there are probably so many people who would shout a huge “DUH!” to that statement, but for me I am ultra-aware of my heart and my motivations for certain thoughts. So yes “duh” but also pure heart motives are good.
I won’t make a list of all the things that are wrong with culture in Haiti, but I am becoming ever more aware of such a list being formed in my mind. And this list is not in comparison with American culture, because American culture (in ALL areas) has its own list of issues. My comparison of culture as a follower of Jesus should only EVER be compared to the culture of heaven. THIS is the main change that has happened in me since living in Haiti. Instead of “well, in America we…” its “well, in God’s Kingdom we…”
God’s Kingdom, the Kingdom of heaven, the world where Jesus is King…. however you want to say it… THAT must be our standard for living. How would God want me to respond in this situation? How would God want the church body to function within a community? How would Jesus treat someone if they were threatening and talking bad about Him? How would Jesus bring justice to this unjust situation? How does God want me to treat this person who is so utterly different than me? How would He celebrate with those who are celebrating and mourn with those who are mourning?
As I look at the (ridiculous) cultural situations lying before us where adults are acting like complete children and there is SO much “he said, she said” kind of talk and note writing and power playing and manipulative scheming, I honestly just want to slap everyone and tell them to stop being idiots. I can see that’s not exactly what Jesus would do, so don’t worry I’m not going to act on those feelings. But honestly there are moments where hope for change seems so very, very far within some situations and some individuals. But I am choosing to cling to the hope of heaven on earth and I choose to do my part in walking out my life in such a way that would bring God’s kingdom to earth (which definitely doesn’t include physical violence or name-calling).
My continual prayer is that I would see every situation, every person through the lens of heaven. I also pray for wisdom… we want and desperately need all the heavenly wisdom our minds can contain! Praise God we have full access to all the wisdom and all the thoughts of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16)!
Oh God help us let go of every cultural thing that is not in Your Kingdom. Help us be Kingdom culture bringers in whatever situations we have going on. It’s not easy, but it will be worth it. So, so worth it.