Torch, Fall 1992

"Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world; red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world." M any of us recall singing that chorus enthusiastically as children. As adults, we give mental assent to the truth of the message, but ways to process that truth may seem vague and elusive. As Christ welcomed people from all walks of life and a variety of cultures, the Jewish leaders of His day were scandalized. In our changing society, however, cultural diversity is becoming more and more a part of our daily life. How we respond to it depends on how well we understand sc1iptural teaching in this area. The church urgently needs to build bridges of cultural understanding by which Christians can reach out and more willingly embrace people from all cultures. While we profess admiration for those missionaries who invest their lives to carry the message of salvation to people in faraway places and strange cultures, do we ourselves sense the need to reach out to those around us who may be different? Are we willing to push beyond our own comfort zones in order to establish bridges with others who live and work in our midst? In response to the question, Who is my neighbor? Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan to show clearly that anyone who reaches out to someone in need understands the command to love your neighbor as yourself. Along the same line, Scripture also gives us principles and instructions for dealing with "strangers" or "aliens." In the Old Testament, strangers were those people who were not Israelites, but who chose to identify with and live among God's people. By extension, it is possible to consider as a stranger anyone who moves into and settles down in our community. Several times in the book of Exodus, the Lord reminds the Israelites to care for widows, orphans, and strangers. The motivation is one of empathy: "And you shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you were also strangers in the land of Egypt" (Exodus 23:9 NASV) . In the New Testament, Jesus broadens the scope of the concept by indicating that our treatment of others is an indication of our love for Him (Matthew 25 :31- 46) . In 1John3:16-18, the true test of our love for God lies in our willingness to meet the needs of others-our actions must bear out what we profess . At heart is the recognition of God's grace freely bestowed to each one of us, regardless of race or nationality. Our cultural identity is part of God's design for us, so we should value individuals from all backgrounds as God has created them. Have you ever been on an extended trip away from home and felt alone and vulnerable because you were unfamiliar with the surroundings and habits of the people? About ten years ago I spent one summer in a study– abroad program in Lisbon, Portugal. I stayed with a family who spoke no English, and the only Americans I knew were the Southwells, Cedarville graduates serving as missionaries in a town a half hour away. For some reason, I could not make any contacts, even among the other students in the program, in order to have some companionship. The study-abroad agreement did not include a meal contract, so I had to eat out twice a day, every day for six weeks . Since Portugal is on the Atlantic coast, the cuisine includes a lot of seafood-unfortunately, I don't really care that much for seafood! Consider the feelings of those strangers with whom you come into contact, particularly those folks from other countries who are now living in our country for a variety of reasons. The feelings of loneliness they experience are probably very similar to those I experienced, and which all of us feel from time to time. A friendly face, empathy, and kindness will minister tremendously. The same is true for others who are not strangers but who belong to another race. The first principle of cross– cultural understanding is to recognize the fact of our common humanity- deep down, we all have desires, fears, and fundamental needs such as significance and belonging. Just as Israel was to demonstrate empathy for strangers based on their shared experience, so we should try to find ways to put ourselves in the other person's position and understand his/her point of view. One easy way to understand another culture is to read something about its history and traditions. Read authors of that particular cultural point of view, rather than second-hand reports or interpretations. Another way is by sitting down with the other person in a comfortable setting and genuinely and respectfully asking about his background experiences and circumstances. By all means, be careful to avoid a condescending or patronizing attitude that would make the other person feel belittled or not taken seriously. Your interest in the other person's culture can create a bridge of understanding because it shows your respect for the other person and his ways. While we certainly recognize that the absolutes of Scripture provide standards for moral conduct in every culture, many of our Torch 13