why cant you understand me?
I have now been back home for a couple of days and things are starting to get back to 'normal'. Coming back from meaningful trips are always hard for a period of time. You have all these great stories, at least great in my mind, and no one really cares. Not that I can caste judgment for this as I do the very same thing. "How was the trip?" which means, tell me it was good and we can move on to other topics, like how much you like my new shoes. But since this is a blog I can write my stories and toss them into the magical world known as the internet.
One of my favorite things about being in a foreign culture is all the interesting situations that arise thanks to the language difference. For example being 'yelled' at for trying to get into a women's only tea house when I speak zero Turkish. However one of the things that makes me sad about being an American is how we think we have the gift of tongues and can speak any given language. If only we speak slow enough and loud enough, any good person will understand us and know that of course we want a FREE refill of soda at the local cafe, even if that is something that country does not do anywhere. Our team and I were guilty of this sin at least a few times and to be honest it is hard not to do when not thinking. It makes sense that American's have developed a reputation of being loud and rude. It is all too often true. But I really think the truth is that we are not trying to be rude, it is just that we have not taken the time to learn another culture or speak a different language.
This then makes me think of the church. The American church seems to often act like a foreign tourist. It has something to say but it does not understand the culture it is in. It has not taken the time to speak the language. Therefore it tries to express the love of Jesus and the need for forgiveness but it comes across as loud, irrelevant and judgmental. It may not really be these things, at least at its core, but it knows no way to express the Truth in any form that can be understood by the 'locals'.
It is time for the church to be a counter culture that has a deep understanding of the culture it exists in and can speak its language. How else can we communicate the hope of the world?
Now, CAN...I...HAVE....A...CHEESE....BURGER.... PLEASE!!! Thank God I know French.
One of my favorite things about being in a foreign culture is all the interesting situations that arise thanks to the language difference. For example being 'yelled' at for trying to get into a women's only tea house when I speak zero Turkish. However one of the things that makes me sad about being an American is how we think we have the gift of tongues and can speak any given language. If only we speak slow enough and loud enough, any good person will understand us and know that of course we want a FREE refill of soda at the local cafe, even if that is something that country does not do anywhere. Our team and I were guilty of this sin at least a few times and to be honest it is hard not to do when not thinking. It makes sense that American's have developed a reputation of being loud and rude. It is all too often true. But I really think the truth is that we are not trying to be rude, it is just that we have not taken the time to learn another culture or speak a different language.
This then makes me think of the church. The American church seems to often act like a foreign tourist. It has something to say but it does not understand the culture it is in. It has not taken the time to speak the language. Therefore it tries to express the love of Jesus and the need for forgiveness but it comes across as loud, irrelevant and judgmental. It may not really be these things, at least at its core, but it knows no way to express the Truth in any form that can be understood by the 'locals'.
It is time for the church to be a counter culture that has a deep understanding of the culture it exists in and can speak its language. How else can we communicate the hope of the world?
Now, CAN...I...HAVE....A...CHEESE....BURGER.... PLEASE!!! Thank God I know French.
posted by Jon at
8:30 AM
4 Comments:
your blog es muy bueno. si, eso es.
ha! and i loved that you got kicked out of a women's only teahouse (though it makes me wonder, where are the women-only teahouses here? geez, this country is so man-centered ...). are you gonna post pictures of the trip?
Come on Jon, "How was your trip" means explain in detail everything you did there, or at least an executive summary and then answers to any questions. So when are we going to actually see a post about it?
About the cheeseburger, you can have one after you finish that marathon in three hours.
I liked your illustration of the church as a tourist. Wow...profound. Thanks man. I had breakfast this week with a pastor from South Africa and we noted the differences. (if only I had that illustration I would have sounded clever.)
I hear you. Free refills...I love America! I guess it balances out the $5 dogs at the ballpark! Dang, whose idea was that?
Jon, it has been three days since the marathon, you must be recovered enough to say something about it by now. At least post something, I need something to read and I'm running out of internet.
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