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Reunited with friends. From Sept 20-22 I was in Arlington, Virgina with some friends from all different nations. We had great conversation about the story which frames the life of people committed to following Christ. It brought me back to one of the more formative classes at Point Loma Nazarene University--Biblical Theology.
There is beauty in hearing a Rwandan brother talk about Jesus and his faith alongside a sister from Burundi and an American sister who lives in Geneva. For me there is nothing quite like sharing questions and stories with people of other cultures. Together we looked at re-framing the Christian story we live from. Is it a story of "Fall, Christ, and Heaven or Hell" or is it more? It is more. It is a story of "Creation, Crisis, Calling, Christ, Church and Consummation". When I define humanity from the point of Creation rather than Fall everything changes! No longer is human life defined only by it's depravity but it's sin is found within the framework of God's good creation. How I treat others who are "good creations" with sin at work in them is different or should be different than how I'd treat one who is only a sinner. How I treat myself as one who is a "good creation" should be different too! Brian McLaren joined us to help lead our discussion. I had a blast and thoroughly enjoyed the rich conversation.
So I hear we North Americans do a lot of "processing" after important experiences. Not all people groups need "processing" time. Thanks Claude for pointing this out. So here is some reflection or "processing" from our weekend together:
When we live in cultures which give us a whole host of stories to live from we need to constantly be at work telling the Story of God. I'm challenged again to see God's story speaking into my beliefs and practices. It is fascinating how Jesus, the same Jesus, can speak through different means and show up in different contexts yet still transform people. Jesus can be so cross-cultural...so why can't we? Culture shapes our innards and does it without our permission. In order to be people who can live faithfully out of this Story of God we must also become people who can read the culture shaping our innards. These innards shape our beliefs and practices. Our innard shapping doesn't always jive with God's story and even causes us to know and live from God's story in mis-informed ways. So being with those who are altogether other than us becomes essential for our relearning God's story. Being with others who believe and practice different from us is essential, I think, for our following Christ. In the face of others we see ourselves as we are. Others reveal our blind spots. It is as if they are a mirror reflecting our own image back onto us. Yet through their lens we see ourselves as we've never seen ourselves before. This is why when people go on mission trips, go away to camp, work with the poor or spend time with people of other faiths, they often come home realizing how much their following Jesus needs to change. Others help us see ourselves so we can evaluate ourselves and our people within God's Story. When we are only around people who are like us, then we will only see the Story of God like we've always seen it.
Just some thoughts. Maybe you see differently and want to be my mirror!
