Saturday, August 25, 2007
American Culture and Contexualization
Another thing I thought a lot about this summer was contexualization. Contexualization basically means adapting to different contexts. In ministry we use this term to describe how we need to adapt ourselves as well as our approach if we want to communicate the gospel to a context (or culture) different than our own. I noticed as soon as I returned back to the US this summer that this principle is as much necessary in the US as it is in India. Our American church forms and styles would be just as foreign to many young people in America as they are in India!! I talked to someone last week who teaches in public schools and has had whole classrooms of kids who didn't know what a church or a pastor was! And, this is in the rural mid-west... imagine urban cities! This means that already we have a generation of Americans that are not even nominally identified with the Christian "culture" of America. What we need to remember is that our Lord, our Guru, adapted himself to us so that he could communicate his love to us. So, if we want to communicate effectively, we need to start thinking about how to communicate to this new culture in America. We can not expect that they will hear and understand the gospel in the way that we once did. They are not going to show up as a visitor in a Sunday morning church service. So... how are they going to hear??
The Uniqueness of Jesus
One thing that stuck out to me being in India and the one thing that I felt I needed to share with people in the US this last summer, was the unique, matchless, beauty and love of Jesus. I was able to share with a few churches and that was what was always on my heart to share. In a culture where we don't always see many other religious forms, where there may not be more "deities' visible... we don't often think about how truly unique... (down right strange even!) Jesus is. I mean, what kind of god sacrifices HIMSELF for us, rather than asking us to make sacrifices to him?? The Lord of the Universe, full of compassion... who knew we'd never be able to do anything on our own so he came down, became like us and did what we could not. Can you wrap your brain around that??
