Countering our American-Centric Culture

Being American, I naturally see the world with a certain bias. In my last blog, I mentioned that we often let our culture color the lens in which we see the world. Subsequently, we see the world based on our personal experiences and indwelt biases, which can limit our ability to care for others and share the Gospel effectively. I believe that if we want to take the Gospel to every culture, we can’t dilute it with our cultural bias.

So, here is a quick quiz. You might be American-Centric if:

1. You think of Africa as one giant desert (probably thanks to National Geographic).
2. You think that Hurricane Sandy was that last major natural disaster in the world.
3. You think that coffee and doughnuts should be a normal part of the church service.
4. You would feel un-patriotic by calling soccer “football”. You also think Cricket is just the name of a bug.
5. You think that pizza was invented by Americans.
6. You think that the Beatles were an American Band. Or maybe you thought that of the Spice Girls.
7. You have never prayed for a country besides the United States.
8. You think everyone except Americans have an accent. Or you wonder why everyone doesn’t just learn English.
9. You think that Al Jazeera is a bad group from the Middle East.
10. You can name more States in the US than countries in the world.

If you did not pass the test, don’t worry. Here are a few simple steps I believe everyone can take to become less American-Centric and more aware of our world.

1. Read an international news source. There are many out there like BBC and Al Jazeera. None of them are perfect, but they will give you news stories that are outside the US (and certainly not American-Centric). Take the initiative weekly to find out thoroughly what is going on in the world.
2. Make international friends. If you don’t have any friends who are from another country, then find some! Maybe there is an outreach program at your church for internationals or maybe in your community. If not, consider starting one. The United States is an incredible place to meet people from all over the world who come to study, travel, or work.
3. Pray! If you are keeping up with steps 1 and 2, you should have plenty of things to pray for. God is completely aware and deeply concerned with what happens in the world. Find out what God is passionate about and let him burden your heart with the same passions. I recommend visiting Operation World’s website (http://www.operationworld.org/), which is a great resource to find out specific prayer needs for countries around the world.
4. Lastly, go! Spend a few weeks out of the country, on missions trip or just experiencing another culture. Make it a regular habit to get out of the US and experience another way of life. If you are fortunate to make international friends, then you already have a place to stay! If you’re a student, consider studying abroad.

In my next blog, I want to discuss essential questions we should ask ourselves before, during, and after going overseas, to assess if we are being “American-Centric” or Gospel-Centric.

American-Centric

I think many of us have a condition. I know this because I have it myself. It’s just that most people are not aware of it. Don’t worry; it doesn’t require medical treatment. But it is a condition that damages sight, or I should say, affects the way we see the world. Ill call this condition being American-centric. Over the past several years, I have become more aware of this debilitating condition, my inclination to see the world only through American culture.

Ethnocentrism is actually very common. It’s the predisposition to see and judge the world, other cultures, and people through the lens of our own culture. For most people it does not turn into prejudice or racism. But in subtle ways, it causes us to evaluate the world based on what we have seen in our own culture. We all have a picture in our minds of what the world should look like. So we have a pre-conceived perception of reality that comes out in our thoughts, words and actions. However, as Christ-followers, I believe we need to counteract this tendency to see the world only from our own culture.

The problem comes when we try to project our cultural views on others. It may be judging others that don’t look like us. Sometimes, even with good intention, we walk into a situation and think the “outsiders” should be more like us. Maybe we think they need our knowledge, our stature, our material possessions, or maybe our spiritual maturity. Its dangerous because in doing so, we are making value statements based on what we have grown up understanding, and not considering what may be different or appropriate in another culture. We are assuming that our way of life is inherently better.

For example, if we see someone with different clothes, we may think they are “less fortunate”. Or if we see a family without a TV, we think they are “primitive”. Or when we talk to someone who speaks another language or has an accent and we may think they are “less educated”. And if we see people living in huts and walking around with hand-made clothes, our first reaction is often, “if only they could have what I do. If they had a bigger house, a car, driveway, and green yard, they would be happier…”

When it comes to ministry and sharing the Gospel, especially internationally, we have to learn to leave out our cultural bias. When we push our culture onto others, we are burdening the Gospel and weighing it down with excess. We need to keep it simple, like Paul said in I Corinthians 2, “when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified…so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on Gods power”.

In my next few blogs, I would like to address how we can counteract this American-Centric behavior in order to share the Gospel more effectively.

What do you think? Do you find yourself being American-centric (or ethnocentric) at times?

viagra

How CFA has changed my view of ministry: Ministering out of the Local Church

Over the last two years, I have seen incredible life transformation with individuals living with HIV in Kenya. Why? I believe it’s because CFA has empowered local churches to reach people that no one else could. As I work with CARE for AIDS, God is teaching me the importance that He places on using the local church as His avenue to change the world. Even though I grew up going to church, it has not been until the last few years that I have really appreciated how essential the church is for relief and development ministry.

Jesus strategically started the church to shape community and model the Gospel for the world. God wants to use his people and his body (the church). When functioning properly, it is a place where people can learn, grow, worship, live, gain hope, and find God. There is no other place or institution on earth like it!

Based on my experience, this is why I now believe that the local church should be our primary agent for change in ministry, our plan A.

1. Accessible

The local church is physically present in the community. It’s hard to be effective if you are distant and disconnected from the people you are serving. In a globalizing world with instant communication, we have lost the value of physical presence. We hold interviews over the phone, and we do business online. But the local church is right in the middle of the community it serves. It is present physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Therefore, it is uniquely positioned to engage and connect with the community.

2. Available

The church is open to anyone that will come. There are no requirements, prerequisites, or stipulations. It is not a closed circle, but a radically inclusive gathering of believers. In fact, God commands believers to reach every people group in the world!

3. Aware

The local church is aware of the real needs in the community. Because it’s present, it can see and touch the underlying problems of the community. The church also has God-given insight through the Holy Spirit and scriptures about the nature and reality of life, purpose, sin, and struggles. Therefore, it knows and understands how to meet peoples’ true needs.

4. Alive and Active

Businesses, governments, and NGO’s come and go. But God himself lives, leads, and works through the local church. It is alive today like it was 2000 years ago, and it will continue to move and grow until Christ returns. It is the only institution that will eventually reach every culture and people group in the world.

5. Attractive

The church has something the world needs, whether people admit it or not. It has the message of love, hope, and reconciliation with God. Ideally, people should be drawn to it because its’ people are living out the Gospel through grace, truth, and forgiveness. Not only is the local church relevant in every culture, it has the power to dictate and even change culture.

So, why do you think the local church is so important?