Does The Christian God Care About Culture?
Saturday, 11 April 2009 17:12 | 
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This is a vital question for our times. My belief is that the Bible has a high regard for cultures and the power it has to shape us. Scripture reveals that God created Adam and Eve, the first human parents through whom all other unique ethnicity's and cultures derive (Genesis 3:20). God helped propel cultural and linguistic diversity for own good (Genesis 11:5-9). But now under the Kingship of Christ the diversity of cultures/races/languages can come together in community or partnership (language comprehension can be a barrier to community) without the fear of spiritual pride, but humble adoration of Jesus as Lord (Acts 2:1-11). The fact that God initially created diversity does not mean that key moral and spiritual truths are relative, rather they are universal and true for all humans, especially when it relates to the essential matters of faith and practice.
But sometimes those primary moral and religious truths can and are expressed differently in each culture. The way a Latino expresses "honor" for their parent may differ then the way an American or Asian person does. Yet both cultures believe that "honoring" their parents is virtues and proper due to God's written law upon their hearts Exodus 20:11-13 Romans 2:13-15.
I think when God deals with human beings, He always contextualizes the revelation of Himself, so that we as human beings can understand Him. The incarnation of Christ ultimately demonstrates this reality. Paul the Apostle had great respect for the cultures he ministered to and even adapted his "methodology" so that the means of communication and trust could be more effective 1 Corinthians 9:19-21 Acts 17.
I think the church historically has struggled with this issue of culture contextualization and has at times transported a colonial type of Christianity to people of differing cultures, customs and languages. This failure can be seen in the American churches inability to reach the next generation of youth, as the statistics show a decline of church participation in mainline traditional churches. This low level of respect for various cultures and sub-cultures, multiplied by our human tendency to be "ethnocentric" or "racist" has compounded the problem of disregard for the Gospel of Christ. The church as an institution has created unnecessary walls between her presence and the culture at large that is so high and irrelevant that people are hardly convinced that Jesus is still ALIVE, and living in His people.
I think when God deals with human beings, He always contextualizes the revelation of Himself, so that we as human beings can understand Him. The incarnation of Christ ultimately demonstrates this reality. Paul the Apostle had great respect for the cultures he ministered to and even adapted his "methodology" so that the means of communication and trust could be more effective 1 Corinthians 9:19-21 Acts 17.
I think the church historically has struggled with this issue of culture contextualization and has at times transported a colonial type of Christianity to people of differing cultures, customs and languages. This failure can be seen in the American churches inability to reach the next generation of youth, as the statistics show a decline of church participation in mainline traditional churches. This low level of respect for various cultures and sub-cultures, multiplied by our human tendency to be "ethnocentric" or "racist" has compounded the problem of disregard for the Gospel of Christ. The church as an institution has created unnecessary walls between her presence and the culture at large that is so high and irrelevant that people are hardly convinced that Jesus is still ALIVE, and living in His people.
Yes, the churches goal is not to be "politically correct", like the false prophets of the Old Testament Matthew 5:11-13. But, in love we should aim to build bridges of trust and communication, so as not to create walls and make the Gospel unpalatable. The Gospel is good news for a sinner searching for God and truth.
The church today, like the apostles of the 1st century needs to take seriously the issue of "Christ in Culture" , "Logos becoming flesh", and how he exemplified and taught Kingdom Principles relating to 1) Missions 2) Discipleship 3) Church Oversight 4) Social Justice 5) Humanitarian Help 6) Community & Contextualization 7) Biblical Interpretation 8) Spiritual Power & Provision 9) Proper Worship 10) Prophetic Social Confrontation & Engagement.
Please read my article on reaching the Hip Hop Generation as I deal with such issues as "contextualization" and "ethnocentrism" more thoroughly (READ ARTICLE).This I believe is an issue of orthodoxy and ORTHOPRAXY for our modern times! Hip Hop culture is not a pop fad teenage movement like many assumed 10 years ago, but a real unreached demographic of youth and adults who live in your neighborhoods. They are ethnically white, latino, black, asian and so on.
This culture has been for a large part ignored by the mainstream American Church (All Churches: Anglo, African, Asian, Latino, etc). The results is that this generation has developed their own aberrant theologies, philosophies and practices without ever really having an opportunity to engage with the relevancy of "Real Christianity". How do I know this? Because I was and am part of this culture. Growing up no one really engaged me from within my culture and cross-culturally. We are the culture that grew up under the tutelage of television, absentee & hostile parents, music and the streets. Now we are adults who don't trust our elders and feel like the world doesn't give a damm about us! We are a culture that desperately needed and still needs the pro-active love, teachings and embrace of JESUS! Unless the church takes our culture and perspectives seriously we will continue to not only shape our own thinking, but one day Hip Hop will shape the world. The question is not when, but what? What type of Hip Hop will become the influencer? Christocentric or Satanic!
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