How do we overcome the noise of ethnic and cultural differences which distort the gospel of Christ for all nations? We overcome the noise when we view multiethnicity as an intentional part of God’s story. The genealogy of Jesus (see Ruth 4: 18-22 & Matthew 1:1-17) invites us not to deny our cultural and ethnic differences, but to bear witness to God’s grace through His faithfulness to reconcile all nations to Himself as the multiethnic family of God (see Matthew 12:48-50; Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:8-9; Psalm 22:27-28; Daniel 7:14; Revelation 7:9). When we learn to listen cross-culturally we learn to value and embrace one another despite the history of “racial scars and division” (Shin, p. 137). It is in our ability to listen faithfully through the pain that we are able to hear God breaking through our barriers as His grace silences the noise that keeps us not only from seeing Him but from hearing each other.
Listening Cross-Culturally
Aired on 820AM The Word on 5/17/2020
May 10, 2020 • Reverend Chipo Johnson
Acting for Justice
May 24, 2020 • Pastor Alex Cui, ECC
The practice of reading the scroll in the synagogue, as Jesus does in this passage, is a normal part of Jewish worship. Any Jewish make past the age of accountability (13) is eligible to read. It would not be uncommon for a visitor, especially an adult returning to his community to be given the honor of reading the scroll, and news of what Jesus had accomplished elsewhere had clearly reached the community (vs 23) heightening the expectations of the listeners. The reaction of the listeners clearly indicates that this was no ordinary event. The core conflict in this text – should God’s favor and blessings be confined to those like us and near us or should they be extended to those unlike us – the foreigner or even the enemy – has strong echoes in the current political discourse regarding immigration, citizenship and even reception of refugees. The anger provoked by Jesus’ response is not unlike that we see splashed across the news today. The widow of Zarephath (I Kings 17) and Naaman, the Syrian general cleansed of leprosy by Elisha (2 Kings 5) were not only foreigners, but historic ethnic enemies of Israel.
Resolving Cultural Conflicts
May 17, 2020 • Pastor George Hindman, UPC
The dispute that arose in the church in Acts 6 was more than an argument about who was served at the tables as the community gathered. In play was a conflict that went back at least four centuries to the time when Alexander the Great conquered the known world (Mediterranean Europe, Asia Minor, Palestine, Egypt and North Africa) spreading Greek language and culture wherever his armies conquered. Many Jews were attracted to the ideas and culture of the Greeks and adopted their patterns of behavior and thought. Citing God’s repeated commands to His chosen people to remain culturally distinct from their neighbors, this battle for culture spilled into the synagogues, the temple and – after Pentecost – the early Church. Where last week’s text highlighted God’s opening of the good news to the Gentiles (non-Jews), the conflict in this text is between Hellenistic (Greek culture adopting) and Hebraic (Jewish traditionalist) Jewish Christians. Before you dismiss the importance of this today, think about the points of disagreement within your church. Chances are, you will find the disagreement is between those who advocate for adhering to Scripture and those who advocate for change to conform with the values of the culture. In a multi-ethnic setting, the divisions may be amplified because of miscommunication due to different cultural norms around power distance.
Redeeming Ethnic Narratives
April 26, 2020 • Pastor Solomon Liu - ECC
The Apostle Paul, in his own words was born into a deeply religious family; he was “of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews”, and he was a career (religious) man. He could have let his ethnicity and cultural background define his identity. In fact, these things had described his entire past before he met Christ. But upon encountering Christ, now his heart cry was knowing Christ. He let his identity be defined by Christ and as a result, he was used by God to touch many lives for His glory. Our background and ethnicity are gifts from God, however, instead of letting God use them as a tool to bless others, they can become a source of pride and a hindrance to the ministry of the Gospel. We must let Christ define our identity, not our culture. We must be Christians first, then our ethnicity. What happens when we get that mixed up?