Christian American Culture

“Christianity is the most multicultural faith in the world,” (class notes) So why, when we come into another country to minister to people do we tell them to lose their culture because “our” culture is the only true way to be a christian? As if our culture is superior and their salvation relies on if they dress like us or build houses like us. However, this is not just a problem between country to country, this can be found between races, gender, age, social or economical status, or anything else that can be used as a base for an “us” and a “them.” Jesus, the one we strive to be more like every day, did not discriminate against anyone. In fact he came down from heaven to become human so that he could be closer to us, to have physical presence …show more content…
There are four main parts of the CQ spectrum; knowledge, interpretive, perseverance, and behavioral. Knowledge is generally the easiest and is often confused with being a well rounded person. Take short mission trips for example, before leaving you will probably learn a little bit about the country as a whole. Maybe a few trivial facts you can spout out when someones ask about your upcoming trip. You may even learn the language before you leave. However ,there is so much more than just knowing about a culture before you can build a redemptive community. This often leads to a welcoming but not hospital community. Knowing about people will make them feel special in the moment but after a while if you make know effort to know them as a people group they will not feel at home. Just as in class, we could know facts about a classmate but until we have sat down and talked with them about their dreams, fears, and history we do not know them. We can not have a meaningful or redemptive community with acquaintances. “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.” (quote …show more content…
At first it is fun being with someone so different from you, but when you start discussing with one another you may find you have very different views that neither wants to budge on. This close mindedness does not make for a welcoming community. We should always go into settings being mentally prepared that they are not exactly like ourselves. We may share a lot in common with someone yet still have very different views. Being willing to listen to someones different opinion or way of doing things may be stressful and tiring but showing that you care enough to listen will bring a culture closer together. When things get tough, are you willing to push on to find a resolution that will lead to community? The last part of the CQ spectrum is behavioral CQ. This is knowing what to do when. Some gestures in america, such as the thumbs up, is a positive and friendly gesture but in other countries it means “up yours.” There is also situations such as if you travel to a country in China, you know they bow to one another but when do you do this? How long? Is it every time you see someone? Behavioral CQ often saves you from many awkward or unintentionally offense