Electric Ethos

Culture is Not the Enemy[1]

We often forget that the church itself is a culture and a product of church culture over the centuries. So if culture is the enemy then we have become our own worst enemy. Pastors are often afraid of political fallout when it comes to change in the church culture and then there is the group inside the church that is fighting for all its worth to protect an idea or philosophy of culture. Often, they consider their idea to be sacred only to find out that under the surface they are fighting or holding onto ideas that are less than 50 years old. “The combination of cultures (speaking of the Church) that resist change and managers (Pastors and people) who have not been taught how to create (Positive) change is lethal.”[2] Pastors will need to lead with passion and conviction if the Church is to impact the postmodern community today.

While the church itself is a culture, the best thing that Christ followers can do is to live in the culture and culture is made up of people. Culture is always social and connected to human achievement[3] both present and past. So, if we want to connect with people we have to relate well with them and to their achievements, and if we want to do this we cannot treat people or their achievements like they are the enemy. I understand that most people feel at least a small amount of tension between Christ and culture. However I believe that Jesus Christ is the Transformer of Culture[4] and we need to be on the inside of culture loving people where they are. When we love people where they are and love them for who they are it gives room for Christ to transform them at His pace from the inside, from places no man or woman can see.

            So, where did Jesus gather His closest followers from? Jesus, “[…] chose His apprentices from the culture[…]The apprentices He chose were people who lived in the culture. And how does Jesus change culture? “Jesus changes the culture without participating in the sins of the culture.”[5] One of Jesus’ main tools in His cultural “relational intelligence tool belt” was powerful true to life stories that bonded with the people of His day. Rephrased, Jesus spoke the “heart language”[6] of the people He was reaching out to.

            Hudson Taylor[7] lived as an example of a heart language communicating as the founder of China Inland Mission in the 1800’s.  Taylor learned the language of the Chinese people, changed his dress, grew his hair out long and challenged his entire missionary team to do the same. Missionaries who traveled to China before Taylor were looked at as white savages who would corrupt the Chinese culture; these missionaries often lost their lives because they tried to change China from the outside in. I think that the Church today can learn from Taylor’s example of living out the mission of Jesus in the framework of culture. Many churches miss Taylor’s example but the churches that connect with the idea that culture is not the enemy have a VIBE about them. And this VIBE is a sign of a relationally intelligent church that has addressed many of its internal and external blind spots.

[2] Kotter, James P. Leading Change. Boston, Harvard Buisness School Press, 1996. pg 29

[3] Niebuhr, H. Richard. Christ and Culture. New York: Harper One, 2001 pg 28,29

[4] Ibid., Chapter 5

[5] Davis, Wes. Jesus Apprentice: What it Means to Follow Jesus. Silverdale WA Independent, 2005. pg 72

[6] Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism, Making Disciples of Oral Learners, Bangalore India, 2004

[7] Benge, Janet & Jeff, Hudson Taylor, Christian Heroes. YWAM Publishing, Seattle, 1998