Today’s guest post is by Sam Chan (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), a theologian, preacher, author, evangelist, an medical doctor. He is a public speaker for City Bible Forum. He writes and gives talks from the Bible about life, faith and work. He blogs at drsamchan.com. Follow him on Twitter @drsamchan.
This is my first blog on Jackson’s site. I thought I might raise a question – to which I certainly don’t have the complete answer – but will hopefully explore in future posts.
First, consider the following fictional parable:
Adam was excited finally to be a Youth Pastor with a small church in Southern California. After growing up on a farm and studying in Midwestern America, this would be his first time on the West Coast. He was looking forward to the sunshine, walks along Venice Beach and watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.
At the Youth Group, Adam meets a girl called Jane, who is 15. Jane is Asian-American. Her parents come from Taiwan, but Jane grew up in America. Her father stays in Taiwan to work, while her mother lives with Jane and plays the role of “Asian Tiger Mom.” Jane studies for hours and hours every day. She doesn’t play any sports or go to summer camps. Instead she attends tutoring for her Math. Jane’s ambition is to go to Harvard. And one day, she will become a doctor.
As her Youth Pastor, Adam confronts Jane. He warns her that study has become her “idol.” She needs to repent from this. And she needs to realize that there is more to life than Harvard. And being a doctor may be a worse thing to do because it will make her rich and worldly. In fact, if she’s really serious about following Jesus, she should give up her dreams of being a doctor and be a missionary instead. Or better, become a Youth Pastor!
At the Youth Group, Adam also meets a boy called Jack, who is 15. Jack is a thorough Californian “dude.” Jack wears boardshorts all year round. He doesn’t enjoy high school. Once the end-of-school bell rings, Jack immediately jumps on his bicycle and rides to the beach to go surfing. Jack’s ambition is to leave school when he turns 16, take up a laboring job, so he can surf everyday with his buddies.
As his Youth Pastor, Adam confronts Jack. Adam warns Jack that surfing has become his “idol.” He needs to repent from this. And Jack needs to realize there is more to life than the beach. And dropping out of high school is a terrible thing to do because Jack will be wasting his God-given potential to study. In fact, if Jack is really serious about following Jesus, he should stop surfing and apply himself at school. That way he can get into a college and one day get a decent-paying job. Or better, become a Youth Pastor!
Preaching the Gospel or Culture?
Did Adam give them the Gospel or did he give them his own culture? Can we see what’s happened? Adam has asked Jane to be like Jack and Jack to be like Jane! Worse, Adam is actually asking them to be like himself.
Many Christians are like Adam. They merge their own culture with the Gospel. This is what missionaries call syncretism. In doing so, when they evangelize, they don’t just give the Gospel. They also impose their own culture upon the convert. By doing this, Christians ask people not only to convert to Jesus, but also to convert out of their culture into another culture—usually the Christians’ culture.
Just like Western missionaries long ago forced Africans and Asians to wear Western clothes, Christians today force converts to leave their old culture and join the Christians’ culture.
Our question is this: how can Jane be a Christian and still be an Asian-American? How can Jack be a Christian and still be Californian Surfer Dude? This is the challenge of contextualisation.
Do you have an accent?
When I was an Australian living in the USA, Americans would often say to me, “Oh, I love your Australian accent!” Then they would ask, “Do I have an accent to you?” But, of course they had an accent—an American accent! But more amazingly, they didn’t realize they have an accent—the whole world has an accent except for them!
I also met Americans who told me that they have a neutral accent. A Midwesterner told me that the Midwestern accent is a neutral accent. That’s why they try to find newsreaders with a Midwestern accent rather than a Southern or East Coast accent.
Another time, a Californian told me that the Californian accent is the neutral accent. That’s why movies are made in California, because the Californian accent is neutral to the whole world!
Not only are they saying they have a neutral accent; they’re saying that they have a normative accent. Theirs is the universal accent for the whole world!
Many Christians act the same with their culture. We don’t realize we too have a culture. So, we can’t hear our own “cultural accent.” We cannot taste our own “cultural flavoring.” The way we dress. The Christian songs we sing. Our views on education, work and health.
And so we impose our culture, along with the Gospel, as if it is normative and universal.
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