“Culture is both our palace and our prison…Thus our unique “personal culture” and shared “ethnic or national culture,” used as our guiding compass for life, work, and relationships, fails utterly when taken beyond the context in which it was created and refined. Culture becomes a “prison” to us when we insist on employing its structure, order, meanings, and values to all our life experiences. Although that tendency is not so damaging to those who live their entire lives in one locality, for those who venture into the world of mission, and who seek to partner with others in the global body of Christ [also locally], such behavior [can] lead to disaster in relationships and practice in ministry…One of the distortions that we as human beings bring to social relationships is that of making our familiar structure the only structure that God can use to accomplish his purpose…By denying the validity of other structures, we force people to submit to our standards and structures of…Default culture is the culture people learn from their parents and peers from birth, with all the inherent strengths and weaknesses of their society.” (Lingenfelter, Leading Cross-Culturally, 2008)

Colossians 3

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Reflection:

There are so many things, both good and bad, that have defined who we are, especially from our background and upbringing.  All these things woven together are like a piece of clothing that we have worn over time, and perhaps it is pretty comfortable and familiar.  In overt and also subtle ways, these things inevitably affect and influence the way we behave and the way we relate to one another.  But by the grace and power of Jesus Christ, we have been made new creations and this changes everything.  We are now marked as “chosen”, “holy”, and “dearly loved” by our loving Father in heaven who calls us to be like Him in our thoughts and attitudes.  The Spirit’s renewing work in us overrides all old structures, including the way we are to approach our relationships.  With our identity now in Christ, the foundation of how we relate to one another is rooted in the rich forgiveness and compassion we received in Him.  Who Christ is and how He is toward us is now to clothe who we are so that we bear His compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Response:

Are there old structures and identity markers that we find ourselves clinging to or defaulting to at times which negatively impacts the way we relate to our brothers and sisters in Christ?  May God open our eyes to see that what we thought was familiar and comfortable pales in comparison to what He says is true and how He invites us to live in wonderful unity and fellowship with one another.  Let’s not be afraid to embrace all that is made possible in Christ and to live out the calling as God’s chosen people together.  In response, let’s come before our loving Father and surrender the ways that we know are only hindering us from experiencing deeper fellowship.  As we receive and are filled with the Lord’s forgiveness again, let’s pray for the Lord to clothe us with his compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience in our interactions with one another.