Welcome, Friends!
The broad topic of culture, and how ones’ culture impacts our worldview and our interaction with others, is fascinating to me. My name is Sarah Nieto. I am a minister’s wife, married for 20+ years to a godly man originally from Venezuela, mother of a beautiful 17-year-old daughter, and I currently work in family engagement at a beautifully diverse, community-oriented elementary school in Nashville, TN.
Please join me as we study the impact of culture on our lives and the church together!
What is Culture?
Webster’s dictionary speaks to the complexity that encompasses the definition of “culture,” in that it lists no fewer than four facets as part of the first entry:
1a: the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group also: the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time
b: the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization
c: the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic
d: the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations
See what I mean?!
As we study the impact of culture throughout the remainder of this post, keep in mind that culture can encompass a variety of facets of the human experience, not just ethnic background. In addition to ethnicity, culture may create communities of common religious beliefs, education, socio-economic standing, disability/ability, and so on. It is also interesting to remember that God didn’t create cultures in the Beginning. God created humans, and humans developed cultures as time marched on. This fact is helpful as we seek to place the appropriate level of importance on culture nowadays.
Ethnocentricity
Ethnocentricity connotes our tendency to view the world through the lens of the culture in which we were raised. Did you know that millions of people outside of the English-speaking world have not heard of The Beatles, Hollywood, Shakespeare, or Walmart? Our gut reaction may be to wonder if they have lived under a rock their whole lives, when in reality, it would be more enriching to recognize that there are so many people, places and things in the world that we have yet to be exposed to as well. You may have experienced ethnocentric feelings and felt confused by your immediate reaction toward someone you hadn’t had the chance to get to know. It is validating to recognize that ethnocentricity is not intrinsically right or wrong. The key is to become aware of your tendencies, especially in a global society that is becoming more and more culturally integrated. Rather than assuming that the way I grew up doing things or how things are done in my country is the “right” way, or the standard by which all other humans should measure themselves, I need to take the time to ask why someone from a background different from my own does things the way that they do. Remember that the language we use to describe our journey of redefining culture is very telling. Strive to choose words that are inclusive, descriptive, and welcoming, rather than those that may be construed as presumptuous or exclusive.
An Example
I remember my college mission trip leader giving our group some pointers before taking off for our destination of Venezuela for the first time, many years ago. She asked us to remember to close car doors gently as we got in and out of taxis and church members’ personal vehicles. You see, Venezuelans tend to take excellent care of their cars, and many prefer to close their car doors more softly than North Americans are used to. I nodded, “Sure,” and didn’t give it too much more thought. It wasn’t until I was actually riding in a car in Venezuela that the impact of her advice hit home. From personal experience, you don’t really realize it until you have slammed the car door shut and your newfound Venezuelan friends look at you with shock and dismay! I’m just kidding, they were very kind and understanding while sighing deeply and thinking, “Oh dear…”! Similarly, when our family from Venezuela comes to visit us in the States, we have had to remind them to please use a bit more force when closing the car doors here, because they tend to shut them so gently and slowly that they don’t latch close and the “door is open” alert stays on.
Why is the closing of car doors even relevant to the conversation of ethnocentricity and culture? Sure, it’s a seemingly trivial example of a cultural difference between Venezuela and the United States. But without some preemptive background and relationship building, here’s what can happen: When an American inadvertently slams the door of a Venezuelan’s car as she is getting out and turns to wave goodbye, the Venezuelan may be puzzled or even offended as to why this visitor is disrespecting her personal property, and possibly causing damage to it. Conversely, when a Venezuelan exits the vehicle of an American as she drops her off in front of a building on a high-traffic street, and doesn’t completely shut the car door behind her, the American might feel inconvenienced because she’ll have to find a place to pull over and shut the car door herself.
Without mitigation, these sorts of situations can lead to misunderstandings and the development of stereotypes. Rather than assuming that all Venezuelans aren’t familiar with riding in vehicles, don’t have enough strength to shut a car door, or are purposely trying to annoy Americans, let’s assume that they are functioning as responsible citizens in the context of their knowledge and background. Rather than assuming that all Americans are disrespectful of others’ personal property or that they think they are all-powerful and can do whatever they want, let’s assume that they too are behaving in a way that is responsible based on their lived experience. In so doing, we are challenging our own ethnocentricities and creating opportunities to learn and grow. Choosing to make positive assumptions to counteract ethnocentricity is crucial – More on this later!
The Impact of Implicit Bias on Worldview and Biblical Interpretation
I currently work for an educational entity. One of the professional trainings our staff has delved into recently centers on the concept of implicit bias. Implicit bias, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, is “a bias or prejudice that is present but not consciously held or recognized.” In other words, implicit bias involves thoughts or attitudes inherent in a person’s psyche that may be projected on others without the person even being aware he or she had these biases. Dependent on many factors, such as our family of origin’s attitudes, media influence, attained level of education, and many others, humans tend to make snap assumptions about groups of people in other cultures. Implicit bias is natural and to a certain extent unavoidable, but the mark of a person seeking cultural openness is to become aware of your own implicit bias and take steps to mitigate your assumptions. We must adopt a willingness to learn from others, and not rashly assume that my point of view is the only correct one. Your point of view may very well be correct within the context of your own world view. However, we would be wise to acknowledge that other points of view are also valid given other worldviews. In fact, one skill I’ve been striving to improve is exercising “positive assumptions.” Making positive assumptions simply means assuming that the person I’m observing is speaking and acting according to the best he or she knows how. It means that I’m not immediately questioning his or her intentions, regardless of how the actions or speech are being perceived by me. It means taking the time and energy to make every interaction I have with others a learning opportunity and a moment to communicate that I am willing to broaden the scope of my own understanding. It means that I am interested in building relationships with “ALL humans.”
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations (all “people groups,” note added), baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19, 20 NASB)
Becoming aware of your own ethnocentric tendencies and challenging them allows you to forge true relationships with individuals who are members of different cultures than yours. This takes time. Be patient with yourself and give yourself grace. Pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit in the moments you find yourselves at a loss for words. A genuine smile is worth a thousand words! Leave your assumptions at the door as you seek to understand and to be understood. Realize that we have so much in common with every human we meet, even if at face value it appears that our differences are pronounced. Seek to identify the lowest common denominator that transcends culture, age, language, religion and education such as love for their family, interest in a common hobby, or supporting a certain charity. Latch on to the simple commonalities you identify and springboard from there.
Real World Example
As I mentioned before, I work at a culturally and socio-economically diverse elementary school in the greater Nashville area. Image this: Our staff is made up of 120 amazingly qualified individuals from more than 10 countries and numerous American subcultures. Our 800 students represent almost 20 home languages, and a large percentage of their parents are not English speakers. More than 40 outside organizations partner with our school to supplement our goals of supporting our teachers, students and families academically and through tangible items and parent workshops. At a glance, you may think that coordinating and communicating effectively with all these stakeholders is a daunting task. You are right! Here’s what we do to get the job done: 1.) Identify what we have in common. In this case, our commonality rests upon the fact that we all genuinely love these students and want to give them everything within our reach so that they have happy and productive lives, now and in the future. I doubt that any teacher, parent, community partner or child could disagree with that. 2.) In order to carry out any event or goal, we then pool our resources (human capital and tangible items) and engage as many people as possible to help. If classmates, friends, neighbors, and colleagues feel they are needed, the sense of a shared community is strengthened. Trust me, we do hear a lot of ideas and feedback, and it can be a challenge to responsibly synthesize all of it. However, our school’s message is clearly communicated and those who are involved are assured that such-and-such event was presented to the best of our ability for the common good of those who were reached.
Biblical Example
Now think about the Bible story of the children coming to see Jesus from Mark 10:13-16. As we read this glimpse into Jesus’ everyday encounters with people, we observe a stark contrast between the mindset of the disciples, the children’s parents and of Jesus Himself. On one hand, we see the loyal disciples looking out for Jesus’ well-being and showing their concern over what they perceived to be Him becoming overwhelmed by a large group of preschoolers (Sunday School teachers, we’ve all been there, right?). On the other hand, we can imagine the children’s parents recognizing that this may be their one and only chance to have their babies blessed by the Messiah. They probably didn’t even think about the ruckus their kiddos would make as they rushed in to find a seat at Jesus’ feet. Then, of course, we see Jesus Himself, our all-knowing Savior, who took the opportunity to show us by example that we should choose knowing Him over our own personal comfort. It’s not that the disciples were wrong, and that the children’s parents were right; it’s more about assessing the situation with love, seeking to understand others’ points of view, and identifying what needs to happen for the “greater good” outcome.
Redefining Culture from a Christian Perspective
One reason a careful study of how we approach our interactions with people from other ethnic, socio-economic, religious, etc. cultures is so crucial is that our core-belief worldview dictates our lived experiences, our lifestyle, and the relationships that we are open to creating. It can make or break the perception the world has of the Lord’s church. We can be part of sharing God’s love and Biblical teachings in a way that is appealing to a wide variety of people. We do this not by changing the Gospel or relaxing commandments at will, but rather by seeking to find commonalities with others, then connecting those base-line human needs to a Biblical truth, whether preached or by example. By strengthening relationships with new friends and exercising an openness to honor and validate their ways of doing things, we are inviting them to also open up to hearing the Good News and to become a part of God’s family. By first viewing new acquaintances as humans, not only as their ethnicity, home language, disability, etc., we also encourage them to do the same unto us. I am a member of an ethnic majority in the country I currently call home, but my husband and daughter are not. When we travel to Latin America, I immediately become a member of a minority group to a much greater degree and am always so relieved when I’m invited to help in the kitchen at a church potluck or welcomed to have coffee at a friends’ home. Let’s face it, sisters – No matter what cultural background we’re from, we probably can all chop some veggies or enjoy a cup of coffee or tea! We can start there and build from that as time goes on.
Based on what we’ve just covered, I want to pose three questions for you to think through and answer through prayer and Bible study. I’m leaving the questions open-ended because I honestly don’t have all the answers. Take your time and realize that redefining culture is a journey!
• What are the pros and cons of removing one’s home culture from Biblical interpretation? Is that even entirely possible?
• If you had to drill down to the most basic, undeniable Biblical truths that transcend any culture, what would they be? Focus on sharing and living these with your newfound friends!
• Brainstorm with your family or ministry team to create a plan to teach the Gospel in a doctrinally-sound, yet culturally inclusive manner. (Remember that culture is so much more than skin color or ethnicity!) Be sure to invite members of cultures not currently represented in your family or team for their input. Making sure all voices have a place to be heard is very powerful. Be sure to give everyone’s feedback equal weight and remember that leadership representation needs to mirror the audience for more genuine buy-in!
Conclusion and Charge to the Reader
Sisters, I realize this has been a lengthy blog post and I commend you for sticking with me until the end! The truth of the matter is that the topic of Christianity and Culture is a heartfelt passion of mine, and one I continuously seek to deepen my understanding. Here are a few more talking points that I would like to leave you with, for self-contemplation or for discussion with your family or ministry team:
• What are some of your own implicit biases, generally speaking? Remember, implicit bias is common to humans and the important thing is to identify them in order to build relationships and not break them down before they start.
• How might your own (all encompassing) cultural background influence your view of Biblical interpretation? Why is this relevant to recognize?
• Select one absolute truth from the Bible and consider how to exercise this truth as you engage with individuals from varied backgrounds different from your own. What can you learn from this and how did it make you feel?
In conclusion, the study of culture and why people do what they do is a never-ending journey, but one well-worth the time and effort to join because in so doing, we build enriching relationships that will transcend eternity!