In 4 1/2 months, I will be on a plane traveling to the other side of the world. A place that I’ve only ever read about or seen on TV shows or movies. A place that seemed like it was so far away that it was a completely different world, only able to be seen through TV. But I’m actually going there! Like, is this real life?
For the past few years, Asia was always on my mind (more specifically India). I always wondered how people lived and what is was like to live in a culture that’s so vibrant with so much history. I’ve wondered what the smells will be like, what the fashion is like, how the food tastes, (I’m sure WAY better than any restaurant here in the U.S.) and so many other thoughts have crossed my mind about what the cultures will be like in the 11 countries I’ll be going to.
But one thing that I have to remember is that culture is influenced by religion. People that are in a certain culture have shared sets of beliefs that influence the way they live, how they act and may guide their moral compass. I mean, look at the different cultures in the U.S. Here in the south, everyone you meet is a Christian. There’s a church on every street corner, and most of the people’s views are very conservative. Whereas you look at the Northwest U.S., they have the highest percentage of atheists and lowest percentage of Christians in the U.S. The views are also considered to be very liberal.
Now let’s look at India’s culture, for example. India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, with some of the most religiously devout societies and people. Their religion is a part of every aspect of life. It touches every corner of the Indian society and has influence over society, politics, economy, military, art and literature. So basically, there will be no Indian culture without religion.
One of the things that I’ve been thinking about is how I don’t want to be in awe of these different cultures that are shaped by religions that are empty. I want to fall in love with the people of these nations because God loves these people. I don’t want the culture of these nations to overshadow the culture that God has created for His kingdom. As his children, we are set apart and are a part of our own culture that is influenced by Christ. By going into these countries, God is trusting me to bring His heavenly culture to these places that are spiritually drowning because they don’t know Him.
I am an ambassador of Christ (2 Cor 5:20). What does it mean to be an ambassador? An ambassador is sent to act as a representative to a foreign country. You see, He is entrusting his sons and daughters to represent God himself so that others can be reconciled to God.. meaning that we are not a part of this world. We are part of the culture (Kingdom of God) that God created and prepared for us before the world began (Matthew 25:34).
The Kingdom of God is a culture that
- offers hope (1 Cor 2:9)
- offers love (Romans 5:8)
- offers joy (John 16:24)
- offers healing (Isaiah 53:5)
- offers confidence (Proverbs 3:26)
- offers restoration ( Psalms 3:3)
- offers endurance (Isaiah 40:31)
- offers supernatural peace (Psalms 37:11)
Jesus is the only one who can make our life worth living. So as I go to these different countries where culture is so heavily influenced by religion, I need to remember that I am bringing a heavenly culture with me so these people can see Christ. As I’m writing this, I can’t help but think of what these people will be like.. what their gifts are, what their personalities are, if they’re athletic, if they’re a good dancer… I pray, even now, that God would move in these people’s lives. That God would make himself known to these people and that they would see that they are cherished by Him. He can offer more in a split second than what any idol can offer in a lifetime.
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#SendAlexToAsia #AlexsAsianInvasion
