As I have travelled the world, I have become keenly aware that cultural norms are exactly that…cultural. And you can’t expect manners, gestures, common courtesies, eating habits, or personal hygiene expectations to carry over from one culture to the next.Traditions, rituals, and norms are different everywhere and we don’t realize how much we rely on them until we are stuck feeling out of place and thoroughly confused about what is “right.”
For example…
- In Japan if you put your chop sticks straight up and down in your rice you are wishing death upon the person across from you. And putting any kind of sauce on your rice is never acceptable.
- In Thailand if you point your foot at someone you are cursing them. Consequently, foot stools don’t exist and sitting cross legged on the floor is the norm.
- And in Cambodia the “OK” hand gesture is equivalent to the middle finger.
Culturally, Thailand was one of the most unique places I have visited so far. We lived and worked in a Buddhist school neighboring a brand new Buddhist temple. During our stay there was a huge festival celebrating the grand opening of the temple and we were invited to attend as special guests. In an attempt to honor our host we attended the celebration, and while we were there we covered the place in prayer. We asked God to help the people see a light in us that they had never seen before. We asked that He ignite a deep desire in each and every person attending the celebration to know the Truth and Love of Christ.
In the celebration there were lots of traditions that were foreign to me, but as Christians we have lots of traditions that other religions don’t understand. To non-Christians baptism seems silly and communion looks a lot like canibalism, but for Christians they are beautiful and life giving. For thousands of years humans have sought to understand the meaning of life, and since the beginning of civilization we have used rituals and traditions to express our beliefs and implore assistance from the divine. One Buddhist tradition in particular uses a cotton string hung from the ceiling of the temple in a grid pattern with strings hanging down about every foot. In the celebration, the members of the community sit on the floor and tie the strings around their heads as they recite chants, pray, and meditate. This practice is a ritual act that is believed to secure long life and prosperity. However, the strings did not end there. The string went from the temple and wrapped around every house, field, and business in the small town. It was a huge web of string connecting everything in town to the temple.
It was really astonishing and quite strange from the perspective of a western Christian. The more I thought about it the more thankful I became that our God is bigger than strings and temples. He doesn’t just bless the things tied to the Church. He doesn’t promise long life on earth or monetary wealth, but his blessings are new every morning. He surpassed all understanding and he isn’t bound by traditions or cultural norms. He offers eternal life for the eternal soul present in every person of every race and color. He promises spiritual prosperity through an abundant life filled with overwhelming love.
The love of the Holy Trinity is a “no strings attached” kind of love. A love that doesn’t exist on the conditions of good works, doubtless faith, or sinlessness. You don’t have to love God to be loved by Him. You don’t have to know Jesus to be known by him. And you don’t have to believe in the Holy Spirit for him to call you relentlessly into a relationship with Him.
As I am approaching the final leg of my World Race, I am reminded over and over again that God’s love for me does not depend on my love for Him. This is one of my greatest revelations. The love of the Father is beautiful and it overcomes my lack of beauty. It is pure and it washes away my impurities. It is whole and it mends my brokenness. It is eternal and it calls out to my mortality saying “Be not afraid, I have prepared a place for you in the everlasting Kingdom.”
