United in differences

Peoples perception is a dangerous thing at times. Buying into others perception is even more dangerous. Add culture on top of this with an awareness of history…  Perception in cross cultural sense is at time hard so I am learning. 

In this country I am taken back at times by what it seems to mean to be a religious. Religious seems to come with ‘perks’, benefits that for those from western / European churches like myself, are at times norms for everyone not for religious. For example, communion under both kinds, Eucharist minister, going near the altar to name a few.  Sometimes the ‘perks’ are some idealistic notion that is formed on a possible ‘wishful thinking’. Like religious more holy than everyone else, sitting in the front pew is somehow more prayerful than the pew the people sit in the middle of the church. Don’t even mention the habit!! 

I’m taken back by the message that is repeatedly heard, which educated Vietnamese faithful convey. On the one hand, religious freedom has expanded in the last four decades, progress has been made. On the other hand, the people believe many government officials still misunderstand religion and the positive role it can play in society, resulting instead to subscribing to outdated fears and prejudices about the right to freely practice one’s faith. For the people this fear is passed on, looking a lot different yet effects their behaviour. Fear of the gov. is created, now some of these fears are justified as we often have heard stories of land taken from congregations by government officials,  International religious sent out of the country with the congregation banded from been allow to be here. The power of oral story telling is still the way today for news to be filtered down the country, ensuring those on the margins hear the word. 

Religion is so closely related to the history of Vietnam and most importantly the culture also. The earliest established religions in Vietnam were Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism (called the ‘triple religion’ or tam giáo. These religions have been coexisting in the country for centuries and mixed well with the Vietnamese tradition of ancestor worship. Catholicism is built upon this foundation, which makes for a place of unconscious tension between ‘origin’, tradition, rituals, norms and perceptions. 

You know that saying - put yourself in the shoes’ of someone else’ Can we really do this… 

Can we truly ever take a cultural perspective? 

There are times in community when Im so highly aware of my inability to understand where the other person is coming from. Understand reaction, communication (verbal and non verbal) are so different from my own experiences in the world, yet Im always drawn back to the text in Romans (12:1-8) 

For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. (4-5) 

This biblical mandate reminds me that we all belong to each other, and unpacking what this truly means has so many woven threads that at times create darkness in the weaving opposed to letting the light shine in as I run my hand over the weaves. 

The text draws me to reflect on what it means to love my neighbour as myself. 

To open my heart for dialogue about what it might look like to walk around in someone else’s shoes. 

Last night I sat at the dinner table, feeling the reality that we must all feel at some point, that the differences are aplenty, with more to come in each of our lives. But all of us are connected. The Lords unique call on our lives, bring us together, our creators image reflecting across the table. I would like to say our differences unite us, yet at the moment I’m sure we all feel a little uncertain of this as we learn to adjust, to be unified by this understanding of what its like to live in a different culture than where you were raised, foreign land, foreign city. Reality is though Our differences unity us. 

I am left with the sense that thinking about and experiencing the world around me in a certain way - one that is influenced by own personal history and cultural heritage. Being able to consider the cultural perspective of others during intercultural encounters can help reduce conflict and misunderstandings. Its a critical component of cultural competence. The key to taking a cross cultural perspective is having a framework that can help break open the appreciate of the other person’s point of view. 

Sometimes in the moment all I can do is remind myself that its okay, differences are to be embraced after all we are part of a wider Family that are united together in sisterhood / brotherhood. 

Christ does this, as a Body. He unifies us in sometimes the strangest, most unexpected ways, and with the most unexpected people. He builds up His people as a community for our own sake fellowship, encouragement and for His glory on Earth and in Heaven.