Seeing God through cultures

For a moment I take breath. It has been a full on week in preparation and new women moving in. Praise the Lord for my organisational skills! Life has taught me though that only so much planning can occur, you have to go with the moment at times. This in some situations can be super exhausting for an introvert like me! 

This morning half the community at work other half on mission, while I take pause from mission and reflect back on the week that has been. There are still little task to be done, yet a sense of slowness in the air. It is rather renewing in sorts. 

The house is a hive of activity, singing floats down the staircase as the laundry is scrubbed and hang out. There is talking and laughing in the kitchen, as food been prepared, stories shared and awareness of bonds been made. Sounds outside of construction with new houses going up around us. A sense of newest in all forms. 

 I lightly close my eyes to listen, truely listen and hear the image of God before me. As the truth is that we all need each other to see the whole image of God. You know!

We have had to confront a few cultural differences, firstly the language between each of us is different. Many dialects that have created a few funny stories going to the market place. A simple task of wanting to buy ‘jandals’ (nz word for sandals) has created a little adventures of sorts. Communication 101 hehe, feel like expressing welcome to living in another country, even though you simply have moved from up north to down south. 

At the dinner table,  you can see a pause in the air as brains turn over words to translate into own language to process. It is almost like one has push the pause button. Feels comedically to watch. 

I feel so often that by coming together we can see a beautiful, divine mosaic of the Lord in all His colours, complexity, and glory. We need people from other ethnicities, cultures, and languages to help us better appreciate, value and understand each and every one of His attributes in full. 

Let's be open to realise that our own cultures have blind spots. I don’t know it all, even though I might think I do at moments. I don’t have God completely figured out, - does anyone? It is only when I apply cultural humility to myself that I can begin to do the hard work of being a learner of other. cultures, learning the new and sometimes uncomfortable ways that others can point to Christ beyond my own feeble and limited imagination. 

Sometimes it is so easy to dismiss minority cultures, I have experienced this time and time again, as so often I am the only kiwi. The cultural strength I have though is quietly working away, awareness of reactions or the forming of my words to address things are at times so kiwi,  speaking directly, openly and to the issue. 

Recently I have noticed there is a tendency to generalise that all Sisters are English and Irish given our congregation was started in England. This take on culture is one of mono-culture and a rather dangerous path to walk down. I don’t doubt institutional living fostered this, encouraged it even, yet we are progressing forward. There is so much richness if the openness for inter-cultural living is present. Not the dominance of that of the culture we live, or that of the extroverts culture, rather an inclusive nature to work together to share, form bond and witness the riches we bring by simply been born and raised in the countries we were. 

We only need to turn on the news, or some of us turn to face our neighbour to witness, hear and see the stories that make you weep. Through these stories, there is a great blessing to grown understanding of God’s love for the immigrant. 

I am learning that no one cultures the entire revelation of God in them. No one culture has the sole correct view of God either. Each culture is like one piece of the puzzle. It’s only when we are united that we can begin to behold the entire picture of God together. 

What empowers me is this great awareness to fight to value each other’s voice and view. Seeing women of other cultures for what they truely are, reflection of the Lord, Creator, Prince of Peace. 

May the truth compel us all to greater learning and greater love.