Things That Happen When Jesus is Everywhere

Anna and I were talking to pastor Dennis in our Marital Counseling and as we talked about the fact that Jesus is everywhere and how because of that we can find truth everywhere, I started to think along the lines of culture.

I started to think of an interesting consequence. Since Jesus is truth and where Jesus is, there is truth, and since Jesus Christ is omnipresent (again, everywhere), that means that truth is in different places at the same time. Then I started think back to my Theological Foundations of Mission class at Westmont with professor Farhadian. I remember studying that truth is also relevant to culture. Sooooo, what happens when (and this DOES happen) two or more Christian people from different cultures are from different areas of the world and these two cultures start talking and living together and then their two Christian truths rooted in their culture are in opposition to each other? Which one "wins"? Does either of the two "win"? How do the two reconcile their opposing truths? Can there be opposing truths? Isn't that illogical?

I mean, let's break it down a little bit. Math is supposed to be universal. But what happens if there is a culture somewhere in the Earth where they were always taught that the symbol used for the number "1' means 10? Therefore, while 1+1=2 to most of the world, 1+1=20 for them. I seem to think that just because the majority thinks one way, that the minority isn't necessarily wrong. I guess that's why I'm usually that rebel in the crowd that doesn't always agree with the crowd ;-)

Anyways, this culturally opposing truths happen all the time in the United States. There are people immigrating constantly and they bring with them opposing lifestyles and cultures. And with those different life views come different views on Christianity and how their faith is lived out.

What I think will eventually happens... and IS happening... is the same thing that happened in biblical times. The Deuteronominc writer of the Pentateuch generation interpreted God in their way and wrote history as they saw and experienced it. However, the Chronicles generation rewrote history as they interpreted because their calling as a new generation and their understanding of God as a new generation was different. So, in much the same way, we as a generation of US born and non-US born people need to recognize that we are a new generation that will interpret God a little differently than our parents did. Hence, non-US culturally-influenced truths and US culturally-influenced truths need to combine. I believe that as we do that, we will get to see more of the image of God on Earth NOW! That's SO EXCITING TO ME!

The "trick" will be in how we handle it. There will be a lot of pain and suffering as we work through it but I believe the key in it all is HUMILITY. And this humility can only come from Christ. Are you up for the challenge of our generation? Are you up to hurt alongside me and come out refine by the fire as we take the torch from the generation before us into out own calling? I hope so, cause I need you.