Us and Them

Us and them. At least since Babel, humans have been able to differentiate on the basis of differences. THEY are not like US…however we define that.

Perhaps that’s why one of the most deeply rooted reactions that cultural anthropologists note is the fear or distrust of “outsiders”. Throughout the world, people seem hard-wired to reject, fear, or even attack those who are “not us”. Social psychologists have noted that in addition to assuming negative facts about outsiders, humans worldwide tend to reinforce negative stereotypes of “others” on minimal facts. (Think Archie Bunker.) This isn’t just the domain of “racists” – the research shows it’s our default reaction as humans. We all have the potential to be Archie Bunker. It’s called sin.

In this light, the Biblical commands to love and actively seek the good of the “foreigner” – placing the outsider in the same category with widows and orphans in many passages – can be seen as a corrective to our sin nature. We have to be guided toward loving them.

One of the best tools that we have, in conjunction with the empowering of the Holy Spirit, is knowledge. The more we know about a group, the less “other” they become. When we actually come to know someone from a group, “they” begin to be less “them” - a faceless conglomeration. They take on flesh and blood. We begin to see our co-worker or friend in the faces of others from that group.

Much of the church in the West is still in the process of embracing multiculturalism. We’re scared of the word. It’s understandable that this will be a process – in 1945, 99.5% of the world was under colonial rule. By 1969, 99.5% of the world was free from colonial rule. We’ve only been really dealing with this issue for a couple of generations.

One of the best things we can do is learn to ask questions about our own culture and worldview. What are the elements in our culture that seem strange to outsiders? Why do we believe what we do? Where do we get the idea that silverware is better than chopsticks? What are the benefits of a family-oriented culture over an individual-oriented one like ours? And so on.
Within the church, we will see benefits if we do these hard things. Christianity is accepted by more people when it is freed from political power. So if we can separate what is cultural versus what is Biblical, we take a big step toward freeing Christianity from being perceived as “Western”. We then take a huge step toward seeing people – and cultures – on equal footing with ours: All in need of grace. All with some attributes to be embraced, some to be rejected, and many to be redeemed.

This is called incarnational ministry. The Incarnation was the translation of Word to flesh. Our Bible, unlike the Qur’an, is translatable. Likewise, our faith is translatable into different cultures. Jesus established the model Himself: At places He adapted to culture; at other places He broke mores.

“The Incarnation was not and is not primarily a doctrine. It was and it is an event. It was a life lived, and it is a life to be lived.”