Dear Editor,
All cross-cultural missionaries know that the gospel is best presented, and new Christians taught how to apply the Scriptures in their lives, in the heart language of the hearers. Every culture has non-Christian aspects which influence the thought bank of each individual Christian and must be corrected by the gospel. In Britain, ‘all religions lead to God’ and ‘Christianity is unscientific’ are examples. (When were these last confronted in a sermon in your church?)
No-one can effectively preach to people from many different cultures. For example, few English Christians or ministers know how to apply the Scriptures with examples from family life or church or missionary history, to the Asian problems of ‘face’, or ‘honour your parents’ versus ancestor worship. Preaching into atheist culture is also a specialist skill.
Most people just don’t like the music of other cultures. The songs don’t speak to their heart like those they learnt as new Christians. Is a church that has Jamaican music for the Jamaican congregation, or a church whose members opt for Sankey hymns or American disco-style songs really in need of anti-racist advice and reformation?
‘International’ churches often cater for a bland uni-educated English culture. Those with English as a second language or from a different culture are not well served.
Skin colour is superficial. The gospel deals with the heart and mind.
Yours sincerely,
Carey Harmer
Sheffield
