An issue of culture

Now, we haven't specified which culture we'd be talking about on this blog. I figured, it'd be our own North American - I mean, what other culture is there, right?

Hmm...I'm afraid you're going to have to let me break away from my own assumption, selfishness, and arrogance (and perhaps yours too). Two weeks from today I'll return to Spain and my immersion in the 'mission world' which is a subculture of the 'christian world'. I'll probably be writing about things outside America's borders, things that won't be as fluent or familiar to me and you. Up for it?

To start, have you seen or heard of Christian video projects such as "The Jesus Film" or "The God Story"? I had before, and always thought, "Oh sure, they're the cheesy films that tell the story of the Gospel. Right, well I've seen them more and more as I've been in mission circles, and I still think they are cheesy. There is a huge jump to films of the same genre we are more familiar with like Mel Gibson's Passion.

Simply put, the Jesus Film and God's story are not hot news for us. We dismiss them, or at best sympathetically watch. Yawn

Reading a recent blog entry by Tod Bolsinger (don't know much about him, I just added his RSS feed to my list), he jolted the pieces together for me: these films are not for us. Did you catch that?

I've met staff working on the God Story (they're based down in LA area), and I wasn't about to tell them what I thought of their film (to tell the absolute truth, I haven't even seen the whole thing, just bits and pieces.) They were an enthusiastic bunch that traveled the world. There was even a connection - the media center where I work in Spain is helping them dub a new translation. This was one of those things in the mission field that because of my "newbie" status, I was keeping my thoughts to myself. Perhaps there was something I wasn't getting...

Turns out I was right. I haven't seen these videos 'in action' in places like Malawi, Africa. There, they become astounding and powerful in their cultural relevance. When 2,000 people turn up to watch a screening, you know you've hit a nerve.

Here's an expert from Tod Bolsinger's entry about the experience:

Then the strangest thing happened: When Jesus appeared on screen the crowd cheered.  When he healed someone, they roared their approval.  When Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, they yelled as if they were part of the original palm waving crowd.  When a Pharisee confronted Jesus, the crowd would boo and shout out their disapproval and when Jesus was arrested they protested.  As I stood on the field with these villagers, I realized that in a very real way, they were hearing the gospel the way it is supposed to be heard—as a story that demands our response. 

Oh man, I feel lame. Have I become so caught up in visual standards of my own culture that I've missed a chance to share Christ? Jesus had only words, stick in the sand, bread and wine, and ultimately the cross, as visuals for those around him. I need to stop looking down my nose, and start encouraging efforts like these. They are making an impact.

As we strive to keep things in perspective, I'm convinced God can use our fluency in fast paced American culture to share the story with our peers. But how can we present it in a way that would provoke a response worthy of what our Malawi friends have shown us? Have we lost track of the story and/or its power? -DM