It’s a catchy title but in reality, a Cultural Critic is not who you are, it’s not your identity but it is a mindset that you can display in a variety of situations. Some display it often and very strongly, others very rarely. However, “Did Peter have a Cultural...

For years I preached "love" the way I was taught to preach it. English only gives us one word for the whole range, so I went looking for hidden compartments in the Greek (agape and phileo) to feel like I was being faithful to the text, and I found commentators to...

There is a moment most of us have witnessed at some point in a church, a ministry gathering, or a leadership meeting. Someone raises a genuine concern, carefully worded and offered in good faith. The response does not engage the concern. Instead, it redirects. "I...

A few weeks ago, I had some discussions with friends about discipleship and the process of helping followers of Jesus become mature in their belief, doctrine, and practice of their faith in Jesus. As we talked a familiar discussion transpired that I have had with...

Phil sits on a wooden chair in his home, surrounded by members of his church small group, as he harshly tells his friend Youil of three years how he needs to behave as a "mature" follower of Jesus. Phil said what everyone was thinking, and it crushed Youil. As Phil...

For many readers, the phrase “fear of the Lord” lands with the wrong emotional weight. It sounds like bracing for punishment, like living on edge before a displeased God. If that is what we hear, Proverbs begins to feel less like an invitation to wisdom and more like...

Context – Approaching God in the Old and the New Testament Musings in CMi and the Bible is a 12-part series on each of the 12 Dimensions of Culture of the Cultural Mapping Inventory (CMi). You can find the overview article here. This is part five on the cultural...

Musings in CMi and the Bible is a 12-part series on each of the 12 Dimensions of Culture of the Cultural Mapping Inventory (CMi). You can find the overview article here. This is part two on the cultural dimension of Relationships. Do you see relationships as...

 Musings in CMi and the Bible is a 12-part series on each of the 12 Dimensions of Culture of the Cultural Mapping Inventory (CMi). You can find the overview article here. This is part nine on the cultural dimension of Planning. Are you more Time-oriented...

People are so important to God that Jesus fulfilled the law on their behalf! Musings in CMi and the Bible is a 12-part series on each of the 12 Dimensions of Culture of the Cultural Mapping Inventory (CMi). You can find the overview article here. This is part eight on...

The first things most people think of about Jesus are his miraculous birth, the miracles He did, or his death and resurrection. And then there are his teachings and… the parables.

Jesus told many parables, stories He used to illustrate a truth or teaching. Sometimes the parable was the teaching.

What would you do if a good friend passed away and you’re attending the funeral? Would you let your tears and emotions flow freely, or would you try to hold it together to give them a “dignified” send-off?

How about when you know your friend will miraculously arise from the dead an hour later? Would you still let your grief flow freely with the others?

Status was a complicated thing in first century Palestine. It was a country occupied by the Romans, with a king who was not a Jew. Many people had status but only in the small group they belonged to. 

All four gospels contain the story of Jesus being anointed by a woman while reclining for a meal. The ones in Matthew, Mark and John take place just before Jesus’ crucifixion and point to the same event, where Mary the sister of Lazarus is anointing Jesus’ feet while He was a guest at Simon the (former) Leper’s house.

The book of Esther is a fascinating book in the Bible. It is the story of an orphaned girl from a subjugated people, who became the king of Persia’s primary wife and saves her people from destruction. If you have time, read it before continuing this article. It’s only 10 chapters long, all storytelling. For extra bonus points, read 1 Samuel 15 as well, as that is where the plot begins.

The whole story breathes a Power/Fear worldview with Honor/Shame mixed in. Yet it is the Communication Dimension we will focus on in this article, contrasting the two heroines, Queen Vashti and Queen Esther.

Working with intercultural couples, we ask this question in the first session of each Thriving Intercultural Marriages Workshop we facilitate. Almost every cohort, one couple has faced objections by their family against the interracial or intercultural nature of their marriage.

OUR Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.

Give US today OUR daily bread.

Culture is like an iceberg and our worldview is the bottom layer of the iceberg and influences everything that sits on top of it. Many times without us being aware of it! A good understanding of your own worldview and what drives you as well as a good understanding of the other person’s worldview and what drives him/her is the starting point and foundation of intercultural understanding and effective intercultural interaction.

In predominant Honor/Shame societies, the focus is on preserving and enhancing one’s honor and the honor of the group one belongs to and on avoiding to bringing shame on the group. Membership of the group can be through historical ties like being born into a tribe, clan, or by choice, e.g. by joining a fraternity, guild or brotherhood. When you bring shame on the group, the group itself will take action against you to restore its honor.

In a predominant Innocence/Guilt society, people are driven by the concepts of right and wrong, rules and laws. One seeks to maintain innocence and a good reputation by aligning with accepted principles and rules: doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. Individual accountability usually has a strong emphasis. Justice, fairness and consistency are important concepts. Right and wrong are generally defined by standards or laws and lawbreakers are dealt with by “judges” and “law enforcement”.