living in two worlds

With the power China has – and the global attention it receives – maybe it is time to label Europe the ‘Far West’ and the USA the ‘Far East’…Our labels become dated so quickly, don’t they? East and West? Developed and Developing? First World and Third World? Not many are helpful – and too many are embarassingly eurocentric. It is becoming common to speak of the Global North (formerly, the West) and the Global South (Asia-Africa-Latin America) … although this still leaves my homeland of New Zealand as an annoying anomaly?!

Let’s go with Global North and Global South. One of the privileges of my life is to have an identity inextricably entwined with both worlds. It is one of God’s most gracious gifts to me. Born into a Global North heritage, but raised in the Global South and now returning to live there. I love having these two voices in my head. I love having my horizons filled with the contrasts and the paradoxes which these worlds provide (see this post, for an example).

This week I had my SAIACS students read some pages from a Philip Jenkins’ book. It is about reading the Bible in the Global South. Then I asked them a question:

With a library stuffed with Global North scholars telling you how to handle the Bible, what is it that you appreciate most about your own (ie Global South) heritage of reading the Bible?

Silly, silly me. I asked the question 10 minutes before the end of class.
We could have gone all day. But here is what I captured on the whiteboard – in ten minutes.

Whiteboard writing is not my strength and so let me list them again here: A greater respect for sacred writings (ie., no Bibles left on the floor!); a greater zeal for evangelism; a greater willingness to take the Bible as it is; a greater sensitivity to cultural difference; a greater willingness to be different and stand against the flow; a greater expectation that a price is to be paid for being a Christian; a greater appreciation of being closer to the Biblical world; a greater understanding of identity being embedded in the collective and the communal…

As I yo-yo between North and South, I can only agree with them.
It was ten minutes of prophetic profundity.
[NB: Global South readings of the Bible do have their issues too, let me tell you…].

Let me press a bit further
In our latest newsletter, I made this general observation: “The simple, serious, sacrificial spirituality so often seen among SAIACS students stirs us.” Now there are fakes in the Global South, just as there are fakes in the Global North. That is not the point. But still I would make a contrasting general observation about Global North spirituality, particularly among a similar student demographic. It so readily defaults to the opposite: the complex, the shallow, and the self-centered. It does. It just does. It glares back at me.

Let me be a bit more specific
Let’s talk about the pictures of Jesus with which we operate at a conversational level – again, among a younger student population. I hung around Global North students for twenty years. The picture of Jesus? Too easily and too often it was a couple of images. (a) for males – a bit of a mate, but only far better; and for females, kinda like a boyfriend, but only far better. (b) a counsellor-therapist-healer. If you don’t believe me, listen to the songs being sung :).

Here in the Global South, the same pictures are seen (afterall we sing the same songs). But there is one uncommon picture I hear so often. Again and again, this is how Jesus is addressed in prayers. It is said so tenderly, so sincerely. It is very moving – and refreshing. We have friends from NZ here at the moment and they came up with the exact same observation, quite independently (prompting this post). Jesus is referred to as ‘Master’.

Let me tell you – a lot flows on down from understandings of Jesus as mate, boyfriend, counsellor, or master. They take very different trajectories and it doesn’t take long for some to leave the biblical Jesus behind.

Am I being unfair?! Yes, maybe a little.
I am also trying to keep things stark in order to make a point.

The Global North church needs to shed its rescue-mentality, its saviour-complex with the Global South church. Sure, there are many needs here. But there are also people here to whom we need to listen, from whom we need to learn, and with whom we need to join. As we do so we’ll find them to be like the local optometrist adjusting our lens so that we can see the world (and the truth) more clearly. And maybe they’ll extend to us the privilege to do the same for them – but my advice is not to rush towards that expectation.

nice chatting

Paul

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About Me

paul06.16

the art of unpacking

After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.

2 Comments

  1. Tim Bulkeley on November 17, 2014 at 5:57 am

    Unfair? Do you really think so? I'd say you matched the great job your students did.

  2. the art of unpacking on November 20, 2014 at 1:29 pm

    Thanks, Tim.

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