David Stippick's Blog
Seek first. Then Speak. / 07.14.09, 01:23 PM
We just finished a book called Living in Color, by Randy Woodley. Woodley is a Cherokee Indian, who does ministry primarily among Native Americans. I enjoyed much of what he had to say, and enjoyed reading something written from a new perspective. As Irvin said last night at our CityWide, we often times allow ourselves to see the color and cultural issues that the church faces as being in just black and white.
Anyway, the concept I enjoyed most from this book was that of understanding that God has already, or is revealing Himself in other cultures. I know that I, and I think that as the white western church, a lot of times have this image that we are bringing God everywhere.
He relates an old Cherokee story that I won’t try to relate here for fear of butchering it, but it conveys the concept of dying for someone else/others, and resurrection. As I was reading through this part of the book, I was also reading through Exodus, and I was at the point where Moses flees to Midian, and marries the daughter of the priest. I may have my context wrong, but I can’t help but wonder, if they were not Jews (and I assume if they were, they would be in captivity in Egypt…correct me if I’m wrong), how did the encounter God? He had to have revealed himself to them in some way at some time.
It is important for us to remember that even though we have the truth of scripture, God has begun to show truth to EVERY culture/people. It is our job to seek that out, and make those connections. Then, we can begin to show how the truths they have relate to scripture.
We only have a part of the picture. We should never be so arrogant as to think we have the whole thing. We have to find the parts that other people have, and try to make the whole picture.
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Rich Mullins said he believed if you went around the whole world and asked people to tell you their fav scriptures and then underlined them, that by the time you were finished the whole Bible would be underlined. ;) We see so often from our own limited perspective. Good reminders!
By teri / Aug 7, 11:32 AM / #