A Thousand Little Things

This summer our church has been emphasizing ‘A Thousand Little Things’. It’s been a chance to dwell on the many ways Christians can engage the world, offering Kingdom life drip-by-drip. A series of nine videos was used to illustrate. Scripts from those videos can be found here.

Cultural Literacy and Fluency

In our more interconnected world, cultural literacy is a valuable asset. Cultural literacy is an awareness of cultural differences—an awareness that hopefully leads to more understanding, better collaboration, and greater influence. Cultural literacy is essential in areas like healthcare, education, and business.

Since cultural literacy is knowing about other cultures, a person can grow in culturally literacy from outside a culture. But to be fluent in a culture, that person must move inside. Cultural fluency is about becoming part of a culture in such a way that the culture no longer seems foreign or strange. It’s assimilation; adaptation to the deepest levels.

““The measure of Christian discipleship is Kingdom cultural fluency.”

This is a good metaphor for Christian discipleship. When we commit to follow Jesus—to be governed by him—we are transferred from the world’s system into his kingdom. We are adopted into his family. We become participants in a new culture. The measure of Christian discipleship is Kingdom cultural fluency. What is God’s kingdom like? Who am I? How am I supposed to live? How successfully am I living this way? How normal are the ways of the Kingdom becoming to me?

But as Kingdom citizens, we’re also left in the world’s system to represent Kingdom culture here. We’re called ambassadors. And to do that well, we must maintain a cultural literacy of the world’s system. What is the world like? What drives people? What are their (and our) struggles, needs, and passions?

The essential thing for Christians is that we know the difference between literacy and fluency—and that we are firmly convinced of which culture we’re to become fluent and of which one we’re to remain literate.

The Word of God

The word of God is God’s logos¹. We can say it this way: God’s word is ‘what God has to say’. We can find his word in Nature (Psalm 19:1-6, Romans 1:19,20). We find his word in the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16,17). And Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1-18).

“God’s word is ‘what God has to say’.”

Creation reveals what God has to say. The Scriptures reveal what God has to say. Jesus is our clearest revelation of what God has to say.

To encounter Nature, Scripture, and Jesus, is to have the opportunity to encounter ‘what God has to say’.

But this requires humble hearts.

Worshiping Nature misses what God has to say. Twisting Scripture to fit a human agenda defies what God has to say. And studying Jesus without being conformed to his image is a rejection of what God has to say.

When ‘God’s word’ fails to communicate ‘what God has to say’—his intent—it ceases to be God’s word (logos) altogether.

¹ Koine Greek for persuasive 'reason' or 'reasoning'. The same root as the English word 'logic'. The Greek word rhema refers to God's speech. God's rhema conveys his logos.