God is in culture. It's the tool that He's chosen to communicate Himself by. What's crazy is that
God, is a-cultural (unless you consider HOLY His culture). That's not the crazy part. The fact that
He is absent of culture and yet crosses all cultural lines and is able to relate culturally
appropriate and relative is what's incredible!
He is above culture and yet chooses to work through it. Makes one wonder on the value of
studying one's surrounding when it comes to effectiveness in out reach and service to others of
a different culture; whether it be a ethnic, social, spiritual, different age or class. God can
perfectly relate to everyone, at anytime, and in any place.
There is great value in diversity. I think that's simple to praise and difficult to embrace; for some
impossible. That may be why we're so far behind and slipping by the day, hour, and moment.
Cultural relevance is critical unless we withdraw from the culture altogether - it happens. Xn
school, Xn college, Xn job, Xn fast food, etc. One could literally live among a culture and yet be
absent to it.
This is true not only in spiritual terms but in social ones as well. Consider a foreigner moving to
a new city with new rules, customs, and people. One could easily navigate and make contact
with culture only when necessary and then withdraw just as easily. It happens, we all know that
guy.
Let's not forsake what is. Let's see how God is operating among the broken and see what He's teaching us
on how to love people where they are. Not embrace the sin of the culture, embrace the sinner that Christ
died for. We don't change people, God does. God and His culture of Holiness does.
