The Clash of Culture

(This article was published first at Kingdom Resources Magazine, 2010)

“I have two faces I put on every day. One is my Chinese face when I’m at home—the other, my American face when I go to school. Sometimes I don’t even know who I really am.” 

“I love art and received a full scholarship to attend the art school of my dreams. But my parents had different plans. They said the holy trinity of careers is: doctor, lawyer or engineer. Those were my choices and I had to obey.”

“My parents are typical, hypocritical Chinese Christians. They say one thing and do another. Their worship services bore my head off. I wonder if God falls asleep in church, too.”

These are the pained and confused voices of American Born Chinese (ABC)…     ABC children have grown up in two distinctly different cultures. These two cultures pull at them constantly and at every corner. OBC parents, however, have been dreadfully ignorant about the struggles of their children. In fact, I believe that OBC parents and churches have generally denied the cultural part of our human make-up. Yes, many Chinese Christians like to think of themselves as “color/culture-blind” since they’ve acquired the Christian world view.  But they are blind to their cultural prejudices and how the pains and struggles of ABC’s versus OBC’s have torn many families and churches apart.

Culture and Woman’s Self-Understanding

                                             
Part of the headlines on today’s San Diego Union Tribune (May 10, 2011) is Camdr. Shanti Sethi, the first Indian American woman to command a US Navy warship (the destroy Decatur).

The Navy has 286 ships, fewer than 10 have female skippers. Out of roughly 1,500 active-duty commanding officers, 93 percent are men and 84 percent are white (1).  And obviously there is only one Asian American woman skipper!

I read this news with great interest.  A short woman (she is less than 5 feet tall and had to get a waiver to even get into Navy) with an Indian father and an American mother, Shanti Sethi was overlooked by her superior when first commissioned (even though she was one of the top students in class).  She “worked her behind off”, according to her mother, to where she is today.  When the ship she now commands docked in India this spring, it was a singular moment in history.  She became a “celebrity” in India (everyone wanted a picture of her to show it to their daughters).

My life in picture

This is a painting that Jan Johnson put up during one of the retreat she led.  She pointed out several different reactions of the disciples when facing maybe the strongest storm of their lives.  It hit me between the eyes like a 4 by4.

There was I, several years ago, frantically trying to "save everyone".  I was the seminar trained pastor.  I wanted to help.  I knew what to do.  Let me do it!

Then, there was I, after trying so hard and so very earnestly, finally realized that I could not "save" anyone (myself included), I stumbled to the side of the boat and just vomited (see that poor guys hanging over the side of the boat, his face greenish gray).....well, for quite some time.

Then I heard God said: Esther, why didn't you take a nap like Jesus?

My restless soul suddenly calmed down and settled, and I sat there for a long time.  After the retreat, for about a year, "go take a nap" became my life motto of some sort.   And slowly I came to understand why the painter painted as he did. 

My hope and prayer is that one day, in the midst of stormy sea of life (and there are many), I can calmly and confidently sit at Jesus feet, trusting, listening, learning and waiting.  Not because I can control the boat well as a skilled fisher-woman, or I no longer fearful of the dangers and unknown, but because I have followed Jesus long enough, know him well enough, trust him and love him with all my heart that I can just be.....as Jesus did and still do today.

The Biblical Model of Jesus' Humanity--Part 2

Visual Demonstration of the Movement of the Model

Jesus’ life, ministry, and his interaction with people, even in his death and resurrection, demonstrated again and again that he functioned as a totally integrated human being and that he related to people and addressed their common human conditions in an integrated and wholistic way.  Out of who he is (his being) and out of his completeness and wholeness, he lived, taught, and related to others and God.       

             Diagram 2 is an attempt to show the movement of integration.  The more the four arrows in the middle were pushed outward, the more the four circles overlapped, and the more the area of “integrating” of the different aspects increases (movement from 2.1 until to the very outline of the circle in 2.3).  When the four circles are fully overlapping (when the four aspects fully integrated with each other), the model becomes “one circle” in 2.4.  Therefore, 2.4 shows a four-times twisted and collapsed cylinder, similar to a compressed, modified “Moebius Strip” which is a one-sided non-orientable surface.[1]  

              The circle 2.4 represents Jesus, who indeed is a multi-dimensional, dynamic, and wholistic being!  His life is like a world class quartet that plays the most beautiful, rich, and heavenly music!  

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                [1] Eric Weisstein, “Math Resources” [Information on-line] (Wolfram Research, updated periodically, accessed 4 June 2007), 1; available from Mathworld.wolfram.com; Internet.

The Biblical Model of Jesus' Humanity--Part 1

            Visual Model of Jesus' Humanity

              The four aspects of humanity are presented in four different colored circles (labeled 1 to 4).  The purpose is not to separate them, but to differentiate them for discussion purposes only. 

  
               The four circles have neither beginning nor end, and each is connected to the other in a continuous line to emphasize their connectedness and wholeness; not their separateness.  The four circles are also equal in size to demonstrate that all four aspects of humanity are essential and equally important.  The overlapping of the four circles depicts the interaction (labeled 5-8) and the total integration (the center, labeled 9) of the four aspects.  The dotted lines used in the model signify that the four aspects are openly and continuously acting and interacting, firstly with each other, and secondly with their environments, with God and Satan acting as two major influences.  Lastly, they are being influenced and acted upon by the environment.  Satan might be the ruler and authority of this dark world and of the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm (Eph 6:10-12), but God is the ultimate King and Ruler of all.