POST 55: Building Cultural Bridges
POST 55
Building Cultural Bridges
In part 1 of this book, we talked about Claudia and her attempt to build cultural bridges between her friends of different ethnic groups. In today’s world, we have so many opportunities to build cultural bridges.
But why? What’s the purpose of building these bridges? And what makes these bridges last long-term?
Learning about other cultures is fun. Creating harmony between different types of people seems like a worthy cause. Ultimately, however, we build cultural bridges not just for fun or sociological reasons but for biblical reasons.
Jesus, the Ultimate Bridge
God always intended a multiethnic global family. God loves all of creation and calls it good. God desires for us to live in unity bonded by love.
Jesus came to fulfill that desire for one multiethnic family. The early church, for the most part, understood that. The gospel was being preached in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and beyond (Acts 1:8).
British theologian N. T. Wright said in a recent interview:
The church from the beginning . . . always was a multicultural, multiethnic, multipolychrome, multilingual organization. Like in Revelation, a great company of many nations and kindreds and tribes and tongues, all together praising God and the Lamb. That’s the vision of the church in the New Testament. We, in the last four or five hundred years, have colluded with division down ethnic lines without even realizing just how unbiblical we were being. We’d taken our eye off that ball and were looking instead at theories of salvation, about going to heaven.
Jesus bridged humanity to God and humanity to one another—across ethnicities, cultures, and languages. The early church had a picture of Revelation 7:9 in mind—people from every nation worshiping God together.
As Wright says, we took our eye off the ball. All of a sudden, other aspects of the faith became more important than ethnic unity. We created lines and divisions where none should have existed.
But God is still at work through his people here on earth. Through the Spirit’s enabling power, we can return to God’s vision for a united multiethnic family. We can be God’s witnesses on this earth and build bridges so people across cultures can come together.
This is the restoration of God’s original design and the fulfilling of Jesus’ purpose into which we are invited.
Bringing people together is part of your purpose. How you live it out specifically in your daily life will be unique—but we are all working toward the same goal.
READING GOD’S WORD
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
The Lord isn’t slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to change their hearts and lives. (2 Peter 3:9)
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19)
Journaling Questions
Who is someone in your life or in history who has built cultural bridges? How did they do it?
What’s the value in building these kinds of bridges?
Who is one person from a different culture or ethnicity than yours whom you can build a bridge to?
Pray This Prayer
God, you call us to build cultural bridges because you desire for all people to be included in your multiethnic family. Thank you for giving us your Spirit to empower us in our purpose to build bridges. It’s an honor and privilege to join you on your mission. In Jesus’ name, amen.
SOMETHING TO TRY
Would you say that all potatoes are the same? Maybe!
Grab a bag of potatoes and take out four. Examine each one—note the varying color tones, bumps, and spores. You will probably find that each potato is actually quite unique.
Remember this the next time you try to lump an entire cultural group together.
THE TAKEAWAY
We all share a role in the same purpose that Jesus fulfilled—to build cultural bridges. How we each live out this purpose will be unique, but it’s all through the Spirit’s power.