Communicating Jesus in the Global Society - Research Paper Example

? Contents Introduction 2 Christians in a Multi-Cultural World: Of Connections and Reality 4 Communicating Jesus in a Multicultural World: Towards the Fullness of Life 7 Conclusion 15 Bibliography 16 Communicating Jesus in the Global Society Introduction The effect of globalization is not only limited to the sphere of economics.1 Its influence permeates the structures of contemporary society in such a way that it offers an arena for the meeting of people, ideals, beliefs, culture, tradition and values in an easier fashion.2 The encounter of people from different cultures has widened the perspectives of people. However, it has also created a room wherein questions and doubts regarding long held cultural traditions and beliefs are permitted. Since, the plethora of beliefs and culture opened by globalization and supported by pluralism necessitate “commitment to maintaining a public space where we can all encounter one another”.3 In this public space, Christians continue to live the faith in Jesus despite the constant challenge of re-conceptualising the meaning and ethos of living the life in Jesus in the contemporary Christian landscape. In this regard, this study will look into one of the most profound struggles that Christians have to contend – communicating Jesus in the arena of a pluralist’s global society, in the context of multiculturalism. This is a struggle because believers in Christ are called to commune not only with people who shares their same beliefs and cultural system, but are called to be with all the peoples of the world and bear the Light of Christ.4 The encounter and interactions with other cultures necessitate a deep and solid understanding and anchoring on the faith so that “in a divided, multi-cultural, shifting global village that takes variety seriously while at the same time recognizes the essential reality of the common life that has to be expressed”5 one sees the life of faith, hope, love, and trust in God as the foundation of our being in the world, “set… as His witness”.6 In light of this, the study will examine question how can Christians communicate Jesus in a multi-cultural world? In order to address the issue, secondary materials written by scholars in the field will serve as the primary source of this study. This study is essential as it addresses the reality of the Christian life in the age of pluralism and on how it challenges the faithful as they live in midst of differences.7 The study is divided into four parts. The first section is the introduction wherein the question of the study, its background and significance, the approach adopted to address and the structure of the study are given. The second segment will delve deeper into the question, clarifying the important points inherent in the nature. While, the third segment will tackle the various ways identified in order to communicate Jesus in a multi-cultural world and finally, the conclusion wherein the position of the position of the paper will be reiterated and some personal insights of the researcher will be shared. In the midst of the inherent differences perceptible in contemporary Christian landscape, Christians are continuously called to actually live the faith and bear witness to the goodness of God not only by words, but also via our actions and interactions with others. As such, Christians are enjoined to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience…”8 Christians in a Multi-Cultural World: Of Connections and Reality Christians are currently living in a world wherein encounters among culture are a common instance and possibility of interaction with different nationalities is part of everyday life. As mentioned, globalization has set this reality and it has provided the framework wherein the increasing interdependence and interconnectedness of nations affect the values, beliefs, and faith of people in the grassroots. Looking at the issue of communicating Jesus in a multi-cultural world, the Christian is thrust into the discourse of difference. However, looking at the Bible, one finds not the uniqueness of contemporary Christina condition, but there is an existing similarity of the current Christian landscape with biblical stories.9 One finds in the Bible narratives of how the Israelites, the prophets, the apostles, the disciples, and Jesus continue witnessing to the goodness of God in the face of actual encounters with people from other cultures.10 This observation presents one important facet of the issue and that is Christians now are not left in the dark as to what ought to be done in the face of multiculturalism. In fact, it affords an opportunity for Christians to reflect and look at the approach of Christians before us as they the face similar issue. 11 As such, Johnson12 claims that the Bible offers the various possible responses that Christians can employ as they communicate Jesus in the pluralist society. He claims that Christians can learn on how to address the issue of multiculturalism by looking at the variegated response of the early believers. He asserts that Christians can be like Jesus in His encounter with the Samaritan woman or tough like Elijah or like Paul in Corinthians. In other words, Christians are not limited or without guidance pertaining to choices for possible response towards the issue of multiculturalism. However, it has been maintained that as choices are available for Christians to select the most appropriate response, what is being ascertained is the supposition that the encounters with other culture, as evidenced in Biblical narratives, are filled with tension, failure, suffering, pain, even violence, reconciliation, respect, dignity, love, and hope.13 In effect, it shows that the encounters among believers and other cultures can be an arena of fullness of life or a venue of hatred and discord. Thus, highlighting the supposition that as Christians attempt to find the best possible way of responding to issue of multiculturalism in the age of pluralism, human freedom and dignity are re-affirmed as Christians themselves decide what ought to be done. In addition, it points to the truism that as Christians try to find the most suitable paradigm for the issue, they are concretely anchored on the realities of the human world and they are not isolating themselves from the actualities of the human world.14 This is critical as it clearly manifests the one of the qualities of the endeavor to communicate Jesus in the condition of multiculturalism – it is not a flight to the transcendental, but it is a concrete reality and context of the Christian life in the world. In this regard, the question itself raises realities that are crucial in living the Christian life in the age of multiculturalism/pluralism. These are (1) Bible narratives serve as a guide in apprehending the question and finding solution to the issue15. (2) As choices can be learned from the Bible, human freedom, dignity, and respect are re-affirmed. (3) The situation is not a roller-coaster ride. Positive and negative descriptors of the event provide a contextualize picture of the issue.16 Finally, (4) the concreteness of Christian response to the issue clearly shows the reign of God in the world of man, in the here and now.17 As such, Christian response to the issue is a work done for the Reign of God in the human world18, as Jesus Himself said; the Kingdom of God is “in our midst”.19 In this sense, the question is pivotal contemporary Christians face the challenges of multiculturalism. Communicating Jesus in a Multicultural World: Towards the Fullness of Life In this section of the paper, discussion pertaining to concrete actions in communicating Jesus in the context of multiculturalism or cross-culturalism will be presented. Pivotal in addressing the question of how do we communicate Jesus in a multicultural world is the ardent belief that this exposition is not just an intellectual exercise, but it is a sincere desire to know what are the viable and actual ways wherein Christians can communicate Jesus. However, the term communicate needs to be elucidated in order to clarify what is the meaning of the term communicate as used in this context. Briefly, to talk about Jesus is to communicate Jesus. Perhaps this can be gleaned as the easiest way of ascertaining the meaning of communicating Jesus.20 Then again, it goes beyond verbal communication. Communicating Jesus means communicating the Faith that the person has towards Jesus. It follows the ethos, meaning, and logic of verbal communication, which means that communication Jesus entails recognizing the two way process that is involve in communication, “generous giving and heartfelt gratefulness”.21 As St. Paul says, “you yourself are our letter of recommendation, written in your hearts, to be known and read by all men”.22 This means that the person is at the center of communicating Jesus. His/her personhood is an attestation of his/her faith in Jesus. As such, in communicating Jesus, the humanity of the person as shown in his/her actions, words, interactions, and life becomes the very medium in which is communicated to others. Thus, communicating Jesus is becoming the “agent and the medium for transmitting the Gospel”. 23 In this regard, communicating Jesus in other culture requires the recognition of the Other’s culture, context, story, economics, life, voice, and social condition, cultural and political context; since, evangelization and missionary work in a multi-cultural world is “implantation of the Gospel of Jesus”24 in the historical context of the Other. In effect, communicating Jesus in a multicultural context is communicating the faith in such a way that the humanity of the person becomes the medium for the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus in the context of the recognized humanity of the listener, within their own condition, culture, and historicity. As such, Jesus can be communicated though the following human endeavors. (1) Authentic Witnessing in the Gospel through the Lived Life of the Faithful. In a world where missionaries and evangelizers are trusted not because of what they but more so on how they live their lives, bearing an authentic witnessing the Gospel of Jesus in everyday life is one of the most efficient ways of communicating Jesus across cultures. Authenticity, in this sense, implies the congruence between what is being said and what is being done. The story of Bob is an inspiration.25 Bob is an American missionary who lived in the Southern part of the Philippines. He lived in the community that is predominantly Muslim and where Christians are only a few. There is a long history of animosity between Muslim and Christians in the Philippines. Although there is a continuous effort in bridging the gap between Muslims and Christians, among ordinary people there is a strong sentiment of distrust. So when Bob went into the community, the Muslims were already weary and distrustful of his intensions. He was basically not welcomed. The community was poor. There were only two latrines that were shared by several families. Every morning people had to line up. Together with the few Christians, Bob constructed several latrines that were opened to everybody whether they were Muslims or Christians. Bob also used the small plot of land on the side of the Church where he planted vegetables. The produced was not sold. He shared it with the entire community. He also taught them how to read and write. When he was celebrating the Eucharist, he did it in a manner that the Muslims were not offended. He was with them for many years and many Muslims were converted to Christianity. It was not because Bob went house–to-house convincing, but because Bob showed to them through his life who is Jesus. His way of life communicated Jesus to them. His life with them was the living testimony to the immense goodness and love of God. Bob embraces poverty, suffering, exclusion, but he also showed them the hope in Christ, the unity in the struggle for the fullness of life, and Emmanuel, God is with us. Bob lived the Gospel. He followed the example set by Jesus when He was talking with the Samaritan woman. Bob’s life was a living testimony to the Gospel of Jesus. He was a witness to the goodness and love of God. The Muslims understood it and embraced it, not because it was preached to them, but because it was showed to them. Thus, communicating Jesus, communicating the faith to other cultures necessitates living the life of faith. This means sharing, healing, forgiving, working together, listening, welcoming, enjoying, being with them and all the other human interactions showing not just the humanity of the missionary, but the life of Christ. As Bob often says, “It was difficult. I felt the pain, the struggle, the doubt, suffering of being alone and excluded, but I was never lonely for the ethos of our faith is this – love one another as I have loved you”. (2) Respect for the Humanity of the People. Communicating Jesus in other culture is recognizing that culture impacts the being, the behavior, the way of thinking, and the way of life of the people.26 In the age of pluralism, divergence in culture is considered as inherent, thus creating the notion that diversity is the commonality that is shared by people across the globe.27 In this context, respect is pivotal. This is one ideal that is often cited as crucial, but being a missionary, what is respect? In communicating Jesus to other people from different cultures, respect is manifested by (a) accepting that their culture and values help shape their being and way of life.28 (b) Recognizing that the world of view people varies and that there is no one dominant world view. This implies that all lens use in looking into the world are equally valid and provides the necessary ways of understanding the world. This is vital because this kind of respect is patterned after the respect that God shows to humanity.29 However, it should be noted that God’s respect to human paradigm does not meant separating, but it means meeting, embracing, and working within the frames of humanity. Translating this ethos in the context of communicating God in the age of pluralism, it entails being able to reach people from their own frames and lenses. In other words, divergence in culture does not necessarily entail separation, divide, or submission. Rather, it offers an opportunity for creativity and inspiration in terms of finding the means wherein differences encounter without annihilating each other. The path and opportunity for creativity is founded on respect. As such, respect for their culture and world view is crucial in creating the path to encounter. As Kraft30 mentioned just imagined if God communicated to humanity using angelic means of communicating, what could have happened? (3) Space for Dignity. The encounter happening between cultures posit a danger and an opportunity for the Christian in communicating the faith. Meeting with other religions and culture necessitate that the person must have a strong foundation in the faith.31 As the encounter with other religions and cultures may pave for the deconstruction of long held values and beliefs. As such, when people discuss the encounter that is opened with pluralism and globalization, some have doubted the validity of the encounter and considered it as superficial.32 The meeting is just like cars crossing the street, meeting, but not necessarily encountering. In this regard, communicating Jesus in other cultures should become an opportunity for the creation of the space wherein human dignity is recognized. This can be achieved by listening to their stories and their voice. In a world where there are many ideologies, the Christian communicating Jesus to others can start by listening to other’s stories. Stories from the lives of people present a more concrete and real picture and image of what is really being experienced by people. In this regard, in listening to the voice and stories of the marginalize, the Christian creates a space for dignity, an authentic arena where one can be heard and recognized as a person with stories and historicity. This is very significant as people who are in the condition of poverty and oppression are often relegated in the periphery. Their stories are lost in oblivion while the voice and ideologies that espouses the ideals of consumerism and the objectification of human beings have been given much attention in the global space. As such Raja claims that at the center of the global, public space is an empty space bereft of people as the stories of real people have been removed and it has been replaced by images of discord and discontent.33 Christians communicating Jesus to others can proffer a space for human dignity. (4) Dialogue. Hunt34 taunts the authenticity and validity of dialogue in addressing the reality of religious pluralism. She argues that there is an inherent contradiction of dialogue in religious pluralism. The very idea of a dialogue becomes a misnomer or even an inappropriate representation and response to the reality of religious pluralism. This is based on the supposition that dialogue and religious pluralism contradicts each other. In the face of this critique, Christians are called to enter into genuine dialogue of truth and life with other religions and culture. Dialogue is not limited to clarification of dogmas that differentiates, but it also involves and includes the dialogue of life. This means that by being living witnesses to the goodness and love of God, the dialogue among cultures and religions can be undertaken. It becomes concrete and rooted in the life stories of the people. In this regard, what is essential in the dialogue is not the aggrandizement of one’s self, but it is the sincere effort in getting across the goodness of God. The agenda is not a personal one, but it is the agenda of the inclusive God who is interactionist and personal. In effect, in dialogue, communicating Jesus means not pushing one’s self. It entails letting God’s agenda be the center of the discourse. This is very difficult especially if everybody in the room has their own plans and program. Sometimes, the genuine dialogue is not conducted in round tables, but it is perceived in the sharing of stories, sharing of life, and of being with the Other especially during dire moments. In effect, the intellectual dialogue among scholars should not be determinative form of dialogue pursued. Rather, the dialogue of life in the context of differences be the frame of reference. Communicating Jesus in a multi-cultural world is not new. It has been experienced in the past. However, today’s condition is different in view of the fact that differences is cherished and uniformity is shunned. Nonetheless, what has been observed is that communicating Jesus and the faith then and now is never easy. It is a struggle. It may be full of violence, pain, suffering, exclusion, oppression, injustices, and wrongs, but at the centre of everything is the love and goodness of God, inviting us all in the fullness of life. Conclusion Communicating Jesus in a the age of pluralism demands more than just articulation of the doctrines and dogmas that defines Christianity. Living the faith, leading a life patterned after Jesus, making decisions in the light of the faith, and working for the realization of the Reign of God in the here and now necessitate an alignment between what the person says and what she is doing. There ought to be congruence in words and actions as Christians ought to be ““Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience…”35 Authentic witnessing, respect for human dignity, creating the space for dignity, and dialogue are only some of the means wherein Jesus may be communicated to others. Doing your roles and tasks for His glory, dedicating your work to Him, keeping the faith in the midst of rampant atheism are also clear manifestation of living faith. It may not be grand, but enough for others to Jesus being communicated. Living the faith is communicating Jesus. Bibliography Abesamis, Carlos. A Third Look at Jesus. Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 1999. Ballard, Paul. “Requiem for Ecumenism? Some Personal Reflections”, The Expository Times, vol. 120 no 5 (2009), pp. 225 – 232. Boyd, Robin. “In the end- which God? Questions on the Future of Interfaith Relations – part 2”, The Expository Times, vol. 123 no. 6 (2012), p.261- 271. Hunt, Anne. “No other Name: A Critique of Religious Pluralism”, Pacifica, vol. 3, (1990), pp. 45 – 60. Jeganathan, W.S. “The Success Story of Shanti”, Transformation: An international Journal of Holistic Mission Studies, vol. 21 (2004), pp. 45 – 55. Johns, Cheryl Bridges. “When East Meets West and North Meets South: The Reconciling Mission of the Christian Church”, Transformation, vol. 27 no 1 (2010),pp. 47 -54. Johnson, Philip. Apologetics, Mission & New Religious Movements: A Holistic Approach. Salt Lake City: Sacred Tribes Academic Press, 2010. Kasper, Walter Cardinal. “The Light of Christ and the Church”, Irish Theological Quarterly, vol. 72 (2007), p. 350 -357. Kraft, Charles H. Culture, Communication and Christianity: A Selection of Writings. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2001. Mansanga, Victorine SND. “Communicating Faith in Africa: Yesterday and Today”. In John Sullivan (ed), Communicating Faith. Illinois: Catholic University of America Press, 2001. Raja, Joshva. “Eucharist as an Alternative Space to the Globalization of Media”, Rethinking Mission (2009), pp. 1 – 16. Schirrmacher, Thomas. ‘“But with gentleness and respect”: Why missions should be ruled by ethics – An Evangelical Perspective on a Code of Ethics for Christian Witness”, Institut de Science et de Theologie des Religions in Toulouse, France from August 8-12, 2007. Stiglitz, Joseph. Making Globalization Work. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. Suarez-Orozco, M.M. and D.B. Qin – Hilliard. (Eds). Globalization: Culture and Education in the new Millennium. Berkeley: THE ROSS INSTITUTE, 2004. Sullivan, John (ed). Communicating Faith. Illinois: Catholic University of America Press, 2001. Read More