I recently had an opportunity to attend a performance at the Kennedy Center of Shen Yun. I had been wanting to attend this particular show for several years, but life got in the way. This show is a Chinese Ballet telling several stories of their culture and practices. It it visually and audibly stunning to behold. One of the takeaways for me was that we as humanity, and in particular, the Church, have seemingly lost our ability to be culturally curious. I arrrived early for the showing in anticipation of the DMV’s nightmarish traffic issues. I was able to sit and people watch for about an hour. I saw people from all walks of life coming to attend performances. This triggered in me some reflections. In Acts 17, we see Paul, in Athens at the Areopagus, observing the city and it’s cultural practices and what they were worshipping. He then speaks to those present and relates to them his observations. He tells them that they are wholly superstitious(KJV) or very religious(NKJV). He tells them of his observation of their worship of The Unknown God(vs 23). He then begins expounding on who the God is that they have yet to know.
The Church needs to regain this curiosity. We have become irrelevant to the world because we cannot engage them where they are culturally and lead them to the knowledge of Christ from that point. Duringthe performance, I observed some things that immediately went into my spiritual garbage can. However, it opened my eyes to a conversation point for the Gospel of Jesus Christ could be begun. Our practice of immediately dismissing anything that does not look like the majority church culture’s idea of gospel mission is killing our ability to engage with the culture. It is clear from this passage of Scripture, that there are those who are spiritually hungry. We know this today because there are those who contend that they are “spiritual, but not religious”. That stance is not the opportunity for us to wholly toss people on the trashheap of spiritual journey, but rather a doorway for us to be led by the Holy Spirit to speak, as Paul did to the deep hunger in their hearts.
What is the result of cultural curiosity? It brings us to a common table that God, in His infinite wisdom has set for the entirety of humanity to come and dine. When one is invited to come and dine culturally, there are many flavors that may and will be unfamiliar to us. Guidance is given in 1 Cor. 8 on the discussion of food offered to idols. Vs. 9 tells us not to become, in our freedom of partaking, not to become a stumbling block to those who are weak. Our rigidity is a stumbling block to the weak and hungry among us. I will, no doubt, receive criticism for attending this performance from those who will have problems with some of the imagery contained in it. I will, gladly, take that criticism. For those whom I observed that fall into the category of the Mars Hill gang, to whom I must witness, I’ll take the heat. We must once again regain our cultural curiosity if we are going to love the people that God sends us to.