Too often I see evidence of us being bound by our culture (as defined by the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group) versus being able to reject that which is just societal pressures and be able to separate and still celebate the goodness and benefits of our beautiful and differing cultures.
The negative parts of our cultures are human- flesh determined, people dictated which means like all things not of God, they are insatiable. I remember being 8 and walking by some elderly Korean women and hearing one whisper, “did she just walk by and not in-sa (bow?)”, so I made sure the next time I saw the same group I did, and just to hear another tell her friends I did it incorrectly. So I went home, asked my Mom how to do it right, even practiced in the mirror. Excited to see one of them again I made appoint to bow, full confidence and all…and as I walked away feeling achieved I heard her utter, “she’s trying too hard, trying to make a show (or show off)” LOL! Though this story may be cute or making light of the potential negative impacts, some people spend their entire life trying to perfect what can not be perfected (others opinions of you!) because they are told that is their ‘culture’. I know I’m picking on my Korean side but please trust this is universal and I have plenty of stories I can also share from my darker shade of brown and why I plan to write a dissertation one day entitled, ‘Why BET should not be babysitting our babies’ HAHAHA!

Culture can be binding and scary because it is the bandaid people try to place over the same human insatiable expectations or demands that may interfere with or even derail us from the only things that should have our whole heart- our Jesus! ANYTHING, put before God is an idol, and though we may not realize it, others expectations of us, whether we layer it with a cultural title or not, can definitely be an idol that we need to guard our hearts and minds against! I believe this is even harder for women because we have a natural desire to want to please others, especially our family!

Our Jesus defied culture in so many ways! One of the stories that is most prominent to me is the story of the bleeding lady. One who was marked completely unclean and because of such, was unable to come into public or touch someone because then they would be deemed unclean. Had she done so, even by mistake, risked being stoned to death for her frivolousness. Societal outcast to the extreme for twelve long years unable to even eat with others. *Mark 5:21-34*

Yet out of a hint of faith, she was determined go against what people had told her she should do, to touch Christ- she knew her life depended on it and was desperate to touch him. Imagine if she would have asked her family what she should do? Tried to get her relatives to side with her and if she was able to have friends, what would they have said?! Are you crazy?! She was willing to break through the lines of a crowd, touching anyone, as Jesus was being raced away to save a young child from death…willing to risk what she knew to be culturally seen as just wrong! Physically her condition was not contagious, it was a societal rule. But what also touches my heart is not only did our Christ save her, heal her…he stopped to announce that he did just that!

Following Christ is hard. We may seem crazy, we may even seem like social, cultural outcasts, fools even to otherss. Its most hard when we are judged by our family, friends, and told we defy what our culture tells us we should be and do. But we must be bold enough to reach out and touch Him- allow His power to flow from His very being to ours, and then and only then will we live and be the men and women He calls us to be – let’s invite Him in so we can hear His sweet voice whisper those same words in every fiber of our daily lives…”Go in peace and freed from your suffering” *verse 34*, because all suffering for the sake of Christ is our gain!
With love,
Ange

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”
Jeremiah 29:13