The Cultural Ocean

Think of all of the cultural worldviews as an ocean. In America, we each individually float on this ocean with our own boat. “I am the captain of my soul (William Ernest Henley).” The Japanese have a different approach. Each person is a plank that together make up a huge ship. “The nail that sticks out gets hammered (ancient proverb).” And then we have the Jewish approach. Their boat houses a community. When one starts drilling a hole in the bottom, we hear a unified shout: “What are you doing? We are all in the same boat (Vayikra Rabbah 4:6).” Are we individuals? Are each of us single parts of a larger whole? Are we a community? It depends on the cultural assumptions we make. As we float along within our culture, we are not even aware of this. All within our vessel are traveling in the same direction. There is no reason to question.

There are many things that characterize the typical Western worldview. Most of us have encountered the ones that follow:

Assumption: “They are on the wrong side of history”
Response: “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. (Eccl 1.9)”

Assumption: “There is no evidence for God.”
Response: Evidence contrary to Western beliefs are largely ignored or dismissed.

Assumption: “Everyone seeks liberty and freedom.”
Response: When in distress, people choose security instead.

Assumption: Humanity is on an evolutionary journey toward enlightenment.
Response: How has that worked out?

Assumption: The best hope for humanity is to expand freedom to all the world.
Response: Were the last 20 years of war worth it?

Sometimes, expectations suddenly shift. Consider handshaking for example. Some cultures bow. Americans shake hands. That is, before the Corona virus came along. Hand contact spreads disease. I never thought of that before. It was not even a possibility to consider. Perhaps now, Americans will never shake hands again. Will we bow? I don’t know; that would be a stretch. We are too informal, and too individual. Perhaps we’ll resort to elbow bumps. Imagine. A hard bump replaces a firm handshake. Ouch!

Consider the basic issues of morality. Is there a universal standard that everyone, everywhere understands? Many would answer, Yes, but in a fallen world, people’s consciences are seared. So, what do we do? The answer: “Read the Bible.” But how do we do that? It is hard enough to appreciate the diverse cultures and worldviews of the present. How do we go back in time and understand the way things were at the time of Jesus? Or, what about 2,000 years earlier when Abraham lived? Is it even possible?

We need to be careful. Paul writes that long hair is a shame to a man. Why did he say that? In his time, men with long hair were identified as prostitutes. Everyone knew it. It was the reality of the time. Not so, a thousand years earlier. Absalom had long hair. Yes, it got caught on a tree and that led to his downfall. But there was no hint that anyone of that time thought it wrong. Contrast this to when the colonialists entered the New World. Indigenous men all had long hair. Missionaries were horrified. How did they react? The hair of captured Indian children got cut short. The 2,000-year-old presupposition was so ingrained that no one thought to entertain the possibility that it was not an issue to fight over. Such a minor thing created bitterness and hostility that could have been avoided. It is ironic. In the 60s, the Beatles arrived on the scene and shocked everyone. Now long hair is fine. Culture has come full circle.

Paul wrote about many things, including slavery in his writings.

Slaves, you must obey your earthly masters. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ. (Col 3.22)

It is easy for someone to say: “I don’t like reading Paul; he supported slavery.” But, should he be judged according to modern sensibilities? No one of his time thought to abandon the practice. Paul did significantly go against the flow. He also wrote: “There is neither slave or free,” and “If you can gain your freedom, do so.” He appealed to Philemon to forgive his runaway slave. Well, one might say: “He didn’t go far enough.” Yet, let’s look at ourselves for a moment. Slavery still is alive and well around the world. Few people care a wit to do anything about it. I sometimes wonder: “What if we did not have modern technology and machines? Would slavery return? Would leaders consider it a necessity?” I wonder. There are not easy answers for this.

The bottom line is this: Paul’s letters were situational. Each church faced specific problems, and Paul wrote to address the circumstances that he encountered. What did Paul think when he was writing? Did he know that his letters would comprise half of the holy New Testament scriptures? Did he envision that his instructions would be treated as eternal truths? I doubt it. That would put us under a new set of laws every bit as restrictive as the ones of Moses’ time. So, what do we do? I try to interpret taking account of the context and purpose of each text.

You might ask: “Then we can’t know anything for sure. How do we distinguish what is right from what is wrong?” This is my approach. Instead of relying on scattered proof texts here and there, I go back to what Jesus said when asked:

Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments. Mat 22:37-40

It can take a lifetime, even with guidance from the Holy Spirit to get these two things right. Does this mean that Paul’s letters are of no value? No. They provide important practical illustrations as to how we can resolve differences within our congregations. Everything has its purpose.

Thanks for listening,
Dan Harvey, author of Wrestling with Faith,
secondlooknow.com