I have Foundation for Missions class on Wednesdays, and I have to say that it was an interesting, insightful class. Allow me to elaborate...
My lecturer was teaching us, with the aid of trusty Microsoft Powerpoint, and on one of the slides he brought up an interesting comparison between Eastern and Western cultures/nations. The picture I've appended at the top of this post serves to highlight these differences, which I will explain shortly. For now, I will more or less echo what my lecturer had to say.
Basically, when you think about it, all the world's major religions had their roots in the East. In fact, every religion can be traced back to the East. And in present day 2005, there isn't much difference; Eastern culture is still very much founded on the Spiritual and the Religious. The first three logos of my banner represent the three major religions to come from the East.
Contrast that with Western civilization. While the West was founded initially on Christian principle, today it is seldom practised. Since the days of Darwin, Man (I use this term plurally) has broken away from his Creator and instead opted to do things his way, which brings us to the other three logos: namely, Atheism (represented by the hammer and sickle), Rationality (representing modern thinking man, bound only to the natural), and Science (of which modern thinking man appeals to instead of God). So Western culture is very much grounded in the Rational, the Real, the Natural, and the Scientific.
It was interesting having this difference explained to me, because - while it had existed for a long time - I had not known of it before. I had never thought of it that way. And this is the very world with which I am a part. I am in this scientific, rational culture, bereft of its Creator.
And yet...I have a duty to bring God back into the equation. For East to meet West again, as it did in the Apostle Paul's time, and those that had gone after him.
3 comments:
i wonder where "west" and "east" came from, and recently i was reading a history book, on the church, and i *think* that east means the arab area and west means like england and spain. is this right or what?
I wonder if sometimes christians have this habit of looking at the big picture a little too much.
I'm a big believer that there is a mission here in N.Z. and that the focus should and must be put into bringing our own nation into line with God. ( not necessarily the East)
I do think that overseas mission has its place (i think i've preached on this before. LOL) but also as N.Z.ers we should convert our own country first so that we are not labelled as hypocrites for sending righteous people into a broken world when our own country remains broken.
Does that make sense?
It indeed makes a lot of sense, inasmuch that I feel that my place as far as missions is concerned, is right here in Kiwiana!
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