Phil 3:20 Korean culture, Canadian culture, Heavenly culture
Nowadays we often hear the word 'collision of civilization, and difference of culture'. Especially the bible prophesies that the collision between the Jewish and the Islamic culture causes the world war and the end of the world.
We can see many wars in the history caused by the different cultures. Jesus also prophesied, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." (Matt 24:7) And we know the reason of the wars will be that they do not understand the differences of their cultures.
Nowadays some people of the other countries criticized the Korean culture what they call 'dogmeat culture'. And then Koreans criticized the other countries' cultures. The criticism on the other culture caused bad feeling between each others. That is, the small difference of the culture causes bad feeling, collision and even war.
Especially we will be in danger of being victims because we are between the Korean culture and the Canadian culture. Furthermore our children look like Koreans but they have Canadian culture in their mind. That's why we often see many collisions and quarrels between Korean parents and their children.
And we can see many troubles between Korean wives and Canadian husbands. Let me ask you a question. who do you want your sons and daughters to marry ? Korean or Canadian ? Of course, most of the Korean parents want their sons and daughters to marry Korean, for the parents know that the culture is very important to understand and to unite each others.
But as you know the Korean community in Calgary is very small. And the Koreans in Calgary know very well each others' defects. Therefore it is very hard to find the Korean spouse. If a Canadian-born Korean marry a Korean-born Koran, there will be a big culture gap between each other. And this gap sometimes causes marital quarrel or other problems such as divorce or separation. And this family problems also make our church and society hard.
In the bible we can see some people who felt pains because of the different culture. Let's see Abraham. He emigrated to Canaan but faced a severe famine there. So he emigrated again to Egypt. He thought, "My wife Sarai is a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see my wife, they will kill me because I am her husband. But if I call my wife my sister, my life will be safe !"
But the thought of Abraham was wrong. The king of Egypt took Sarai as his wife because he thought Sarai had no husband. Why this tragedy happened ? It is not because Abraham was a bad husband, and not because the king of Egypt was a bad king. It is because they misunderstood their culture and their thinking.
Let's see another example. God worried that the Israelites might accept the bad Canaanite culture when they entered the land of Canaan. That's why God trained them in the desert for 40 years. What training ? It was the training of heavenly culture.
God wanted to plant the heavenly culture in their mind. God did not want them to be contaminated by the bad Canaanite culture. But the Israelites lost the best heavenly culture and followed the Canaanite idolatrous culture. That's why they perished.
Brothers and sisters, when we live in Canada, we sometimes think what culture we have to follow between Korean culture and Canadian culture. Of course, we have to follow the good culture. What is the good culture ? Each man has each opinion. But it is obvious that the culture harmonized with the bible is the good culture. That is, the heavenly culture is the best culture.
You and I are blessed because we have the heavenly citizenship and heavenly culture. We have to spread this heavenly culture to others, and we have to teach this heavenly culture to our children, so that they may live successful life in this foreign country.
Brothers and sisters, there is a bad culture in Korea that they drink once, twice, third times up to getting dead drunk. But there is a good culture in Korea that they respect their parents, the aged, teachers and their husbands. I think the Korean Christianity has been developing rapidly because Koreans have this good culture.
And I can see a bad culture in Canada which is individualism. But there is a good culture in Canada that they help actively the handicapped, the old and the weak. If we keep the good Korean culture and accept the good Canadian culture, our life will be successful and our children will be successful persons in this foreign country.
But remember. The most advanced and best culture is the heavenly culture. It is the culture of peace and love and righteousness. Therefore the apostle Paul who had learned the Roman culture and Jewish culture told that the heavenly culture is the surpassing greatness. (Phil 3:8), and he would prefer to go to the heaven.
Brothers and sisters, we have to learn the heavenly culture in the church before we go to the kingdom of heaven. But church is the place where Korean culture, Canadian culture and heavenly culture collide together. There is the danger of colliding with these three culture in the Korean church.
Think. someone accepted the heavenly culture on the basis of Korean culture. And someone accepted the heavenly culture on the basis of Canadian culture. And someone accepted the heavenly culture on the basis of two cultures. Therefore there will be collision because of the differences of the cultures even thought they worship the same God and they sing together and they read the same bible.
Korean believers think pastors to be the servant of God and men of honor and spiritual parents and spiritual teachers. But some believers in Canada think pastors to be the only paid workers. That's why the Korean churches in Canada divide easily because they think differently.
If a pastor brings the gospel on the basis of Korean culture, those who have Canadian culture oppose, "Pastor, it is Canada not Korea." If a pastor brings the gospel on the basis of Canadian culture, those who have Korean culture oppose. If a pastor brings the gospel on the basis of mixture of two cultures, they say, "Pastor, you have no backbone."
Because of this collision of the cultures, the churches in foreign country face many troubles, and pastors feel hard to minister in the church. Therefore we have to understand the differences of the cultures in the church. Or there will be collision in the church.
Anyway don't forget. The best culture is the culture of the kingdom of heaven. We have to spread this heavenly culture on the basis of good Korean culture and good Canadian culture. And we have to deliver this precious culture to our descendants.
Brothers and sisters, we have good Korean culture and good Canadian culture and best heavenly culture. We are the messengers who spread these cultures especially heavenly culture. Therefore be proud of our culture and enjoy the culture of heaven which is the culture of joy, culture of love and culture of happiness. And let's spread the culture of the kingdom of heaven together.