culture: the customary beliefs and social forms of a group used to interact with one another and transmitted across generations through learning, values, language, and habits.
We all grow up in a culture. It’s what we think of as normal, what we’ve always known. If we have little experience beyond our own ‘tribe’ we may not be aware of the vast differences that exist between the world’s various cultures. This unawareness leads to those embarrassing ‘faux pas,’ those social blunders, like asking a person’s age or salary, or dressing inappropriately for an event, like being dressed for the gym while going to a wedding.
In my Maritime Canadian province of New Brunswick there was a culture, too. Or, more specifically, in the Freeman house. For example, we always took off our shoes and put on slippers when coming into the house. Electric washing machines and microwaves were never coming into this house! (until they did). Laundry was hung out on the line to dry. Guests would always hear, ‘I’ll put the kettle on for tea.’ It was served in china cups and saucers (until my mother discovered mugs). A universal reality was that sweets were baked and ready, cookies in the jar, pies under a tea towel, cakes in tins, homemade doughnuts on Saturdays. Loaves of homemade bread, too (I didn’t know you could buy bread at a store). I can’t imagine why eyebrows would be raised. That all says ‘my childhood’ to me.
As Jesus taught one of the huge crowds gathered to hear him teach about the Kingdom, he began by acknowledging, and addressing, many of the cultural things typical to them; things they had been taught, or mostly caught, growing up. He introduced a new and ‘improved’ Kingdom approach to them all. There were some glaring differences between the current understanding and what he was presenting, and it was all about God’s Kingdom now in their midst. He finished this list of ‘upgrades’ with a shocking relational challenge, to become like God, their Father. (God was never addressed as Father until the New Testament, from the lips of Jesus himself).
Interestingly, referring to God as our Father today seems completely normal (a cultural shift for which we are super grateful). We’ve been raised with an awareness of the intimate presence of the Kingdom, of God, of Jesus, of the Holy Spirit. Each day we have opportunities to experience grace and mercy and forgiveness and the work of the Spirit in us. Looking forward to seeing all culturally ‘hip’ saints tomorrow, 10 AM, 4 PM FR. PD