Culture is a beautiful thing. It's beautiful because nobody owns it -- that is, nobody has a monopoly on it -- and yet each one is unique. Is there anything else like that? People, perhaps. We don't own ourselves. In the best case scenario we belong to God and spend our lives serving others. In the process we naturally take care of ourselves. And yet we are all each beautiful and unique.
Now, I have just made a comparison between cultures and human beings. It is important for me to acknowledge that several key differences exist between the two. Perhaps the biggest difference is found in the degree of fault. Human beings, because of Adam's original sin, are all broken. Because all our cultures were created by human beings, every culture is sinful as well. Likewise, every human being reflects God (each is made in His image) just as every culture has some goodness that reflects something about who God is. Wait, let me think. I was going to say that cultures cannot be redeemed while people can, but is this true?
Let's think about it. As people become more like Christ and reflect God more and more, their culture will reflect God more and more. In a sense all cultures are moving toward reflecting truth and not lies because the Earth will be redeemed and evidence in Scripture suggests that cultures will not be absent in the redeemed Earth. Thus it is logical to conclude that cultures will be redeemed along with human beings and the Earth.
Despite the fact that both followers of Christ and cultures are moving toward reflecting God, I think it is important to consider the differences between humans and cultures. Humans from all different languages and cultures will be fully redeemed and, as I believe Scripture suggests, will retain those differences. But will some bit of "every culture" be represented in glory? Especially if, God forbid, nobody from a people group with a particular cultural practice is present? Does this mean that those unrepresented cultures will be less holy or less eternally significant? Does it even matter whether or not a "particular culture" is represented in glory? Do "particular cultures" even exist?
I believe the answer to all three of these questions is: no. Just as no human can really own his/herself (each belongs to God and others), humans cannot really own culture. Cultures are gifts from God. Thus cultures belong to Him and are manifestations of His creativity as expressed through the creativity of His image-bearers. And as with other gifts from God, individuals have no right to keep them from other humans. Similarities between cultures reflects this simple fact. Thus it is shameful for anyone to claim monopoly over cultural gifts, to steal cultural gifts from others, to ignore anyone's cultural gifts, or to fail to acknowledge any lack of giftings among anyone's culture. These are all especially important for cultural humility and recognizing how God (or Satan) is reflected in everyone's culture.
Now, I have just made a comparison between cultures and human beings. It is important for me to acknowledge that several key differences exist between the two. Perhaps the biggest difference is found in the degree of fault. Human beings, because of Adam's original sin, are all broken. Because all our cultures were created by human beings, every culture is sinful as well. Likewise, every human being reflects God (each is made in His image) just as every culture has some goodness that reflects something about who God is. Wait, let me think. I was going to say that cultures cannot be redeemed while people can, but is this true?
Let's think about it. As people become more like Christ and reflect God more and more, their culture will reflect God more and more. In a sense all cultures are moving toward reflecting truth and not lies because the Earth will be redeemed and evidence in Scripture suggests that cultures will not be absent in the redeemed Earth. Thus it is logical to conclude that cultures will be redeemed along with human beings and the Earth.
Despite the fact that both followers of Christ and cultures are moving toward reflecting God, I think it is important to consider the differences between humans and cultures. Humans from all different languages and cultures will be fully redeemed and, as I believe Scripture suggests, will retain those differences. But will some bit of "every culture" be represented in glory? Especially if, God forbid, nobody from a people group with a particular cultural practice is present? Does this mean that those unrepresented cultures will be less holy or less eternally significant? Does it even matter whether or not a "particular culture" is represented in glory? Do "particular cultures" even exist?
I believe the answer to all three of these questions is: no. Just as no human can really own his/herself (each belongs to God and others), humans cannot really own culture. Cultures are gifts from God. Thus cultures belong to Him and are manifestations of His creativity as expressed through the creativity of His image-bearers. And as with other gifts from God, individuals have no right to keep them from other humans. Similarities between cultures reflects this simple fact. Thus it is shameful for anyone to claim monopoly over cultural gifts, to steal cultural gifts from others, to ignore anyone's cultural gifts, or to fail to acknowledge any lack of giftings among anyone's culture. These are all especially important for cultural humility and recognizing how God (or Satan) is reflected in everyone's culture.
