“…and
delivered righteous Lot , who was oppressed
by
the filthy conduct of the wicked…”
1
Peter 2:7
Culture shock. Nicole and I had been
warned many times that we would encounter it when we moved to Mongolia
The predictions proved true, and I
remember the first time I realized that. I was at the
bank.
Transactions at the bank were
conducted on the second floor, and that meant an elevator ride. You never knew
how long you’d be there until the elevator doors opened and you stepped into the
hall and saw the people. On that day, I thought it would be a quick visit, as I
was alone in the elevator. But when the doors opened, I saw that I’d be there a
while. The lines were at least ten people deep at each teller’s window. I sighed
and took my place.
Now, usually, I brought something to
do – a book to read or a recording to listen to. But this day I had forgotten.
So I stood there, and stood there, and waited.
Finally, it was almost my turn. I
was next in line and just waiting for the guy in front of me to finish counting
his money and move on. And, then, just then, a young woman exited from the
elevator, walked past me, and pushed aside the guy counting his money. She
pulled some papers and money from her purse and thrust them through the window
to the teller.
The lady behind the window looked
past the woman at the line and said something to the woman and pointed. The
woman glanced behind her and then turned back to the teller, pointing at the
papers she was carrying and pushing the money across the counter. The lady
looked once more at the line and then shrugged, took the woman’s papers and
starting processing her transaction.
It took me a moment to realize that
the woman had just budged past me and the rest of the line, and then it hit me.
And it hit me hard! Anger bubbled up within me, and suddenly I was furious. I
couldn’t believe that this had just happened. And I looked behind me at the
other people in the line and saw them standing there like sheep, mutely
resigned. And that made me angry too! Was everyone crazy? Didn’t anyone see how
stupid and unfair this was?
I managed to control myself and I
didn’t go ballistic on anyone. But on the inside, I felt like I had exploded. I
concluded at that moment that everything about Mongolia
I left the bank and started walking
home. The sub-zero temperatures cooled my head, and I realized that culture
shock had finally hit. Yeah, sure, the woman shouldn’t have budged, but that
wasn’t really why I was angry. I was just finally feeling all the pent-up
frustration over the cultural differences between me and my new home. And it was
bubbling up as anger.
In the following months, that anger
dissipated. I gradually came to accept those differences, and though I sometimes
felt annoyed, I was able to recognize that the problem was mostly mine, that my
cultural background was prompting in me stronger reactions than the situations
warranted.
After three years in Mongolia
Culture fatigue is to culture shock
what congestive heart failure is to a heart attack. It involves the psychical
accumulation of innumerable annoyances prompted by cultural differences, and it
results in chronic feelings of resentment and emotional exhaustion. Culture
shock hits suddenly, but culture fatigue builds slowly. Culture shock can prove
fatal to a missionary’s career, as he or she may feel forced to abandon the new
culture to escape it. Culture fatigue, on the hand, rarely proves fatal, though
the nationals may wish it had, since it leaves its victims cynical and
depressed.
I can’t identify the starting point
of my cultural fatigue, and I think that’s the sinister side of it. It’s subtle
in its approach. I just know that I was really struggling with it by the time we
concluded our first term in Mongolia
 |
| Fatigue |
Over the years, I’ve talked to
missionaries from other fields, many of whom shared similar experiences. So I
guess it’s fairly common. But, beyond that, since returning to the States, I
have realized that this shock and fatigue can be experienced within one’s
country as well. It is not necessary to travel to the other side of the globe to
encounter a different culture. The culture of my childhood in Seattle is as different in some ways from Geneva ’s as my American culture was from Mongolia
I was thinking about this yesterday,
and I started to wonder whether there was a spiritual application to these
observations. Do people ever experience culture shock and fatigue in their
spiritual lives?
When I think of the spiritual
universe, I think of its inhabitants as belonging to one of two sides, either of
good or evil. (I’m not suggesting these are equal in size or power, or anything
like that, just that there are only two possibilities.) Humans are either “sons
of God” or “sons of the devil”; they are either regenerate or unregenerate.
We are all born within the realm of
evil as “children of the devil.” The Bible refers to this as being born “dead”
in our sins and trespasses. (Eph. 2:1) That is the culture of which we are a
part and in which we begin our pilgrimage through this earthly life. It comes
with certain traditions and inclinations that are common to those who share that
culture.
Then, for some, a moment comes when,
by God’s grace, they are granted new spiritual life. These are the ones who
become known as Christians. They are the ones whose spiritual eyes have been
opened to see the truths of God’s Word, whose spiritual ears have been enabled
to hear the proclamation of the Gospel. With hearing comes faith, and they
receive Jesus as Lord, becoming children of God. Paul refers to this process in
his letter to the Colossians, saying, “He has delivered us from the power of
darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”
(Col.
We, who are Christians, have been
delivered by God from the culture of darkness and placed into the culture of
light. What a wonderful truth! But what has happened spiritually has not yet
happened physically. Our cultural relocation has occurred in the spiritual
realm, but it awaits its full realization – our glorification. And in the
meantime, we are left in a foreign culture, members of a heavenly
culture.
It seems to me this is the point
where culture shock and fatigue can occur in the spiritual realm. A new
Christian may go through a ‘honeymoon period’ during which he is able to resist
the other culture’s temptations easily. There may be little inner struggle as he
experiences the first bloom of love for God. But then, inevitably, he
experiences spiritual dissonance. His flesh rises up and begins to respond to
the siren call of the other culture. He experiences temptation, and, as he does,
he realizes that he is in the midst of a spiritual battle. He becomes suddenly
and brutally aware that he is living as a foreigner in an evil culture. And this
moment seems analogous culture shock.
In time, the Christian becomes more
fully aware of his spiritual state, and he, to a greater or lesser degree, puts
on the armor of God and engages in spiritual battle. The shock of the culture
clash dissipates.
I think we all sense this conflict,
and what I have said so far concerning a spiritual culture shock does not seem
unexpected. But what struck me yesterday, and what does seem unexpected to me,
is the danger of spiritual cultural fatigue. Is it possible that those
Christians who have been in the battle a long time could grow weary, that they
could grow fatigued by the ongoing clash of
cultures?
The obvious answer is, yes, they
can. I suspect it is possible for Christians to fall into a grudging, plodding
devotional life, one that despondently (and cynically) awaits release to the
heavenly realms as an escape from the emotional hardships of a long stay in
foreign territory. Perhaps an example of this can be found in Lot, who endured
the hardships of Sodom and Gomorrah
But what is the solution to all
this? What are the options? Can Christians abandon their foreign culture to
return to their home one? – Well, yes, I guess they can, but it’s not right to
do so, and it’s surely nothing we would call victory in Christ. So, how can one
experience true victory in Christ and freedom from culture shock and fatigue?
And why should we?
Well, first, I suggest we can live within this foreign spiritual
culture and cope effectively with the differences. It may be hard, but we can do
it. Beyond that, we should do it.
Jesus prayed specifically for this. He prayed, “They are not of the world, just
as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the
world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:14-15) His
prayer is that we would remain in the world but transcend its
culture.
Second, I suggest the necessity of
our stay is seen in the missional nature of our pilgrimage. We are not here for
a vacation; we are here for on a divine mission. Jesus has sent us into this
culture. In the same prayer mentioned above, Jesus prayed, “As You sent Me into
the world, I also have sent them into the world.” (Jn. 17:18) Indeed, we have
been called out from among those languishing in the culture of darkness in order
to be lights, pointing the way to the Truth, and serving as ambassadors of the
ministry of reconciliation. (2 Cor. 5:18) In other words, we’ve been sent into
this world to proclaim Jesus Christ and make disciples.
Third, I suggest we can conquer
cultural fatigue by finding our joy and hope in Jesus Christ. Yes, we are in a
foreign culture, but we have not been abandoned to it. Jesus is with us, even
here, even now, (Matt. 28:19-20) and we can refresh ourselves daily in Him.
Bottom line, if you’re struggling
with spiritual cultural fatigue, let me encourage you to focus your attentions
once again on Jesus Christ. (Heb. 12:2) Spend some special time with Him in
prayer and meditate on His Word. Ponder all you have in Him and pray for those
who have not yet trusted Him. Rejoice in Him, and you will be refreshed. As the
hymn says…
Turn
your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
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