Help with Cultural Intelligence and Gospel Communication

Discussion Thread Replies: Cultural Intelligence and Gospel Communication

2 replies of at least 200 words each. Each reply must incorporate at least 1 biblical citation.

Reply 1 (EG)

Awareness is significant when engaging in intercultural communication, and it becomes even more significant when looking to minister to others from a different culture. After emphasizing the importance of awareness, Livermore describes awareness as “stepping back from what we’re doing and reflecting on it.”[1] When approaching this task, it is important to communicate in a way that is understandable to the listener, so ministering across cultures requires one to act both proactively and reactively. A person acts proactively by intentionally seeking to minister to others from differing cultures, and a person acts reactively by intentionally listening to understand others and how to minister effectively. Because of this, I desire to actively listen to those to whom I minister. Chang and Chang write, “The key is to listen, and to never stop listening, even if we feel like we have discovered something new about the culture around us.”[2] Although listening to others seems obvious, it is easy to passively listen or only listen to provide a response rather than to understand others. In addition, actively listening helps a person understand individual preferences and characteristics that may differ from one’s culture. Livermore notes that distinguishing between a person’s cultural values and personal characteristics shows a leader’s competency in understanding culture.[3] Also, Chang notes, “I learned that regardless of cultural preferences, it can be hard to predict what people’s reactions will be on the individual level.”[4] Considering this, it is important to actively, and consistently, listen to those who I will share the gospel with and disciple.

Habitually and consistently listening to others provides a useful foundation for ministering to others from different cultures. After listening and understanding others, one can better understand how to communicate the gospel in an effective manner. When ministering across cultures, communicating the gospel effectively may require contextualization. Chang and Change describe this strategy as “finding the form best suited for sharing the gospel within each culture… Within each local culture, the way in which the Gospel message comes into practice can be somewhat different.”[5] This does not imply that the truth of gospel should be changed, but one might consider how he or she presents the gospel and describes its practical implications. This can also be applied to teaching Scripture across cultures. After understanding a person’s cultural and personal characteristics, one can better understand how to contextualize the gospel in a manner that is consistent with Scripture and comprehendible for others.

One example of using these strategies is discipling a church member who has been shaped by another culture. In this instance, the person is a man from Japan who is not a follower of Jesus, and this interaction occurs in the United States. This interaction would occur in a location that allows for vulnerability and comfort for the Japanese man, and I would begin interacting with this person by listening to him. I do not know Japanese culture, so I would need to learn more about it to communicate effectively. Since I do not know much about Japanese culture, this also amplifies the priority of listening to him. By doing this, not only will I gain a greater ability to interact with Japanese culture, but I will understand him personally. While having these conversations, I would pray and think through how to contextualize the gospel effectively. After a friendly relationship is established, and I have some understanding of him and Japanese culture, I would try to effectively communicate the gospel with him. If a relationship has not been established, and I have not understood him or his culture, I would seek to continue these interactions to learn how to effectively share the gospel with him.

Bibliography

Chang, C. Tim, and Chang, Ashley E. Christian Intercultural Communication: Sharing God’s Love with People of Other Cultures. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2021.

Livermore, David. Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success, 2nd ed., New York: AMACOM, 2015.

[1] David Livermore, Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success, 2nd ed. (New York: AMACOM, 2015), 141.

[2] C. Tim Chang and Ashley E. Chang, Christian Intercultural Communication: Sharing God’s Love with People of Other Cultures (Dubuque: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2021), 85.

[3] Livermore, Leading with Cultural Intelligence, 78.

[4] Chang and Chang, Christian Intercultural Communication, 85.

[5] Ibid., 110.

Reply 2 (JC)

Carrying out the Great Commission will lead many of us onto the mission field abroad. While I am a big proponent of this because I believe we must have people who have a heart for that, I also believe that we have big mission fields in our local communities. I have personally encountered various cultures where I live. I have had the pleasure of talking with people who moved from Mexico, some from South Korea, and some from China. I have a personal relationship with a pastor from Nairobi, Africa and have heard so many stories about life there. In talking with all of these people I have found it amazing how drastically different they all are. Every one of these people are coming from different walks of life, they all face different challenges, and many of them come from different religious backgrounds, which impacts their world view drastically.

When I was reading through chapter six of David Livermore’s book he made a statement about being aware. He said, “the ability to be aware—of one’s self, others, and a situation—is what really makes the difference between those who lead with cultural intelligence and those who don’t.”[1] This statement really stood out to me because I know how easy it can be to get stuck in one position. What I mean by that is I know people can get stuck in only being aware of self, or only being aware of other, or only paying attention to the environment and not others. So, it really is a skill that must be honed by those seeking to reach people that may be far from God. I love Proverbs 11 when it says “whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered” (Proverbs 11:25. English Standard Version). I feel that this verse fits within the context of becoming aware. The more we become aware and engage those around us it will not only benefit them but will also be a benefit to us, I have experienced this personally.

Livermore offers so many great practices that we can put into play. One of the ones that I was immediately drawn to was the “Why, Why, Why? Strategy”[2] This is because I’m always asking this question. I feel that I am very inquisitive. I always want to know the why behind things. This may explain why being a mechanic has been my main profession all these years. I just have to know why. This has also helped in my Biblical studies and has greatly strengthened by faith as well. I know why I believe what I believe, hence why Apologetics is my focus. So, when it comes to communicating across cultures I believe that this method can be very beneficial. I also think that the practice of examining cross-cultural situations in what we read and watch is a good practice. This is, in a way, something we use to practice in the military. We would talk about various scenarios and then discuss how you would handle it. This method can be very helpful and it is still something that I do today regularly. Applying it to cross-cultural communication will be a great tool because it can help prepare you for that future encounter.

[1] Livermore, David. 2015. Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success. Second Edition. American Management Association.

[2] Ibid.

Bibliography

Livermore, David. 2015. Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success. Second Edition. American Management Association.