Thoughts on culture

Something I've been thinking about from time to time as I'm feeling more settled in Asia is the idea of culture, specifically Chinese culture, and how it intersects with my faith.

The National Tomb Sweeping holiday just passed a few weeks ago, and for the first time in my life, I went over to my grandparents house and took my place in the family tradition of honoring the spirit of my ancestors. This is a rather foreign concept to me, ancestor worship. No one in my family ever explained why they did this or even who my ancestors were, but it seemed as if this has somehow become a family tradition that trickled down from generation to generation (without me knowing!). Being in Asia is giving me a chance to learn about such things, but it also raises many questions about the role of tradition and belief.

'Dont eat the food yet Winnie, you have to let your ancestors eat first.'
Uh.. strange, I thought they died a long time ago...
'Go and to set up empty chairs for your ancestors,' my grandmother commanded, 'then go burn paper money with your cousin outside the front door."
Whatever you say, Grandma.

Though I suspect the rule really is if Grandma wants it done- its done, I wonder about the meaning of these rituals through the context of my personal faith. From the point of view of an observer, I noticed that it wasn't a spiritual exercise as much as a sign of respect and remembrance. My aunts and uncles lined up according to age and took turns bowing three times before the neat display of food and incense. My eldest uncle, who recently became a Christian, called me to stand before the table with him as he prayed to Jesus over the souls of my ancestors. I fidgeted awkwardly, not quite sure of what to do, but asked God to remember my family and to continue to draw them to Himself. There was a brief moment of silence, followed by my grandmother's call to eat lunch and to clear away the table. And that was that.

Pastor Jeff from Oasis recently mentioned a conference he went to where the speaker explained that there are parts of every culture that needs redeeming. Every culture holds some beliefs that are neutral, some that are Christ-centered, some that are humanistic, and some that are just plain demonic. The work of our lives is to identify which is which and then to walk out God's truth in the areas that are lacking. For Americans, a problem area might be a strong sense of independence and rebellion- after all, history shows that we are a country born out of rebellion. For Chinese people, it might be the overemphasis on family- so much so that children are often crushed under the weight of their parents expectations or demands. We all need a little redemption. We all need to understand how culture impacts the very core of who we are.

At the end of the day, I have to believe that God designed culture to enrich our time here on earth. I went to a Thai water festival the other day that kind of gave me a glimpse of heaven- ok, a very fun and wet heaven where Jesus would have water fights with his buds because Jesus knows how to have fun. Though culture isnt beyond the reaches of sin, imagine what your culture can be like if it is fully guided by God's truths and principles. It's played out in the way we love people, the way we remember our ancestors, the way we treat money, the way we value education and performance, the way we operate as a family, and dare I say, the way we 'do' church. Christ can transform culture. Of this I'm sure.