Do you ever feel like you don’t know where to start on a big task?

Some people, I know, just start somewhere. It’s like the old adage: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Others of us, however, put off even beginning. Whether the task is as small as cleaning out a cupboard or as large as a doctoral dissertation, I procrastinate.

Yesterday’s encouragement

Most mornings, I listen to an online devotion on the app, Lectio 365. The passage we are studying this week comes from John 6:1-15, the story of the feeding of the 5000 men (plus how many more women and children?).

Yesterday, I pondered the question Jesus posed to his disciple, Philip: “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Surely Philip must have felt overwhelmed. Where does one ordinary man begin in catering for a crowd large enough to fill all seats in the Sydney Opera House?! (Apparently, the Sydney Opera House has a seating for about 5,700 people spread over six theatres.)

Meanwhile, Andrew (another disciple) spoke up with the offer of a generous boy’s packed meal of fish and bread. You know the rest of the story. Miraculously, it all worked out.

The writers of the devotional drew out the lesson that Jesus doesn’t need us to do his work, but that he invites us to participate in his work.

‘Missio Dei’ (the mission of God) is a phrase some Christians like to use. I’m one of those Christians. Yet at the same time, we then feel as if we are weighed down with responsibilities. We act as if it were ‘Missio Me’ rather than ‘Missio Dei.’

Just the same, I can’t imagine how Philip felt when Jesus posed to him the question, “Where shall we buy bread for all these people to eat?” The Bible says that Jesus “… asked this only to test him [Philip], for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” (John 6:6 NIV) What would have been the ‘right answer’?!

Today’s reminder

That was yesterday. As the day went on, I visited a colleague who, like me, is also doing doctoral research. She is further along in her research than I am. She showed me how she is organising her reading on her computer. She literally has notes, highlighted themes and excerpts from hundreds, if not thousands, of articles and books at her fingertips. I was both impressed and intimidated.

Today, I began my devotional time by journalling about how overwhelmed I feel in my own academic work. Where do I even start? (I have a pile of reading with me, and intend to make a decent dent in it this week, though the days are slipping by quickly.) I pleaded with God “… to work in me to will and to want according to your good purpose.” (This is a frequent prayer of mine based on Philippians 2:13.)

Then I turned to my devotional app. Based on the same Bible passage, the emphasis this time was on the abundance of God. Beginning with a boy’s packed lunch of five small loaves and two small fish, not only was the crowd of thousands fed, but the disciples collected twelve baskets of leftover bread!

(It’s interesting that there was no leftover fish. And what did they do with the fish bones? Leave them on the ground? Did they eat the fish heads? Curious minds like mine want to know.)

I copied into my journal a prayer suggested by the Lectio 365 writers:

Lord, show me if there is an area of my life where a fear of not having or being enough is holding me back.

Help me to live with an abundance mindset, believing that you are the God of the immeasurably more….

Lectio 365 morning devotion for 3 February 2026. I confess to having changed one small punctuation mark in this quote.

Looking forward

The tasks before me haven’t decreased in intensity or size. However, I’m reminded afresh of two never-changing truths:

(1) We are privileged to play a part in Missio Dei – the mission of God. God gives me the privilege of interacting with people, reading, researching, writing academic papers and even (deep sigh) completing the compliance-related administrative tasks that are required in countries like Australia. Though I have a responsibility to play my part, the responsibility to succeed is not ultimately mine.

(2) God’s resources are unlimited. I am most definitely limited in focus-ability, intelligence, time, ability, finances and so much more. However, the one I serve is the same Jesus who multiplied two fish and five loaves and fed thousands. What’s more, he has been described as the One in whom, through whom and for whom all things were created! (Colossians 1:16) The limits I face fade into insignificance.

Today, I’m encouraged to just plug away, one bite at a time, at my academic work. Eventually, this elephant of a research project will be consumed. I see contributing to missiology through academia as a task God has given me during this chapter of life. And if that’s what God wants, he will enable me.

They are yesterday’s and today’s deep and meaningful thoughts. Tomorrow, I might need reminding of the above two truths again. Friends, when you next see me procrastinating, please remind me of this blog post.

This is an article I recently wrote for a network of cross-cultural workers. They published it in their e-zine, but it is fine for me to post here too. The photos I have interspersed throughout come from a more recent trip to the Tibetan Plateau than the one described here.

Below is a letter to my younger self, written to the ‘me’ that first encountered a Tibetan community while travelling with a group of friends in September, 2000. I was 32 years old at the time, and working further east in China. A group of friends travelled to key places on the ancient Silk Road within China. It is to the ‘me’ that was part of that tour group that I now write.  

Dear younger me, 

I am writing to you as you visit a monastery near the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. You have been deeply moved by the piety and self-sacrifice of devout Tibetan pilgrims, some of whom you met and talked with in Chinese. This exposure will change the trajectory of your life, though you don’t know it yet. As an older, wiser, and somewhat experienced cross-cultural worker now, I would like to give you some advice. 

Manage your expectations

First, manage your expectations. I enjoy your optimism and don’t want to dampen it, but reality will hit. Be forewarned. You are just one cross-cultural amongst the hundreds … even thousands … that have tried and will continue to try to bring the gospel to these people over the centuries. Yet where is the church? What legacy remains from the sacrificial service of many who have come before you? (There are pockets on the Tibetan Plateau where Catholicism is passed from one generation to another, actually, but not in this area.) 

What matters, dear girl, is that you remain focused on the God who calls you. Seek your self-worth and fulfillment in the One you serve rather than in the results of your service. Live a devout life, being authentically ‘you’ in all your interactions. Love others well. Perhaps God will use you in the lives of a few in this generation, just as he did through cross-cultural workers in generations past. Or maybe, just maybe, please God, he will give you the privilege of being a small part of a bigger movement here of his Spirit someday. 

Never stop learning

Second, never stop learning. You know very little yet, though deep down, you don’t realise it. You hold a position of ‘foreign expert’ in this country, and as a teacher of the English language, you are treated with respect and kindness. But the truth is that you were barely even aware of the existence of Tibetans until this trip. You have yet to learn about the huge range of languages and cultures amongst Tibetan people, let alone anything of the language and culture of this particular community. Your worldview is shaped by your Western scientific education. You hardly recognise the existence of the spirit world, though you know the Bible speaks of heavenly powers and principalities. Don’t be embarrassed about your ignorance. And don’t refuse to admit it, either. 

There are lots of ways to learn, both formally and informally.  Make the most of any training opportunities you find. Language learning is an absolute must, even if younger people here speak some Mandarin Chinese, as do you. Language and worldviews are intertwined. Ask questions of local people. Be curious. Set yourself tasks to investigate specific aspects of culture here. Take seriously the way that people ‘do life’ and ask for help as you encounter various challenges in life, ranging from matters as simple as dealing with a common cold to issues as complex as conflict in relationships. Above all things, put aside your protective shell of ‘I don’t need help,’ and let local people in.  

Use locally appropriate ways

Finally, share the gospel and disciple people in locally appropriate ways. You wondered when I would get to that which is so central to your life and call, didn’t you. Sharing the gospel here is not as simple as ‘walk up and talk through a pre-formulated gospel presentation.’ It may have been a useful tool in the context of your passport country, but it is not so here. Just be a devout follower of Jesus here and now, and as people in your circles encounter challenges in life, be quick to pray with them, to ask God to intervene, and in the process, to show himself as God. Study God’s word with local people in whatever format is available. And pray. Pray long, pray hard, and pray in community with others.

Absolutely as early as possible in the journey of local people to faith in Jesus, connect seekers with other Tibetan believers. Yes, I know that there are very few Tibetan believers, and probably none in this community. Yet however fragile and scattered the community, new believers in Jesus need to be part of a network in which they can support, advise, encourage and challenge one another as they face the inevitable temptations unique to these people to slip away from their faith in Jesus. You don’t ‘get it.’ You are an outsider here, and always will be, no matter how well loved and accepted you become.  As best you can, avoid even unwittingly putting a foreign stamp on local expressions of Christian faith. Support new believers in (1) thinking through locally relevant issues such as to what extent to participate in religious aspects of local festivals, (2) examining relevant Biblical teaching and precedents, and then (3) prayerfully making their own decisions for the embryonic Tibetan Christian church. 

Dear 32-year-old me, you will discover that life will not turn out as you expect. It’ll be okay. Just go with the flow, keep your focus on God, and take each twist and turn of life as it comes. It’s God’s mission (‘Missio Dei’) and you have just a small part in it. Let God direct your steps. In all things, and particularly as far as Tibetan matters are concerned, keep these three points in mind: 

1.Manage your expectations

2. Be a lifelong learner

3. Facilitate locally appropriate evangelism and discipleship

I wish you well. 

58-year-old me, who still has much to learn

Does culture impact our understanding of Scripture? Does the culture of God’s Kingdom override earthly cultures, or do they intersect?

These are big questions. I won’t attempt an answer in this blog post, but want to consider, in broad brush strokes, one key difference between ‘Asian culture’ and ‘Western culture,’ and how this potentially impacts discipleship.

I’m not an expert. However, I recently read a helpful article* written by a Korean Christian leader living in America. He is an expert. Dr Park (the author) made six good points, the first of which has stimulated the creation of this blog post. Writing this post helps me process what I’m reading. If it helps anyone else, that’s a bonus.

Collectivism / Individualism

It’s a massive over-generalisation to say that Asians have collective worldviews and Westerners have individualistic worldviews. Besides that, many people grow up in cross-cultural families and blend the two worldviews. Furthermore, this statement ignores people from other parts of the world which are neither Asian nor Western. Nevertheless, I found it helpful to think about the differences Park raised.

A person with a collective worldview sees themself primarily as part of a bigger community. Some of my Asian friends, for example, want to meet my mother when they come to my corner of the world, and sometimes even present her with gifts. They don’t see me primarily as an individual, but as part of a family unit. (They also honour the generations above, but that’s a story for a blog post on filial piety.)

A person with an individualistic worldview, however, sees themself primarily as an individual. Yes, they are part of communities, but the emphasis is on the self. Concepts such as ‘finding yourself’ and ‘living authentically,’ regardless of the opinions of or impact upon family members, reflect such individualism.

Potential for tension

Is collectivism better than individualism? Or is individualism better than collectivism?

The answer to both questions is ‘no.’ There is a time and a place for each.

However, when the two worldviews collide, there can be tension. An Asian teenager growing up in a Western country may find it frustrating that their parents think that they should approve their career choice. The Western environment in which the teen studies focuses on the individual, while the Asian parents see the student as part of a wider family network and that they, the parents, have responsibilities for their child’s choice of career. A Westerner working in Asia may find it frustrating when colleagues expect them to tutor their kids in English. The foreigner thinks they have befriended an individual, while the Asian colleague understands the relationship to include the whole family.

A Biblical Worldview

What does the Bible teach about collectivism and individualism?

The Bible teaches and models both worldviews. Let’s consider Jesus’ view on the place of the family in the life of the individual, for example. In Matthew 8:21-22, Jesus advised a disciple to neglect his obligation to bury his father in order to follow him. Yet in Matthew 15:3-9, Jesus blasted hypocritical religious leaders for the way they wriggled out of family obligations and encouraged others to do so too.

Jesus’ relationship with his mother provides us with another example. At one point in his ministry, he seemed to disown Mary, identifying rather as part of the community of those who do God’s will (Matthew 12:46-50). Yet some time later, Jesus paid special attention to his mother during a critical incident in his life, entrusting her well-being to his beloved disciple and vice versa (John 19:25-27).

So should we prioritise our responsibilities to family, or should we put them aside in order to follow Jesus?

It depends. 

It depends on what God is asking of us in that particular context. It depends on the specific details of the situation. Navigating such matters is one aspect of discipleship. Mature Christians can help younger Christians work out what is right in their context as they consider Biblical teaching and the specifics of each situation, all of which is bathed in prayer. But in cross-cultural discipleship settings, especially, we would do well to be wary of cultural blindspots.

Choosing a life partner

Take the matter of choosing a life partner, for example. Or choosing not to marry. This is not a hypothetical example. It is a very real dilemma confronting Christians in many parts of the world.

I think of my Chinese friend ‘Lee’ (not her real name). She was single, like me, though younger. She wanted to become a missionary in the Middle East. However, she felt that she needed to first honour her parents’ wishes by marrying and having a child. After thus fulfilling her duty, she would be free to leave her child to be raised by the family, and pursue cross-cultural mission work.

Of course, it’s not that easy. Like the world over, the church was full of women. Men, let alone single men in her age group, were few and far between. Her non-Christian family, wanting the very best for her, pressured her to marry. She wanted to marry, too, but was adamant that she would only marry a Christian.

People like me (foreigners in that community) encouraged her to remain single rather than be ‘unequally yoked’ (2 Corinthians 6:14). People like me also encouraged her to pursue her interest in cross-cultural missions, regardless of her family’s concerns. People like me were shocked that she would contemplate leaving children to be raised by family members while she lived elsewhere. However, people like me came with individualistic worldviews. We were thinking of her as an individual, with the rights and responsibilities of an individual.

Lee and her family, however, came with collectivist worldviews. Her parents encouraged her to marry so that she could be part of a family network. In this way, someone would provide for her a home and a lifestyle in which she would never lack anything. They wanted her to have children before her child-bearing years were over. Such children would not only bring joy to the grandparents, but they would care for Lee in her old age. They saw her, and she saw herself, not primarily as an individual, but as a part of a wider family unit.

What does the Bible say about matters such as this? Is the advice of 1 Corinthians 7, and especially the injunction 1 Corinthians 7:39 to only marry someone “in the Lord”, directly applicable to her? Would her resistance to comply with her parents’ wishes suggest that she was dishonouring her parents? Honouring parents is, after all, one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16), and endorsed by Jesus (Matthew 15:4, Matthew 19:19) and by Paul (Ephesians 6:2-3).

How this story ended

In the end, through family connections, Lee met a kind man who was ready to settle down. He wasn’t a Christian, but was willing to become one if Lee required it. She did require it. So he came along to church and was baptised a couple of months later. We, her church friends, rejoiced with her, as did her family. The two were married.

Needless to say, Lee did not become a missionary. Her husband, while professing faith in Jesus, did not share her passion for missions. In fact, he rarely attended church. He had other priorities. Yet, in line with 1 Peter 3, Lee’s devout faith may yet have a significant influence on him.

What would you have advised Lee? My first reaction came out of my worldview. I saw her as an individual with the right to choose to marry or to remain single; with the right to pursue cross-cultural missions single-mindedly or to live for Jesus at home. Yet the situation for Lee wasn’t as clear-cut as I understood it to be at the time.

Conclusion

Lee’s story is just one example of the challenges of balancing the worldviews of Westerners, Asians, and that of the Kingdom of God. It also illustrates the complexities of cross-cultural discipleship.

The purpose of this blog post is to flesh out one area of difference between worldviews of followers of Jesus from different cultural backgrounds. Westerners like me tend to have individualistic worldviews. Asians like Lee tend to have collectivistic worldviews. The culture of God’s kingdom is neither one nor the other, but incorporates aspects of both.

If we’re not careful, when discipling others, people like me can end up mingling Western values and Kingdom values. I’ve done it myself. Reading Park’s excellent article on ‘Foundations for Asian-American Discipleship’* highlighted this to me afresh.

May we be alert for times when our cultural blinkers impact our understanding of Scripture. May we be especially wary of cultural short-sightedness when working with people from cultures different to our own. And may God be glorified as his people live for him, according to the values of his kingdom’s culture, in various places and times.

* The article which sparked these thoughts is this:
Park, Soo Min. “Foundations for Asian-American Discipleship: A Culturally Specific Framework for Spiritual Formation and Ministry Strategy.” Journal of the Evangelical Missiological Society 5, no. 2 (2025): 47–59.

Up the road is a new building project. It’s hard to see quite what the workers are constructing behind the scaffolding and netting, but buildings are most definitely going up. The scaffolds are temporary. They’re in place to provide access for the workers. But they’re not the point of the project. 

Today I’ve been thinking about how, in life, we have our ‘main purpose(s)’, and we have ‘scaffolding.’ Scaffolding is necessary if the main purposes are to be achieved, but scaffolding supports the main project and does not become the main project. When projects are complete, scaffolding is removed and the finished product is put to good use. Nobody misses the scaffolding. It was only ever a means to an end. 

Perhaps this dichotomy (building versus scaffolding) is overly simplistic. However, the metaphor has been helpful to me these past few days since hearing, by chance, a comment in a radio music programme about musical scaffolding. Writing this blog post consolidates some of my flyaway thoughts. If anyone else reading along benefits, that’s nice. 

Life’s purpose(s)

What is our purpose in life? In the words of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.”  

Within this broad purpose, however, Christians are given different gifts and called to different tasks in the church, at least. (See, for example, Romans 12:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28, Ephesians 4:11-13 and 1 Peter 4:10-11.)

Now, of course we don’t ONLY do activities to which we are called. We need to manage the necessities of life, be that physical, spiritual and/or emotional. Even the greatest minds and most prolific of writers need to eat, sleep, exercise and engage in meaningful relationships. I suspect, however, that the most productive people have staff to take care of life’s mundane details. 

At the same time, if we lose focus of our purposes and unhelpfully emphasise the scaffolding of life—that which supports the main structure—then we run into problems.

Scaffolding is necessary, but secondary

Scaffolds are not in and of themselves the main object. They are merely temporary structures that exist for a time for the sake of the main object. 

Metaphorical scaffolds in life also include the myriad of tasks necessary to allow us to focus on our main purposes. We need to commit time to create and maintain environments in which we can flourish. Vacuuming the floor. Doing my tax return (how is it already October?!). Achieving an adequate daily step count. Preparing healthy meals. Correspondence. Community involvement. All these things are necessary and good, but without some degree of intentionality, they can take on a life of their own.

Metaphorical scaffolds in life also include self-care. For some friends, self-care may look like manicures. For me, it often entails sitting in nature with my phone-camera and clip-on macro-lens in hand. The purpose of such care is to help us thrive in the area to which we are called, and not an end in itself.

Differently shaped buildings require differently shaped scaffolds

While we have similar needs, the specific metaphorical scaffolds in our lives will vary according to our different purposes in life, as well as according to our different situations and personalities.

Focusing on health and fitness, for example, is important, but for me, my main focus in my life should not be health and fitness.  … it is only a means to an end. This is not the case for everyone, however. Elite athletes, for example, need to stay in top shape. For some, improving the health and well-being of people around them is a calling. I have often thought that it is appropriate for Christians to contribute to the physical and spiritual health of people in our communities through participation in, or establishing, health and fitness clubs. But that’s not my focus.

Be intentional

As a result of ruminating on the differences between metaphorical scaffolds and main projects in life, I have become more-than-usually determined to keep my focus on the important tasks and not over-emphasise the supporting structures.

For years, it has been my habit to make a task list for pretty much every day except Sunday (a rest day). This, in itself, is a helpful part of scaffolding for my life. Skimming through pages in this year’s diary, I see a plethora of scaffolding, but too often, the ‘main purpose’ of my life has been shortchanged. Today I repent of such un-intentionality. Tomorrow, I’ll likely need to repent of it too. And the next day……

May I prioritise cross-cultural ministry, research and writing even while I attend to the necessary, and often pleasurable, scaffolding that makes these priorities possible.

My heart sank.

As I cut back the overgrown, woody salvia, I found a rose bush. Or, to be precise, the remains of a rose bush. The wood was dry and brittle. It was long gone.

I love my roses. How had this happened?

Incremental growth

How did the salvia take over the space needed for the rose bush to flourish?

It happened incrementally. The salvia spread. I enjoyed its bright ‘hot lips’ blooms. I hated to cut it back and hence decapitate those gorgeous flowers. At some point, probably in winter when the rose bush had been cut right back, the salvia took over.

I didn’t notice.

And the rose bush died from lack of sunlight.

‘Good’ but not ‘best’

Salvia is good. It is hardy, which is necessary if plants are to flourish in my oft-neglected backyard. It is bright. It attracts the bees. It ticks all the boxes for a long-term place in my backyard.

But it needs to be kept in its place. I had let it spread and take over that section of the garden.

Roses are best. In my opinion, at least. I enjoy their bright blooms. They, too, are reasonably hardy, though need a little plant food at times and a hard prune in autumn. I can manage that.

A lesson from the backyard

Life is somewhat like a competition between salvia and rose bushes. Both have a place in my backyard. But if I am not careful, the ‘good’ takes up space and restricts sunlight needed for the ‘best’ to flourish.

My life is rich in relationships, and my days are filled with meaningful activities. However, I can easily lose focus of that which is ‘best’ and fill my days with that which is ‘good.’ That’s not to say that there is no place for the ‘good.’ Of course there is a place for it, but I must keep my focus on that which is ‘best.’

And now the rubber hits the road … or, I should say, the pruning shears hit the salvia. I sit at my desk surrounded by clutter. My task list on today’s page in the planner glares at me in an accusing manner. My Chinese textbook sits to the left of the computer. My journal (in which I brainstormed this post) sits on top of the text book. An outline of a devotion for a church diaconate meeting tonight is also in that journal. My iPad lights up, alerting me to news of major world events … events about which I care but which do not need my attention right now. (Or at all, really.) My phone flashes with a WeChat message. (WeChat is how I communicate with Chinese friends, while Australian friends often use WhatsApp or Signal … they are all on my phone.) Instructions from a physiotherapist sit against the edge of the desk to remind me to do certain exercises. A folder with my college project proposal and feedback report sit to the right of the computer. Not on the desk are items representing a myriad of other priorities in life.

A Fresh Start

Today, I planted a new rose bush in the garden. I cut back the salvia a few days ago and plan to keep it under control this time. I like the salvia, but want the rose to be the main feature in that part of the garden. The salvia can stay in the part of the garden bed that doesn’t get enough sunlight for roses to flourish.

In life, too, I don’t want the ‘good’ to crowd out the ‘best’ any more. Right now, the college work needs to take priority. That’s not to say that the other items which fill my days should be cut out. No, they are good and they have a place in my life. But sometimes … often, in fact … they need to be cut back. I need to be intentional about where I spend my time.

Writing this blog post is my way of processing what I believe God is asking of me. Tomorrow, I will meet with my academic supervisor to talk through the feedback from a panel of experts on my research proposal. Following that, I need to incorporate the feedback into the proposal and submit it to the next level of academic gatekeepers, before some planned travel next month. God, in his kindness, is reminding me through backyard shenanigans involving the demise of a rose bush that I need to keep my focus on ‘the main thing.’

Conclusion

I need to keep my focus clear, and ensure that the ‘good’ doesn’t crowd out the ‘best.’

In fact, that’s true for all of us, don’t you think?

P.S. Her Feline Highness wishes to remind one and all that SHE is ‘the best.’ Thankfully, she is happy for me to sit at the computer and prefers having me nearby rather than running off here and there, so it’s all good.

I usually have plenty to say.

Rarely am I lost for words. 

That’s partly because I don’t wait until my thoughts are complete before giving them voice. In fact, I process my thoughts through speaking and/or writing. 

My thoughts are often scattered. Words follow in a less-than-orderly form. It’s okay to be a verbal processor. But others need not wade through a wealth of words in order to grasp the main point.

“You need to tighten up your work,” academic advisors said yesterday. 

I know. And it is not only in academic writing that I am challenged. Blog posts should be short and sweet too. 

There is a place for wordiness. In writing, it’s called ‘a first draft’ or ‘a journal entry’. But it’s not what should appear on a blog post or even in an e-mail, let alone in an academic paper.  

A timely challenge

I have said many times throughout my life that I want to be a writer. And writers write. 

This would-be-writer, however, frequently becomes overwhelmed at the idea of pinning down thoughts that dart left, right, up, down, backwards and forwards. It’s difficult to consolidate them into coherent and concise forms. 

I know a writer who posts one blog entry each week. Two days ago, I responded to something she had written. In the process, we had an insightful discussion about blogging. I’m tempted to veer into a rabbit trail of the specifics of all we discussed. It was actually very interesting, but if I indulged in that tangent, I’d lose sight of the main point. 

What is the main point? It is that this writer disciplines herself to produce one short, to-the-point, blog post every week.

She explained that this discipline helps her to tighten up her writing. Through ‘having to’ produce regular posts, she also notices better, as well as thinks through what God is showing her. She becomes ‘light and salt’ on the internet. She, like me, naturally tends towards wordiness, but forces herself to be concise in her blog posts. 

Readers, including me, me are blessed. 

And I’m inspired. 

And so……

Sometimes a particular theme keep cropping up in life. This week, it is the theme of concise writing. 

First, there was the exchange with that writer-friend which began a couple of days ago. Then there was yesterday’s academic feedback about ‘tightening up’ a research proposal. Today there was a brief discussion in a break during an online academic writing session on deleting extraneous detail in our work.  

Is this challenge to write succinctly and communicate clearly something from God for my particular circumstances? Or is it just something that I’m noticing this week?

Does it have to be one or the other? God or ‘just me’? No. It can be both. It IS both. (And I’m verbally processing in written form … again.) 

It’s a discipline to communicate succinctly and in a way that is a pleasing to the eye. It’s a discipline to produce short, to-the-point, pieces of writing on a regular basis. It’s a discipline to wrangle all-over-the-place thoughts and force them into some sort of order. 

This blog is a good place to practise. If any of my family and friends benefit from reading along, good and well. 

Watch this space. 

Don’t worry. This is not a navel-gazing post. Writing it is a means of processing some information that is almost in my grasp but is not yet quite secure. If writing it is helpful for me, reading it just may be helpful for you?

As a ‘career cross-cultural worker,’ I’ve thought about, and even taught about, differences in worldviews. “It’s not necessarily wrong, but just different,” I tell potential cross-cultural workers. That’s especially relevant when it comes to ‘good manners,’ whether one ‘deserves’ respect because of one’s position or because of one’s achievements, and seeing people primarily as individuals or as members of communities.

However, I’ve only recently become aware of how deeply my own worldview has been impacted by the ‘Age of Enlightenment.’ This has come to light as I read one of those ‘must-read’ books to which I often refer to but hadn’t read from cover-to-cover (until now). In this book, South African missiologist and theologian David J. Bosch posits that, “… the entire modern missionary enterprise is, to a very real extent, a child of the Enlightenment.” (Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, Orbis Books, 1991, page 274.)

That got me thinking. If he is right, then to what degree am I a product of the Enlightenment? In fact, what IS the Enlightenment?

This could become a very long, very dense post, but fear not. I am determined to keep it to a manageable length. If all goes according to plan, I’ll continue to ‘think through writing’ on this topic over the coming weeks.

What is ‘the Enlightenment’?

“The Enlightenment” is collective term for a number of ‘intellectual movements’ marked by an emphasis on reason. These took place around the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe and North America. The Enlightenment didn’t start and finish on particular dates, but rather waxed and waned in different places and at different times. It encouraged questioning and inquiry. It discouraged accepting that things should be as they were just because they had always been that way. As a result, it was an age of revolution, including the American and French revolutions. It was also an age of tremendous scientific discoveries, including those that led to the production of vaccines (for smallpox) and batteries.

The diagram below shows the changes over time in the way people in Europe and North America, at least, understood their places in the world in the years preceding, then during, the Enlightenment period.

How did the Enlightenment impact our worldviews?

The following list of ways in which the Enlightenment has impacted our worldviews struck a chord in me. Actually, different sources emphasise different aspects, so accept these as my insights rather than ‘facts’ concerning the Enlightenment.

Cause-and-effect: For everything that can be observed, there is a natural ’cause’ and ‘effect’. This means that we can explain pretty much anything in ‘natural’ terms, leaving little room for the supernatural.

Progress: Our world is perceived as getting better and better as science and technology develops.

Individualism: We perceive ourselves to be individuals with rights. We are each unique.

Knowledge: Knowledge is understood as being there, just waiting to be discovered. It is value-free. All we have to do is put in the work.

Secularism: Life is broken into that which is ‘sacred’ and everything else, which is ‘secular.’ That which is considered ‘sacred’ is also considered ‘personal’ and usually irrelevant to society at large.

We’ve moved onto slightly different worldviews these days. ‘Modernism’ emerged in the West in the late 19th century and waned in the early 20th century. We then moved onto ‘post-modernism’ in the mid 20th century. Now, we are into ‘meta-modernism’ which vacillates between different worldviews. But these variations of ‘modernism’ are not the point of my current pondering.

What impact does the Enlightenment have on cross-cultural work?

If Bosch is correct in arguing that “… the entire modern missionary enterprise is … a child of the Enlightenment,” then I would do well to at least consider the matter.

I have spent a great many hours reading and thinking about this topic recently. Bosch’s book justifies the matter well, but I will not attempt to relay his many relevant points. Instead, I would like to focus on the example of one of those ‘heroes of the faith’ who was also a product of his time. This is the Italian Jesuit monk Matteo Ricci, who was born in the early days of Enlightenment Movements in Europe, though lived the latter half of his life in Asia.

Matteo Ricci’s life integrated his pursuit of science, literature, the arts and knowledge, as well as his faith in Jesus. He is known for bringing together ‘East’ and ‘West’ in ways which afforded him the respect and patronage of many of the Chinese elite and even the emperor of China himself. Although he was a prolific writer in both Latin and Chinese, as well as a translator in both directions, he is best known for his work on the 1602 world map which he made along with Chinese cartographers. It was the first Chinese map which showed the Americas. Australia, however, was portrayed as just part of a blob, along with other land presumed to be in the Southern Hemisphere but which had not yet been officially ‘discovered.’ If you’re interested, you can see the map here: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll251:8823/p16022coll251:8816

Ricci’s commitment to minimise confusion caused simply by cultural differences is what impresses me most about him. In his early years in China, he dressed as a Buddhist monk but later, on the advice of trusted local friends, adopted the dress of a Chinese scholar. Throughout his adult life, however, he lived consistently as a Jesuit monk, regardless of his clothing. ‘The Rites Controversy’ is an issue that has divided missionary communities and the church in China over and over again throughout the centuries and which is beyond the scope of this blog post. Suffice to say that Ricci was a staunch proponent of incorporating Christian content into local customs, much to the disapproval of certain other parties. Such attempts at adaptation were a policy of his religious order at the time and not simply a personal conviction. Nevertheless, I admire him tremendously for how he embraced such efforts.

Ricci died in 1610 at the age of 57, the same age that I am as I write these words. It seems young from my perspective, but it was in the era before antibiotics and many other wonders of modern medicine. Local laws at the time required the body of any foreigner who died in China to be transported out of the country, but an exception was made for this esteemed scholar. His grave can be visited in Beijing today.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Venerable Matteo Ricci, check out this website: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Matteo-Ricci

Pulling it all together

When I am tempted to despair at the way that my worldview is so tightly entwined with my cultural background, I think of Ricci. He willingly put aside the trappings of (at least some of) his culture, and took on local lifestyles, while remaining committed to his faith. Yet in other ways, Ricci was well and truly a product of his time. That included many ways which were well received, including his knowledge of and contribution to science, literature and cartography. It also included ways that, today, we would consider ‘flawed.’ I’m thinking now of his role in the slave trade. If you’re interested, you can read more here: https://thechinaproject.com/2020/08/05/matteo-ricci-and-the-slave-trade-that-connected-portugal-with-macao/

God uses people of specific places and times, but at the same time, there is no excuse for not taking a good, hard, critical look at our worldviews and adjusting our words and actions accordingly. Ricci modelled this well. Not perfectly, perhaps, but well. (I do wish he had taken a stand against slavery.) He was a man of his times, but he was also able to shape the message he both spoke and lived in ways that removed layers which were simply ‘cultural’. Instead, he clothed his message in Eastern culture, both literally and figuratively.

To what degree am I a product of the Enlightenment?

I’m not 100% a product of the Enlightenment, but, as I read and reflect, I realise that Enlightenment worldviews have impacted me significantly. However, I’m also influenced by modernism, post-modernism and even meta-modernism … though I have to keep looking up the definitions of these words to be sure.

As I draw these thoughts to a close, can I ask you to join me in sending up a quick prayer right now for any followers of Jesus you know who are working in cross-cultural settings. May they have wisdom and ability to recognise their own worldviews. May they not deny the influences that have made them who they are, but may they be able to communicate effectively without their message becoming confused and confusing due simply to differences in how people see the world. May they, like Matteo Ricci, find that sweet spot of both being authentically ‘themselves’ while also building deep relationships with people different to themselves.

Above all, may God be glorified.

A full moon hangs in the sky tonight.

This is not just any full moon.

Here in Thailand, it is the full moon of the third lunar month of the year 2568 BE (Buddhist Era). Thailand counts years beginning from the generally accepted date of the death of Gautama Buddha. In contrast, in Australia, we count years beginning from the generally accepted date of the birth of our Lord Jesus.

Today is a public holiday in Thailand. It is the Buddhist ‘Makha Bucha Day.’ This day commemorates a spontaneous meeting of the Buddha with 1,250 monks, all of whom were believed to have been ‘enlightened’. Under the light of the full moon of the third lunar month some 45 years before the Buddhist Era (BE) began, far off in North India, it is believed that Gautama Buddha gave an important teaching summarising the core principles of Buddhism.

These days, Makha Bucha Day is a nationwide holiday in Thailand. It is illegal to sell alcohol today, and those that do may be punished with up to six years imprisonment and/or a hefty fine. Buddhism condemns the use of intoxicants, including alcohol. Some tourists will not be happy, but this is not their country, so tough luck.

Today I wandered around the grounds of three temples. Well, strictly speaking, I wandered around the grounds of one, the carpark of another, and stood in the driveway of a third. Crowds of people did all they could to earn merit.

They made offerings of flowers and money. They purchased caged animals in order to set them free. They paid money to draw sticks and ascertain their fortune by correlating the numbers with explanatory information. They burnt candles. They followed chanting monks around holy sites. They even ‘mailed letters’ in the names of loved ones to earn merit for them.

Where are Christ’s people today? For there are followers of Jesus living here in Thailand. I do not expect them to be at the temples earning merit on this auspicious day. Instead, I imagine them in their homes and communities, reflecting the hope and confidence we have in Jesus to their family and friends.

Tonight I offer to God a prayer for my Thai sisters and brothers, wherever they may be. Perhaps you could join me as you look at the pictures of these people, whom God loves, striving to be ‘good enough’.

May Christ’s followers in Thailand share by word and example the certain hope they have for ultimate enlightenment through Jesus, the Light of the World.

May Christ’s followers in Thailand share the liberating truth that Jesus has dealt with suffering once and for all on the cross, earning ‘merit’ for us that we can never deserve.

May Christ’s followers in Thailand brightly reflect the light of Jesus to all around them, just like the full, round moon tonight is reflecting the light of the sun.

Lord Jesus, Light of the World, may your glory be reflected through your people in this beautiful nation.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen

When red roses feature in particular contexts, I imagine them to be God’s special touch. Today was no exception. 

It’s day one of my ‘study retreat’ week here in Thailand. Having a gloriously empty week between meetings, my plan is to work hard each day.

Not all day every day. Only half of each day. I am also looking forward to catching up with friends and soaking up the atmosphere of Chiang Mai. 

This morning, I plugged through college reading and note-taking. Then I went out for a haircut (a fraction of the cost of an Australian haircut), after which I intended to spend time in a favourite garden cafe to draft this blog post. 

Expectations foiled

Except that the garden gate was shut. It turns out that said favourite garden cafe is closed on Mondays. 

My brow furrowed, my lips pursed and my fists clenched. As I stomped down the winding alley, I confessed (yet again) to hanging on to my own expectations and plans. In this case, it was about something as senseless as time in a particular cafe. 

Surprise

Turning the corner, my attention was caught by a very cute little cafe FULL of red roses. Real roses decorated tables. Artificial roses hung from the ceiling. And what’s more, they had salty chips (crisps) on display on the front counter. I’m a sucker for salty chips. 

In I went, thanking God that his ways are higher than mine. Ha … such a lofty thought over something as mundane as roses, coffee and chips. As it turned out, the chips were for display only and not for sale. 

Sitting by a window, with the gentle chatter of young women enjoying a birthday celebration in the background, I enjoyed an iced coffee, sans chips.

And I penned the following thoughts about discipline. 

Academic discipline

Discipline is an admirable trait that I need to work on. 

In the early stages of the Doctor of Ministry course (which I’m almost halfway through), we had subjects to complete. They came with built-in deadlines, clear expectations, and I flourished. But now I am on my own. 

I need to ‘get over’ my bad habit of procrastinating. If I can’t, it will effectively mean the end to my dreams of contributing to God’s kingdom work through ‘thinking well’ and writing up said ‘good thoughts’. 

I could bow out at this point and the Australian University of Theology (which was a college until a few weeks ago!) would give me a Master of Professional Ministry in recognition of having completed all the coursework.

However, I don’t intend to do that. I most definitely will NOT do that. I am determined to succeed. But determination needs to be translated into action.

Help needed

So I paid a psychologist to help me.

She is a very good psychologist, and a devout Christian. I imagined that she would address my doubts and insecurities regarding my ability to succeed in academic ventures. Perhaps she would teach me ‘mindfulness’ techniques that would help. (She is the author of one of my favourite books: ‘Christ-Centred Mindfulness’.) 

Do you know what she advised me to practise? 

Discipline. 

Specifically, discipline regarding focus on my academic work for 20 hours a week, 48 weeks a year, for the duration of my study. And beyond if I am to continue making a contribution to the missions community in my area of interest. 

“Distraction is just an urge and it will pass if you don’t indulge it,” she explained. “Ride the urge.”  

Right. 

To be fair, she also helped me to think through whether this academic journey is important to me and why. And she gave me some good tips on overcoming procrastination, including its likely root cause of perfectionism.

Success in academia is important to me because I long to ‘make a difference’ in an area of Christian mission work that has been relatively ‘unfruitful’ up to this point. On top of that, I believe this academic journey to be a divine ‘call’. It is a call which is as real as the ‘call’ to cross-cultural work was when I was young.

I always thought that I would grow to be a little old lady in Asia, but was disappointed in that expectation for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, it appears that God has work for me to do yet, albeit from my passport country. I delight in that realisation.

Discipline

These past few days, the theme of ‘discipline’ keeps coming up. As I prepared for our weekly BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) class this week on Revelation 12, themes included that of living for Jesus and resisting temptation. At the international church I attended yesterday, a Ghanaian preacher encouraged us from Colossians 3 to put off our ‘fleshly ways’ and live for God.

Basically, I need to just practise discipline regarding my college work. That is the particular application of all God has been bringing to my attention these past few days. I need to focus on academic work for blocks of time today, and tomorrow, and the next day. I need to repeat the pattern over and over, including once I’m back home in the busyness of everyday life (excluding a weekly day of rest).

In thinking about these matters in the rose-y cafe, I decided to try an acrostic, like some of the Hebrew writers did in the Psalms. I wrote the word ‘Discipline’ in a vertical line on the paper, then wrote sentences starting with each successive letter of the word ‘discipline’.

An acrostic

Distractions, you are temporary … I will ‘ride the urge’

Inviolable are the blocks of time I have dedicated to study

Silence the internal critic

Creativity in academia is crammed within culturally specified structures with which I am becoming familiar

Immersion in the data generates useful insights and takes a lot of time

Practise a little each day, rather than panic periodically

Let go of high expectations and just start somewhere

I commit to this practice

No excuses – push on

Effort will be rewarded if I just persevere

Putting it into practice

Friends, it would be helpful if you could ask me from time to time how I am going regarding practising discipline in the area of academic pursuits. Ask me, please, if I am spending 20 hours a week on it. I’m easily distracted.

Today’s rose-y contemplations on day one of this study retreat encouraged me no end.

Thank you, Sovereign One, for ordering my steps in matters big and small. Help me, please, to live well for you.

The following thoughts may appear somewhat judgemental, but please realise that I write as an ‘insider’. I was convicted as I sat mindfully in a shopping centre cafe today with a cake and a coffee. I was waiting for my phone battery to be replaced. And while filling in time there, I also bought a new outfit which I don’t need, but very much like…….

There are two pathways in life, analysed an ancient philosopher,
The path of folly and the path of wisdom.

Choose well. 

Laughter and chatter surround us,
Three older women converse, one wearing a Fitbit. Does she, like me, intend to move?
Two young people gaze into one another’s eyes, fingers touching.
A balding man sits alone.
“May I have little more hot water in this teapot?” he asks.

When one focuses, the noise is deafening,
A regular beat pulsates, though no melody emanates from the muddle of music.
Fake foliage adorns supporting structures above, from which yellow lights hang,
Skylights allow in sunshine but the accompanying heat is combatted by powerful air-conditioning.
High sugar, high fat treats make us feel ‘special’.

A huge hanging sign advertises a lottery, then sales, then gift cards,
Finally declaring that “Our shopping centres practise sustainability.”
‘Smart water meters’ alert management to leaks, you see,
And we should install them too.
Yet all the while, they artificially regulate the environment and encourage conspicuous consumption.

Great Creator, how often do we miss out on your best,
Substituting man-made sustenance, shelter and so-called security
For your wholesome, healthy provisions?
Forgive us. 
Deliver us from distractions of consumerist cultures.

There are two pathways in life, analysed an ancient philosopher,
The path of folly and the path of wisdom.

Choose well.