Worldview and pedantry

He likes cats. She likes dogs. Is he better than her? 

She is pedantic about conventional spelling, grammar and punctuation. He can’t see the problem in more creative ways of expressing oneself. Nor does he see the point in spending time checking for typos and fixing them. What does it matter, so long as the message is clear? Is she better than him? 

He is good with his hands. He can fix or adapt anything with his trusty toolbox. She is good with her head. She spends hours reading, thinking and writing. Which is better? 

Right, wrong or just different?

Cross-cultural training often incorporates the concept that certain things which may strike newcomers to a culture as strange are not necessarily wrong, but just different. Should children be seen and not heard, or should they be encouraged to express their individuality? To greet another person, should two people shake hands, rub noses, peck one another on the cheek, bring their hands together in front of their chests or bow a little? (Okay … during a pandemic, some of these conventions for greeting are definitely ill-advised.) Do rules apply to everyone regardless of the situation or is it appropriate to interpret the rules based on the particular players involved and the setting? What is the best way to enjoy a meal – chopsticks, cutlery, or a freshly washed hand?

I like to think that I am sensitive to such differences when interacting with people from cultures different to my own. Yet in my own culture, I am quick to attribute value to things that don’t merit it. Why is it so important to ensure that typos are fixed before hitting ‘publish’? Roles requiring a tertiary education or unskilled intense labour … both are valuable though often in different settings. Her Feline Highness might argue that cat people are better than dog people, but until she came into my life, I would have said the I preferred dogs. (Ssssshhhh … don’t tell the cat!)

Convicted

Last week I had the privilege of teaching on a passage from Romans 12. I found myself convicted on several points, and would like to reinforce those lessons through blogging. Thanks for reading along. This particular blog post relates to Romans 12:3b.

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” 

Romans 12:3b NIV

As part of my preparation for teaching on a later verse, in which all members of the body, though independent, belong to one another (Romans 12:5-6), I grabbed a Twitter post from the Olympics opening ceremony. Although the picture and sentiments ideally illustrated my point, to my horror, the post contained a typo. Whoever let that through? And how was it picked up and reproduced in mainstream media? Surely heads would roll…… 

Then something even more dreadful than a typo occurred to me. In putting down those responsible for letting a typo through, I was elevating myself. I was thinking of my self more highly than I ought. Never mind that the intended message was perfectly clear. Or that this was only a Twitter post and not a news article. 

The early Roman church

The people who first heard Paul’s letter to the Romans read aloud most likely came from a variety of backgrounds. Jews, Gentiles, slaves, slave owners, former slaves, tradespeople, men and women, educated and illiterate – they joined together in small groups scattered around the great city of first century Rome. Within society, their positions were anything but equal. Yet within the body of Christ, they all had a role to play. 

Just as an aside, if you, like me, enjoy historical fiction, I can thoroughly recommend the book ‘Phoebe’ by Paula Gooder. The main character, Phoebe, is based on the woman of that name mentioned in Romans 16:1-2. The book was written by a New Testament Pauline scholar who has a rich grasp of history and the culture of that time. When I read the book of Romans today, I freely admit that my interpretation is coloured by Dr Gooder’s work of historical fiction. I am grateful to its author for those insights into the world of the original recipients of Paul’s letter to the Romans. 

A modern context

The church to which I belong in an outer eastern suburb of Melbourne looks quite different to that of first century Rome. In our hyper-connected world, I can grab a Twitter post about an event halfway around the world to illustrate a point in a sermon just two days later. Nevertheless, these words recorded in Romans 12 are as applicable to us today as they were to Phoebe and her peers. 

“Do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought….” (Romans 12:3b NIV). Righto, I acknowledge that being pedantic about the written word doesn’t make me a better person than one who lets a typo slip through. 

“… but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” (Romans 12:3c NIV) This isn’t all negative, actually. In fact, introspection can result in offers of service to the greater community.

I judge myself a picky proof-reader, which doesn’t make me better than anyone else, but it does make me potentially helpful in certain areas. If I were to proof-read certain documents before they were published, wouldn’t that bless the greater community of readers? Perhaps because I have been vocal about noticing errors in the past, I have ended up being asked to regularly proof-read material in several settings. I’m glad to use my pedantry to benefit others. 

Moving on

Are cat people better than dog people? Are practical people better than academic people? Are perfectionists better than those who can tolerate a little variation in certain settings? 

Sometimes things are plain right and wrong. Yet there are many times when I am quick to cast judgement on others without first examining myself with sober judgement. We are all different and, indeed, we need one another if we are to enjoy a robust community. 

And now, moving on, I shall not be judgemental about those responsible for an extra apostrophe in not just one but several signs for a local barbeque store. Yet whenever I pass that shop, I shudder. And I am afraid that deep inside, an arrogant smirk echoes what I perceive as Barby Dave’s evil grin … evil because he knows about the errant apostrophe in the “BBQ’s” sign (below) yet does not let on.

I’m a work in progress……