1
Corinthians 13: A Guide to Missions Work If I speak with the
tongue of a national, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a
changing cymbal. If I wear the
national dress and understand the culture and all forms of etiquette, and if I
copy all mannerisms so that I could pass for a national but have not love, I am
nothing. If I give all I
possess to the poor, and I spend my energy without reserve, but have not love, I
gain nothing. Love endures long
hours of language study, and is kind to those who mock her accent, Love does not envy
those who stay home, Love does not exalt her home culture; is not proud of her
national superiority, does not boast about the way we do it back home, does not
seek her own ways, is not easily provoked into telling about the beauty of her
home country, does not think evil about this culture, Love bears all
criticism about her home culture, believes all good things about this new
culture, confidently anticipates being at home in this place, endures all
inconveniences. Love never fails; but
where there is cultural anthropology, it will fail; where there is
contextualization it will lead to syncretism; where there is linguistics, it
will change. For we know only part
of the culture and we minister to only part. But when Christ is reproduced in
this culture, then our inadequacies will be insignificant. When I was in America
I spoke as an American, I understood as an American, I thought as an American,
but when I left America I put away American things. Now we adapt to this
culture awkwardly; but He will live in it intimately; now I speak with a strange
accent, but He will speak to the heart. And now these three
remain: cultural adaptation, language study, and love. But the greatest of these is love!
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