Australia Day Fruit - paying attention to roots of identity and language confusion

As I look  from afar off in Africa, on this Australia Day….

What's going on?

Today is Australia Day! My birth country's national 'day'.

It's meant to be a day that brings every Australian together in unity and celebration in what some would call 'national pride', but some seem to want it to be a day of national 'shame'.

When I was a child I used to think that Aussies were pretty 'low-key' when it came to patriotism. In contrast I looked at America and thought it was quite 'over the top' in its national patriotism. Australia Day back then was a national holiday to give out Australia Day awards and citizenships, but not much else happened except maybe an excuse for another extended family picnic. Cheaply imported 'Aussie' paraphernalia seems to have changed all that.

HOWEVER, This year as I hang a simple Aussie flag in our home far away from Aussie shores, there are so many reasons I am thankful for being born an Aussie. I also watch scenes on Youtube from Aussie news broadcasters that show how some want to turn a happy national day into an angry day with a different name.

What's going on?

What can or should be done about it?

I am not going to try to give an answer on which day of the year should be Australia Day, or any other of the obvious controversial issues. Because I think this is something more than that.

Sometimes standing back and looking from a distance, can help.

Living cross-culturally for the last 23 years as also helped me learn to look at life and culture with fresh eyes….and pay attention to elements of cultural life that once upon a time I didn't even notice, or know I should look for. 

We also need to look below the surface and dig to root level if we want to address and solve root issues. Some might think these aren't root issues but just a lot of minority 'noise'. But root issues start at lower levels of a plant first and creep up to the top fruit level. We need to recognise the first signs of problems appearing in the fruit and address the problems early at the root…otherwise it will get so bad the only result is that the whole tree rots and falls or is taken down. And often the 'root' issues are actually 'soil' issues…as any gardener will tell us.

Here are two 'soil' issues I am seeing underneath the 'Australia Day Fruit'

1. Identity

Identity issues I have addressed many times on this blog. However, when our core human identity is not in Christ our Redeemer, and more deeply not even in God our Creator, we try to find it elsewhere. 

The first substitute is likely to be national identity and earthly citizenship. And because we no longer rest in our heavenly sourced identity and citizenship, we begin to rely on our earthly identity and citizenship.

But in God's scheme of things, while our earthly ethnicity and nationality is God-given, it is not meant to be the zenith of our identity as explained by American honour-shame scholar (and past Asian missionary) Brad Vaugn here on his recent blog post.  

There will be some from every ethnicity in heaven, but that is not because of the ultimate greatness of those ethnicities. It simply shows that ethnicity in no way excludes anyone from gaining a new and higher honour and identity in a new kingdom and citizenship - in Christ and His eternal holy Kingdom of glory. We no longer need to join an earthly nation (Israel) to be God's people, but we come into Christ, in whose Holy Spirit all ethnicities that were once separate, are now joined. 

We go from all being many nations under differing honour-code ethics which divide us, to all being under one Christ-directed set of holy honour code ethics that unite us. 

However, when we forget, ignore, deny, or are just plain blind, to God's Kingdom identity, 

we have no secure assurance of any identity….and so

 we will try to find a substitute, and then fight for it.

Many Australians have found their substitute identity in a mis-placed inferior earthly national identity and felt blindly 'safe' that it was a sufficient substitute for Kingdom Citizenship and they don't really need God in the 'lucky country'.

But along comes a problem…

When you settle for finding your deep human identity in a lower level substitute, suddenly you discover there are others at the same lower level as you also trying to find their human identity in the earthly ethnicity or nationality. Now there is no higher unifying identity for all. 

And what does this lead to?

Still a yearning for identity but one that leads to tribalism and fighting for supremacy of your tribe - whether that's your gender or your ethnicity or your sporting team, or gang, or profession, or whatever..

Meanwhile the soul of man knows there is something more is needed than just national earthly identity, in order to fulfill the deep longings of the heart.

And so we go looking for something to make us feel that deeper, elusive sense of honour. 

So what is the Aussie likely to do?….they go looking for what is a cultural honour-code pillar... fighting for the 'underdog' - ie the oppressed, the less fortunate or the vulnerable, shamed or neglected. If your world has moved to what is now tribalism and you want to do a culturally honourable thing and fight for the 'oppressed', what will you do?

You will find who you think is the 'oppressed' group and you fight for it …and you will think you are doing the most honourable important thing on the planet!

So you find your ultimate honour in trying to be a 'hero' in 'helping' the 'oppressed' group be 'heard', by increasing their voice to those who you think are not listening and oppressing the 'underdog'. 

Without God in your life, 

you fight for the ones you perceive or believe are the shamed ones, 

and try to shame the ones 

who are your opponents and who you believe are the oppressors.

The fact that it will never satisfy, the fact that it will only further divide and not unify, the fact that it is a shameful lie of the devil to keep you away from the true identity and honour available in God through Christ... you are blind to it all. You don't realise that in a misplaced honour-code that is no longer God's honour code, you will mis-take what is truly honour and what is truly shame, you will mistake what will truly unify and what will truly divide.

And to add to the subtlety of the devils lies, helping the oppressed is what we are called to do as Christians, but we have to make sure our definitions and interpretations of 'oppressed' are God's, and the way we do it is His way. We have to make sure also (even as Christians) that our identity is not found in our 'works', but in Christ.

It's not that we as human beings don't have things to be ashamed for. Before God, in particular, we all do. Some of what we see in our world today, is no doubt the reality that deep in every heart is an awareness that we are all in a place of shame and we should be ashamed of something we have done wrong and an identity we should mourn. 

We also want to alleviate our own sense of shame 

by pointing out, blaming and shaming others. 

We put others down to put ourselves 'up' in our own minds. 

But when we leave God out, we have no answer to why we feel shame for anything at all, and we have no answer to how to deal with the shame or to know what it is we really should be mourning. We end up being sucked into lies and substitutes that never satisfy and only confuse, disappoint and divide.

All because we are trying to find our identity in the wrong 'soil' source.

2. Language Confusion

The next issue that seems to be exposed in this mess is what I would call 'language confusion'. Australia only has one official national language - English. 

But in cross-cultural missions we often talk about communicating in a person's 'heart language'. A language is more than particular tones and sounds used to identify items and actions etc in communication, and which differ from culture to culture. Those are rooted in the Genesis 11 tower of Babel. We know such language differences need translation to enable the different language speakers to 'hear' each other. 

We could call that the 'what' of language.

But language is more than 'what'. 

It is also 'how' and 'why'. 

It's how we express what we mean and why we express it that way.

For example we talk about 'love languages' where different people who might all speak English could express their idea of love in different ways but still using English words. Such languages can also end up in mis-understanding and require 'translation'. There is a need to learn to understand the lens of how the other person 'sees' (and feels) love.

But there is another heart language issue that is so evident across our multi-cultural world. And its creating mis-understanding, stress, pain and conflict in a multitude of settings. 

Its the issue of the different heart languages of guilt-innocence and shame-honour. It's the languages of how we look at right and wrong, good and evil. It's the languages of the conscience, of motivation, of persuasion, of significance, of goals, of crime and punishment, of advocacy, of righteousness and sin.

Australia has a cultural conflict  - not just about Pro-Palestinians protesting on the streets, but in regard to ideology (beliefs) and theology (God) and thus also anthropology (humanity) and eschatology (future). It's not just about different ethnic cultures either, but also about generational cultures. Evangelist and Author Sam Chan has said how that younger generations in Australia have to be reached from the perspective that they think in 'shame-honour' terms rather than 'guilt-innocence' terms. This is a generation who has been raised not only in the soil of a God-denying society (without even an awareness of Creator or Redeemer rooted identity), but also in a social-media honour-shame fuelled world.

And in the process these two differing cultural focuses (worldviews) are talking in different languages about how to progress through these conflicts. They are speaking past each other. Neither are truly hearing the other, and thus both think the other one is blind, stupid, reckless and evil.

Now, don't get me wrong, 

what God says is evil is evil, and what God says is righteous is righteous. 

There is no debate to be had about that.

However, the lenses by which a person sees how to understand and explain right and wrong can differ. This impacts how we interpret the world, ourselves and even the Bible. When that lens is functioning in a mis-placed way, the problem of differences and divisions only increases.

The lenses in Australia (and in the wider western world) have some people shouting through 'shame' terms, and others shouting in 'guilt' terms. And both think they are right and that the other side is 'out of touch with reality'.

Let me explain -

The 'guilt-innocence' side is championing truth-restoration and thus the exposing of lies. They accuse the other side of telling lies, breaking promises and refusing the truth.

The 'shame-honour' side is championing honour-restoration (or they might use the term respect), and thus shame-removal. They accuse the other side of shameful behaviour and refusing to show respect.

This was highlighted to me in stark reality today.  I was catching up on Aussie news on this Australia Day on Youtube!….and the top news bulletin was talking all about truth, and the lies of broken promises. Just below it on Youtube was a news bulletin on a different Aussie TV channel about thousands marching in the streets to say it is not 'Australia Day' but 'Invasion Day'. That side's mantra is all about making the 'invaders' feel ashamed…so ashamed that they should change or cancel Australia Day being on January 26th.

So where to from here?

We have to start speaking the language of those we are trying to reach with the gospel.

Those who see life through honour-shame lenses primarily need to be spoken to in honour-shame terms. 

Truth is important, but we don't speak in those terms first…we explain truth in terms of honour and shame. We say how that to speak truth is respectful, and lying is shameful. We have to translate our message into the language that is understood. If a leader lies, he is shameful. We don't just fight for truth, but we fight for the truth about honour and the honour of truth. We don't just fight against lies, but we expose the lies of mis-placed shame and the shame of lies.

We have to 'learn' a new language. We - including the church - have to expand our vocabulary, both our social vocabulary and biblical vocabulary. 

Like learning a language when going cross-culturally, we have to listen to hear how people articulate their feelings, aspirations, goals and describe their actions and choices. When we use a different language, the listener doesn't 'hear'.  They have to hear the gospel in their language. It has to be a language that speaks about identity, and belonging and honour and shame and acceptance, and what God affirms and rejects. It needs to acknowledge and not dismiss that their desires for identity and honour and acceptance and affirmation are valid, but where they seek it might be mis-placed.

The reality is that we all are sensitive to honour and shame but we articulate it in different ways. And Scripture talks more about shame than it does about guilt. So learning more 'shame' oriented language not only will help us communicate and share the gospel better with others, it will also give us a greater insight and experience of the God of the gospel.

Australia's Voice and the issue of 'Respect'

Profound! …not surprising….but….It's official….well about as 'official' in Australia as it can be, that 'Respect' is 'king'. 

The voice of the highest office in the nation of Australia - the Prime Minister, is choosing to use the concept of 'respect' to motivate the country to do what he believes is right. Thus also by implication, this infers that if you do the opposite, you are 'disrespectful'.  This was highlighted on a recent Australian news clip I saw on Youtube this week.

Attached to the campaigning for the upcoming 'Voice' referendum is one side pushing for 'Yes' and one side pushing for 'No'. And due to the nature of the proposal, the current Labour government (and thus the Prime Minister) put forward, and is promoting, the 'Yes' side.

So with his most recent statement, the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in effect saying, that to vote 'Yes' is to show respect.

And by saying this, he is obviously of the opinion (consciously or otherwise), that this is the line of argument that will sway the majority of voters.

Observing from across the ocean

Looking from afar, this is fascinating.

In this blogpost, I have no intention of 'taking sides'…although we definitely know how we would have voted had we been in Australia. However, what I want to comment on is the significance of the Prime Minister's statement and how it signals something important about Australian culture in relation to morality, and thus about Gospel evangelism and discipleship in my country of birth. 

Once upon a time….and earlier in the campaign, there was more emphasis on what a law or decision would 'do' - what practical benefits were hoped would eventuate. However, it seems the focus has become far more heavily weighted now not on what the decision would 'do', but on what the decision says about who we 'are'. The persuasion technique hinted at this before, but now it seems to be based firmly on the assumption that people will want to show they are respectful and not be someone who is  'disrespectful'. 

Here in Africa, as we have said often on this blog, the context of 'right and wrong' - ie morality, is deeply rooted and emerges in the context of honour and dishonour (shame). In English vocabulary here, that is most often verbalised in the words of 'respect' and 'disrespect'. 

Here, as an African friend and theologian had once explained, 'saying NO is very difficult for an African'. And the reason is that it is seen as disrespectful and to show disrespect is the most sinful/shameful thing a person can do. Thus to say 'Yes' to any request, command, idea or proposal (especially from elders and leaders) is respectful and right, and to say 'No' is to be disrespectful and wrong.

So it is interesting to hear the Australian Prime Minister as he heads up the "YES" vote, trying to use the motivation of 'respect'.

Australia has historically been an interesting mix of moral motivation. But from personal experience and Culture Test results, it is a nation that has been very highly motivated by a guilt-law-innocence perspective rather than an honour(respect)-relationship-shame perspective. As a country it's culture has been rooted in British monarchy but also influenced highly by the influence of the guilt-law orientation of the USA. And even the British side of things was more of experiencing the legal punishment arm of Britain, in being established as a convict colony. So along with free settlers who had no distaste for monarchy and the UK, the convicts of course had little desire for that kind of rule. In fact a previous Prime Minister Bob Hawke has apparently said that Australia was a place of 'no hierarchy of descent' or 'privilege of origin'. Australia was a place that wanted equality under a common rule of law for all, and not a place based on hierarchical familial relationships. Thus, alongside an element of respectful relationships reflective of British culture, it had become a place where relationships would be sacrificed in order to uphold rules and thus we would classify it as more of a guilt-law emphasis culture. Any concept of 'respect'  was more and more deeply entwined into the greater 'respect for rules'.

As previously discussed on this blog, Western culture, and within that Aussie culture, is shifting. Social media, multi-culturalism and a 'pendulum reaction' to supremacy of 'rules', alongside a separation from Judeo-Christian ethics that strives to bring the matters of rules and relationship together under God, has meant that especially younger generations are increasingly linking in to the part of how God made us that values respect in relationships.

However, as we yearn for respect and significance in relationships within a 'there is no God' 21st century society, we form such values outside of God's design and look for them outside of God…and thus in and from the creature, rather than the Creator. We thus begin to frame our concept of 'respect' not on giving honour to God and seeking honour from God, but giving it to people and getting it from people.

Thus the Prime-Minister didn't just talk about a 'Yes' vote showing 'respect', but that such showing 'respect' would make us 'feel good about ourselves'. In other words he asserts that a 'Yes' would demonstrate respect (and thus show you to be a good respectful person as viewed by others, in Australia and globally), and also give you a feeling of personal moral satisfaction as a good person, fulfilling a sense of purpose. The problem is that respect that is determined by what makes me feel good, is doomed for disaster.

Implications

So a few things stand out to me from this - a few things that the Aussie Christian and the Aussie church need to more and more take note of …and apply if we are to reach Aussie hearts with the gospel.

• Majority morality does not factor God in (we've known this for a long time of course)
• Majority morality has not only moved away from what pleases God, but as the bottom line also has moved away from what is best in the interest of others (although we still tell ourselves we act for the good of others and this 'respect' argument plays on that), to actually being determined and motivated by 'what makes me look morally right' in the eyes of people, and 'what makes me feel good or better about myself' 
• Majority morality is fast moving towards being oriented toward 'respectful relationships' rather than 'rule keeping'
• ...this feeds into then seeking respect from, and giving respect to, people rather than God ….and thus seeking affirmation, approval, acceptance, significance, value and identity on a human creature level rather than a Creator level.
• this provides great gospel-sharing opportunities to people who are seeking to give and receive respect and value and are searching to find a satisfying identity and purpose

So as I look at the 'Voice' debate, the 'voice' of the Prime-Minister is a 'voice' that speaks of where Australian society is at in regards to its morality and worldview. 

And thus it should remind us once again that God's 'VOICE' of the gospel needs to come to needy ears and hearts…. bringing the good news of the true honour and identity to be found in Christ before the eyes of God. For this is an identity that does not need to seek its place by affirming earthly cultures and groupings, but finds a higher more satisfying and joyful place by being part of God's family in which all people are granted an equal identity that surpasses all others and frees us from trying to find value and significance in the offers of this world. Such offers will always fail to satisfy, and will lead us away from that for which we were made and fall short, but which Jesus came to restore.

With honour they served...

photo credit: screenshot

With honour they served…

This is a phrase that has been said maybe hundreds of times in the last week or so, as people remember the two Queensland Police officers that were brutally gunned down in the course of duty near Tara.

As the ABC covered the memorial service at the massive Boondall Enterntainment Centre on the 21st December 2022 and the 1.5km guard of honour of thousands of Police officers after the service, the term 'a huge display of honour' was used. 

It was an horrific crime and a fitting tribute. 

But it's the 'honour' element I want to highlight.

I can't help thinking that this is the biggest 'honouring' event I have seen in the Australian context in my lifetime.  Ok I've only live just over half a century which isn't that long in the grand scheme of things, but I began to wonder why there seemed to be this deep need in the psyche of so many to do such an huge 'honouring' and for so many members of the public to feel they needed to be there.

Other Police officers have been killed before, hundreds of our military have been killed across the world, yet this seemed to evoke an excessively strong response.  

Maybe it was because it was such an intentional slaughter of innocent lives and happened in a close-knit and normally 'quiet' rural setting.  But it provoked me to ponder this all a bit more.

So what might be going on here…..

Although we talk about 'honour-shame' oriented cultures being primarily Asia and Africa, we must not overlook that deep in the heart of us all is the hunger for honour…and as we see in this incident we are not only hungry for our own honour, but I think we are also desperate to find someone/something great and noble which to give our honour. And as the West more and more rejects, ignores or forgets about God for who He really is, the West will also more and more go looking for everything related to honour, but on an earthly level, thinking that is all there is. Honour on the level of God and eternity are no longer factors that are embraced.

In a world that has rejected God, there is no God to honour, there is no Jesus to honour. There is no-one in our lives on a daily basis to salute, to bow to, to humbly honour for their greatness, their goodness, their sacrifice for others.  We were made to 'look up' to a greater glory than our own. 

Like I talked about with the Queen's passing, and all the tributes and people feeling 'honoured' to just be in the room where her body Lay in State, people would have felt a sense of humble honour to attend and pay tribute to these two courageous, sacrificial officers.

Maybe it is also that unlike the Queen, these two officers represented in people's minds a situation of 'good people' who intentionally and knowingly deny themselves and give their lives every day knowing under what risks they serve, and they paid the price of social 'badness' with their lives - they sacrifically suffered something they should never have suffered. Is it that this reveals just a hint of the deep unconscious reality that our hearts want to honour such a person, and such a person deserves honour….and yet we miss honouring the One - the Lord Jesus Christ - who was perfectly good and suffered the greatest and most henious murder this earth has witnessed. 

Maybe this is another situation that you can use in conversation with others to draw them to think about matters of the heart…..ask them why they think we humans feel a need to give honour at all?…or why we say the police 'serve with honour'?…and what honour has to do with giving of oneself for others?….what else can you think of that might lead a person to think more deeply even if just for a moment, about why we act the way we do and what this might teach us about why we were made and Who made us….and Who deserves our highest honour and also wants to 're-make' us anew….

….The 'Who' of Christmas!…Jesus Christ the Lord!

Selfie deaths are ringing Society's alarm bells! - why honour and shame are hiding at the core of this problem

According to the Beareau of Statistics:

• 34 deaths from falls from buildings and structures just last year alone in Australia 
• 20 deaths from accidentally falling off cliffs
• 5 deaths from skiing or skating 'accidents'

According to the news report this is the highest number of deadly cliff falls in ten years and double the number of 5 years ago

and its believed 'dangers stunts are attracting attention on social media seen to fuel the fire'

The news report went on to say:

'it can be death or glory in the hunt for social media status'

'young selfie-obsessed Australians are putting their life on the line'

Content on media platforms such as TikTok, SnapChat and Youtube (of the Selfie's of other's risk-taking for the 'best' selfie)... is believed to be driving others to 'outdo' what they see just to get 'notoriety'.

Psychologists are concerned, 

Emergency Service personnel are concerned,

 the media are highlighting it, 

and families are suffering the loss of young lives in their prime.  

But is the answer to put more pressure on these platforms 'to make sure the content is safe for our children'? as the psychologist suggested???

Maybe the problem is not just that these images are viewed, but that after viewing them others want to not just copy, but 'outdo' what they see.

The viewing is not the problem…the response to the viewing is the problem.

So then we have to ask, why does someone respond the way they do?

Why do they want to take the risk in the first place?

The news report contained some key words that should alert us! ……'glory'….'notoriety'….'status'

This is an honour hunger problem!

At least it's being thought about slightly more deeply and being recognised as not just a physical problem of physical deaths (that's not to say the loss of physical life isn't something to be concerned about).

This is actually not just that people are dying from physical injuries of falling off buildings and cliffs or in skiing accidents. These deaths are caused by a deeper issue. It is a heart problem …but not the physical kind. 

Seeking for Status is at the Heart of the Selfie Quest.  It is the heart seeking for honour, for glory, for notoriety, for fame, for significance and sense of worth. But instead of seeking it and finding true significance and honour as created by the Creator and redeemed by the Redeemer, they are seeking it by accomplishment, popularity, by being 'better' than others…trying to 'outdo' others in the competition for 'likes'. 

 If we don't recognise our ascribed honour and worth in God's eyes—as the work of God's hands in creation and work of the cross in redemption, we will get busy trying to do our own 'work' of trying to achieve honour and worth in our own eyes and the eyes of other people around us.

This is a 'falling short' of God's glory and seeking after mis-placed glory that is simply not only chasing the wind, but ultimately bringing death filled with eternal shame (Daniel 12:2). 

Sin's lie is stealing life…literally!

Scripture tells us that if we seek to keep, save and love our life we will lose it, but it's only when we are willing to lose it, that we will truly find it (Luke 17:33, John 12:25). Trying to get glory status our way will eventually only end in the opposite.

This world needs the gospel…the good news that true honour and glory can only be found in God through life in Christ…glory that brings life abundant and eternal - better than any temporary adrenaline risk-taking rush, notoriety, and its deadly ends.

By using this news headline as a conversation starting point, who could you bring this gospel good news to today?

A few more thoughts on Identity Politics, Evolution and the Future

Photo source

Our sense of honour, value, worth, is inextricably linked to our identity - who we understand ourselves to be.

Recently the author of 'The Coddling of the American Mind' (Jonathan Haidt ) was visiting Australia and gave an interview on Sky News.

He made a couple of interesting points (in bold) I would like to mention and comment on.

1. Western multi-cultural Democracy as we know it cannot continue or survive without a sense of shared future

In other words, all the factions of tiny segments of society - which he believes social media had a major part to play in forming - who want to see themselves with a unique identity, cannot keep the world 'together' as a shared humanity. But interestingly he said, we don't just need a shared belief now about who we are and what we are doing, but we need a shared future in order to do that.

Mmm, what does it mean about the concept of 'future'.  Just this morning I was discussing African traditional culture with our Motswana co-worker and we mentioned (as African theologian John Mbiti also noted) that African culture generally looks more to the past than the future.  Ancestors of the past and traditions from the past are what guide and direct all of life. 

Where a person has come from - ie what family - is of utmost importance, and keeping the traditions of that family/culture continuing is the mandate the culture has to abide by.

However, as Christians, our worldview is vastly different. While we know where we come from - God created us and we are all descended from Adam - its not the past that propels us through a day, it is the future. Our Scripture not only tells of our beginnings but also tells of our future.

Scripture is full of looking to the future. Prophecy is all about the future.  Eternity is all about the future. Salvation is all about looking to the future.  

Not only is what Christ 'has done' for us important, but that he is coming back to take us HOME. Future resurrection, and freedom from sin, and living with God for all eternity, is what spurs us on through each day. Heaven and resurrection in the consumated Kingdom of God, is our goal.

Yet as we chatted this morning, something else came into the conversation….that Evolution is the very opposite of looking to the future. 

Like African Traditional Religion, Evolution looks to the past. It gets busy trying to find where we have come from. But in separating itself from God, not only does it prevent itself from actually finding out where we came from and come to all kinds of wrong conclusions, but it also has nothing to say about where we are going. It has no hope or certainty about the future.  Anything future is an unpredictable accident which supposedly will be decided by random chance.

2. We have to have a sense of identity politics in a multi-cultural nation.  Martin Luther King was doing identity politics. But there are two kinds of IP -

 1. Common humanity identity politics (where we emphasise we are all human and some brothers and sisters are not being given justice 

2. Common enemy identity politics (where you say 'they are the bad people who are causing all our problems…whatever dimensions of power and privilege make people more conscious of').

Again it is interesting how these mirror the Scripture and are trying to be re-created in our world, but without God. Yet without God, it is impossible.

Why impossible?:

- we are only truly all one shared humanity if we are uniquely human. But evolutionary theory tells us we as humans are not 'separate' and unique from the rest of creation. We are just part way on a progression from sludge to grubs to monkeys and apes to us to ??  To truly share the fullness of our human identity enough to hold us together we have to agree who we are, where we came from and why we exist and where we are heading. And that only comes when we accept we were created by God.

In this, African traditional religion (ATR) is way ahead of Western secularism. ATR at least acknowledges the Creator God, even though it fails to recognise God's character, and his place and role in the world.

- Not only do we need 'common humanity' but inbuilt in us is a recognition that there is right and wrong in the world and somehow we are meant to identify and reject what is wrong and cling to what is right. The problem is that we have a warped, sinful, contaminated view of what is right and what is wrong and left to ourselves we will continue to try to figure it out and get it wrong.  But that doesn't stop us from feeling that the wrong should be stopped because its wrecking what is right.

And it is totally true that there is wrong and there is right, and it's the wrong of the world that needs to be stopped and the 'wrong' that is our enemy.

It's just that without God we will mis-identify what is wrong and right, and who causes the wrong and what... or Who... provides a way to live in the peace and harmony of 'right'.

So lets not despise those who are seeking identity in politics, but recognise that their seeking is valid, good, and needed.  But also let us pray, and diligently strive, to be vessels of good news to such seekers, so that they may find us open and willing to discuss the topic. May we be wise and careful, bold and clear, as we share with them the answer to identity, the hope for the future, and the message of the true Victor over all the wrong and evil in our world.

Today's generation may not say anything about wanting to go to heaven, but deep down, its heaven they are looking for. May we gently and courageously bring them the light that leads them step by step to the place where they realise its actually a perfect heaven they desire, and its Jesus they need!

ps. if you are interested in hearing more very important advice from Jonathan Haidt I would recommend watching this short video as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Awmmj57ZDI 

Australia’s Aged Care ‘Honour’ problem!

Recently there has been a particular focus on the problems in the way elderly people are treated in aged care homes in Australia. Such a despicable situation was exposed in some settings, that the Prime Minister called for a Commission to investigate.  Subsequently there was a bit of 'conversation' in the media on the topic, including an article I read.

Because of our family's current experience, I am particularly atuned to this topic.  

But what is of interest to me is how the media conversation on this aged care issue, is using so much 'honour' terminology.  

The article I read didn't talk much about rules and regulations, but about the problem of how we do or do not value the elderly in our society.  The article used a great deal of honour/shame related vocabulary.

What is essentially being talked about in this article, is a call for a change in our societal collective 'honour-code' - a term and concept addressed in the book 'The Honor Code' by Kwame Anthony Appiah. 

It's about recognising that change comes about when we change what and who we honour and value.  Changing or increasing rules and regulations and penalties for breaking them doesn't change the heart of people.  Without using the exact words, this article called for society to have a change of 'heart' in who we 'honour'. It is calling for regognising not just what we 'do' but who we 'are'. (...mind you the elderly still have a lot they can 'do' even though it might not be obvious - they can teach! There is so much we can learn by interacting with the elderly, if we only took the time, that would enrich our lives, grow our knowledge and wisdom and increase our appreciation for them.)

But here are some examples and quotes (in italics), showing the honour-shame emphasis of the article:

Dishonour is about negative stereotyping, rejection, marginalisation:

The commission needs to go beyond the institutional problems at individual aged care facilities, as these are a symptom of a much broader rejection of ageing in society and marginalisation of older people.

Negative stereotyping of older people is reinforced in the media, and this both informs and reflects societal attitudes.

What Society honours is what society values, and when that honour emphasis is an achieved honour for what we 'do', there can be a reciprocal lack of ascribed honour for who we 'are':

Our value is largely determined by our economic contributions to society. But for many older people, this is difficult to demonstrate because they're no longer in the workforce.

However, it is important that older people are not considered redundant in their societal role when dependency increases.

Honour is about status:

Within the healthcare sector, aged care has the lowest status of all specialty areas among nurses and doctors.

Honour is about respect:

Encouraging more healthcare professionals to enter the aged care sector will require a multi-pronged approach, starting with finding ways to engender more professional respect for those working in the field.

Honour is about people and relationships not just rules and regulations:

This requires strategies to build better relationships between residents and staff

What we honour is about what we value:

We have an opportunity to reconstruct the delivery of residential aged care. Let's begin with the end in mind: a society that not only values older people, but values the resources required to provide the care they need and deserve.

Honour is about recognition and priority - being seen as important and special:

Greater emphasis also needs to be placed on improving the gerontological expertise of aged care workers. This can be strengthened by prioritising aged care in medical school education and recognising "nursing home" care as a specialist medical area.

Increased funding and oversight will only come when we collectively say it's important.

When I began my Nursing degree, I don't recall anyone in my year aiming to become an aged care nurse. I had even worked in an aged care facility, yet I was aiming to become a mid-wife. I enjoyed the work in the aged care facility, but it wasn't a career priority for me.  

If I, who actually enjoyed working with older people, and saw them as valuable as anyone else in God's eyes, didn't prioritise aged care nursing as a goal after graduation, I am not exactly suprised it has little interest for so many. 

With modern society seeing the elderly as obsolete contributors to the community, no wonder we have created a society that attributes little importance to the elderly and their care. After all, despite this current conversation on needing to care for the elderly honourably, there is another conversation about euthenasia going on, which is diametrically opposed to the value and contribution of those who are old, ill, and needing care.

But apart from that incongruence, this current focus is a reminder of the changing shift in thinking of the current generation - that honour, respect and value is important apart from what we 'do'.  It's a welcome new focus, and a needed new focus in a time when Aussie culture has gone to an extreme emphasis of laws, rules, and regulations as if they were the be-all and end-all of properly functioning society.

Now it behoves the church to continue to recognise this shift and work with it in bringing a godly and biblical perspective to this honour-shame focus, so that it doesn't just become a secular change but is a sacred change as well. 

It's not just about current society saying the elderly are of value and should be honoured, but that God as Creator says that the elderly are important and deserving of right and proper honour in His eyes.

The Law of Honour in Australian Courts and Workplaces

'The Law of Honour" 

- no, its not an oxymoron.

While law and honour are not the same they are not mutually exclusive.  In fact they are inseparable in many ways.  The 'law' of honour is an ancient law even if in the Western World it has lacked clear emphasis in recent decades.

I just 'found' a draft that I had started of this blog post some months back that got put on the 'back burner' while other life matters took higher priority.  But the issues raised are still worth noting...

Toward the end of 2017, the state of New South Wales passed a new law. Now, disrespectful behaviour (to a judge) makes you guilty of breaking the law.  In particular, not standing when a judge enters or leaves the court.  This is similar to a general 'contempt' of court (which also encompasses disrespect or disobedience to procedures of the court), but is meant to be an even more specific 'disrespectful behaviour' law.

…..ie one can now be found 'guilty' of the sole  specified crime of  'dishonour'

…..and someone was being tried for this exact crime, and it got into the news.

This might sound strange to a Westerner's ears but it is the 'norm' in our part of the world ….at least culturally.  Cultural 'wrong' is to 'dishonour'.

And in fact, it is Biblical.  Romans 1:21 tells us that God's verdict on why we are to be condemned in our sin is that we have failed to honour God as God….ie we are guilty of dishonouring God.

We have spoken before on this blog about how, sin is at its core, dishonour.  Sin against God is dishonouring God.

This is not some new idea about what sin is, dreamt up by anthropologists, missiologists or modern theologians.  This is rooted in Genesis, confirmed in Romans and preached down through the ages (see my guest blog post at honorshame.com)

In the Courts

But an article on the Australian ABC news website, that was highlighting this new Australian law and the current case involving it, did make some very interesting statements, which reveal the 'disquiet' that such a law has created in Australia, as my home country unwittingly tries to navigate both a sliding shift from guilt dominance to a growing shame/honour influence, and a change in social honour codes.

This case is even more complicated because the accused being tried for this crime, as highlighted in the article, is a Muslim woman who is prepared to submit to a religious 'honour code'  that she believes is higher than the state honour-code, and says she won't 'stand' up when a Judge enters a courtroom because she won't 'stand' for anyone except Allah.

Interestingly the article also said:

- "The law reflects our community's expectation that everyone who comes before a court show respect for the judge and the court.

This law is about reflecting community honour expectations.  God's law of honour, however,  sets standards that reflect His expectations for us as His creation and as His children. 

I see Australia trying to move toward acknowledging and managing shame and honour dynamics in a greater way, but doing it through their pre-existing framework by enacting an increasing number of human 'laws'.  

It is certainly an interesting era, of 'legalising' honour.  We are beginning to recognise honour in greater ways but still trying to fit it into  the 'legal' box.   

I wonder whether this is because as we have promoted individualism, self-love and that we are our own 'authority' (no-one else can tell us what to do) so much that we have moved away from a proper sense of valuing others, unless we are forced to by the 'letter of the law'.  We are very aware when 'self' has not been honoured as we think it should, but this has led to a lessening of being aware of how 'others' should be properly honoured with due consideration and care.  It can also be a means of religious persecution without it seeming overtly to be so - whether its a Muslim woman, or in another context, a Christian who wants to do 'differently from community expectation'.  So a law is made to 'force' people to honour.

In the Workplace

Similarly, another news article  talked about the need to enact another law, this time to make sure workplaces don't insist employees have to work a full day if there is a heatwave.  Instead of a boss having the consideration to let his staff go early or not have to work outdoors in a heatwave and honour his staff in that way, his own self-interests of getting the job done or making money, over-rule, and so he insists on the letter the law to force people to work.  So society plays its own game and enacts another law to obey to the letter - one which says you have to consider (honour) your employees health and well-being in the midst of  heat-wave to force the boss to allow his employees not to work.

This is a sad indictment on the state of our society when the 'common courtesy and consideration for others' has to such a degree have to have a law made to force people to do it.

When many rules/laws are put in place to give greater and greater definition to the greater 'law of honour', the natural tendency is for us to hide behind the law and not take the time to process and apply the greater principle.

When we lose sight of God's law and put man's laws and wisdom in its place, the law that was meant to be a guide becomes a noose. (sadly we then head toward the danger of wanting to reject all law, and become a law unto ourselves).

The 'law of honour' must not be about forever making honour into more and more laws of finer and finer detail like the Pharisees.  Rather it is meant to enable us to live honourably even when there is no specific law about a matter.  As we honour God we should want to honour others - as we love God we should want to love others.  We should not need a specific 'law' enacted before we feel compelled or required to treat others with love and respect.

In all Circumstances

No matter what 'laws' our earthly authorities enact about honour, our greater honour should always be to Christ and his law (Galatians 6:2)…..

...enabling us to give greater honour to our God who created this world and provided our salvation, than any honour we give any society or human institution, whatever that involves….

…and enabling us to often give greater honour in society when others try to evade the honour of their fellow-man, so we will become even more truly loving citizens, neighbours, friends and workers.

Gospel Evangelism in a Changing World

We have often talked about the realities of shame and honour emerging in the Western World, on this blog. As we recognise and understand these realities more and more, we are helping ourselves be better equipped to reach our neighbours - especially the younger generations.

A while back a friend emailed me to tell me they had attended a seminar by Dr Sam Chan (who blogs at www.espressotheology.com ) in which he said we need a 'shame-honour' model when thinking about reaching the younger Westerner with the gospel.

If that piques your interest, and you wish you could have been at that seminar, well don't despair. Sam Chan has now written a book that deals with this very subject.

If you want a quick overview of the book - take a look at this blog post review.

If you doubt the reality of 'shame-based' ethics and values impacting the younger generations even in the West, take a look at this interview at a USA College.

How to best reach the younger more 'shame' oriented generations, with the gospel has begun to arouse interest across the Western world.  And that is good.

A recent participant in an honour-shame seminar asked  why there is this shift to 'shame' emphasis in the younger generations?  I have mentioned various reasons in previous blog posts, but here on this post on the Culture Learner site  Werner Mischke answers that question.

The fear

However I am getting the feeling from some that there is a 'worry' that to approach the issues of sin and salvation from a 'shame' perspective and not a 'guilt' perspective, is a compromise of the 'true' gospel message.

But I like how Sam Chan puts it when he says that for 'moderns', the issue is 'is it true', but for 'post-moderns' the issue is 'is it real in our lives?'

But he goes on to say (as quoted in the blog post review referenced above):

Because postmoderns are more interested in whether something is real than if it is true, the evangelistic pedagogical method has changed.

With moderns, we used to employ the logic of Truth, Belief, Praxis. In other words:

• This is true
• If it's true, then you must believe it
• If you believe it, now you must live it

But with postmoderns, Chan offers a better pedagogical sequence: Praxis, Belief, Truth. Which translates:

• The Christian life is livable
• If it's livable then it's also believable
• If it's believable, then it's also true

When non-Christian see how the Christian life works they will discover it is livable, leading them to see that it's believable. "And if they see that, they might also acknowledge that it's true." (125)

In other words, just like we are doing here in the African 'honour-shame' context, you start where people are at.  And then go from there to the full gospel story.  In emphasising or going through the 'gate' of people's understanding of shame, to bring the good news of the gospel, doesn't mean we ignore the concept of guilt.  

But Scripture talks about both. Just as the way we shared the gospel in the recent past, went through the 'guilt' gate for law oriented Westerners, we need to go through the 'shame' gate for shame oriented post-modern Westerners. And just like the guilt-oriented need to learn about what God says regarding shame, so the shame-oriented still need to hear what God says about guilt.  Both guilt and shame affect every human being, but where our focus is, is also where the gospel needs to make sense and 'connect' to.

I have found that as I learn how to better connect the gospel with those who think a little differently from myself, it is not a compromise, but growth, as in the process I have begun to grasp the greater picture of the gospel.

Don't hide in fear from the current generation, thinking only of compromise or your own inability or different 'focus', but grasp the opportunity to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus and all He  did for us and those around us, on that first Easter 2000 years ago, and in the process be able to share the gospel more effectively in our 21st Century World!

Is Cheating a 'mistake' ?- and other honour-shame insights from last week's Aussie cricket scandal!

I love the game of cricket - or rather I love watching the game of cricket! 

My playing days were limited to a very few enforced ones in primary school, but my watching days have been life-long.

It's been one of those sad things that here in Botswana without cable TV at home we don't get to watch the cricket, but I enjoy watching it if its on when we are in a local coffee-shop or restaurant that has a TV with it playing, and I keep abreast of it via Aussie news emails etc.

And when any South African's discover we are Aussies, there is a friendly sense of rivaly, not least over the cricket!

So it was with interest that I learnt that in the midst of the Aussie team's current tour of South Africa, they were busted for cheating! …in what is being called the 'ball tampering scandal'. A young bowler roughed up the ball with a bit of sandpaper apparently - very covertly while out in the middle of the field, and it was picked up by the cameras!

Rightly so, the Captain (who by the reports I read, was apparently complicit), and the Vice Captain (who was apparently the instigator) and bowler have been 'dealt with' by the Aussie cricket authorities and have been banned from playing for a while and issued some other punishments as well.

But the interesting thing is how the matter is being spoken about.

It has been labelled clearly and unequivocably as cheating.  No-one is debating that at all.

However, it is also being repetatively referred to as 'a mistake'.  

I have just finished reading some news articles on the Aussie ABC news site that not only feature journalistic commentary on the situation but also features various feedback from the public.

There is much to observe here in relation to honour-shame dynamics and guilt-innocence dynamics and the muddy waters the Western world is endeavouring to traverse as cultural dynamics tilt further toward the honour-shame side of things.  

Here are some news items quotes alongside some of my own reflections as I read:

1stly

In the first article:  From the Captain

"I made a serious error of judgement and I now understand the consequences. It was a failure of leadership, on my leadership. I'll do everything I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it's caused.

He expressed how sad he was at the hurt he had caused his family and how he had let down children who looked up to him as a cricketer. But alongside his Vice-Captain and many comments from members of the community, and even the coach are calling it a 'mistake'.

What was the mistake?  It was no 'mistake' that the cheating occurred. It was planned and done under instruction and direction of the Vice-captain  and knowledge of the Captain.  This was no accidental error of judgement based on ignorance - as is the definition of a mistake.

The 'mistake' - as we see so often in African honour-shame contexts too - is that there was an error in judgement as to whether or not they could get away with it….ie if they would get caught.  The mistake or error in judgement was not being aware that it would be caught on camera, that it would be exposed, and that they would then be tempted and succomb to lying about it and then receive a punishment probably greater than they expected…and that the whole matter had far more vast and painful consequences than they had contemplated.  Yes there is great sorrow for the 'mistake' - they wished they didn't have the ramifications that eventuated.

But again there doesn't seem to be too much of: 'It was wrong to cheat, we should never have even contemplated tampering with the ball, it was breaking the rules and not playing fair or being honest with our teammates, our fellow Aussies, our fans, or the South African team or South Africans'. 

Making a mistake falls into the category of 'well we are all not perfect and sometimes accidentally and unintentionally don't measure up to expected standards'…and while that is true, only focusing on that avoids the full reality that this wasn't a 'slip up', it was a well considered choice to cross a boundary and break the rules. 

When we break a 'law' we need forgiveness, when we fail to meet up to a standard and are found unacceptable, we need reconciliation from a state of rejection. We need both. We may not like to own up to a deliberate wrong choice and it might make it more palatable to call it a 'mistake', but it doesn't help in the restoration process to avoid either the guilt or the shame reality of sin.

2ndly

Interestingly the bowler, addressed both in his statement:

The bowler Bancroft said

"I lied about the sandpaper, I panicked in that situation and I'm very sorry," he said…..

I will look to improve on and earn the respect back of the community. "[For now] all I can do in the short term is ask for forgiveness,

The bowler seems to be the most balanced of guilt and shame orientation,  - he notes the exact action (lying), states he is sorry and asks for forgiveness. Alongside that he also acknowledges that he needs to win back respect. 

3rdly

Even more interesting are the reasons given in another article for the punishments handed down by Cricket Australia:

But CA didn't charge its players for tampering. It charged them under Section 2.3.5 of its own Code of Conduct, covering "unbecoming" behaviour "contrary to the spirit of the game", that could harm cricket or bring it into disrepute.

While there was no full description of what happened during the Cape Town Test, the charge sheet was specific enough to work it out. It showed that hexing the ball wasn't the worst offence, rather the cover-up afterwards.

The breaking of the rules - ie the cheating - wasn't what got the culprits the greatest punishment - it was the fact that they tried to cover it up through lies. And yes, that ought to be treated more seriously, but again, there is a subtle differentiation here, as the lies themselves are not stated as the ultimate 'wrong' and need for the punishment, but the disrepute (ie shame) brought on the game of cricket by what was done.

Here we see the 'wrong' is not understood to be the cheating or just the lies, but the fact that shame was brought on the game!

4thly

This is seen further in the Vice-Captain's comments

"Mistakes have been made which have damaged cricket," he said in a short statement he tweeted this afternoon.

"I apologise for my part and take responsibility for it.

"I understand the distress this has caused the sport and its fans."

Here we clearly see through the last statement that 'wrong' in a mis-placed honour-shame context is bringing shame and damaging relationships and causing pain to other human beings. These are not outside of sin's effect but they put sin on a horizontal plane only. 

Though Australia as a society has all but rejected God, it cannot escape the reality that there is something in life that isn't 'right' and it damages relationships and shames what should be honourable. But sin is not just a horizontal man-to-man problem.  It is only that kind of a problem because it is first a man to God problem.  Our sin is objectively against the unchanging holy standards of God and the laws of right and wrong that He sets.  

When we lose sight of 'living in the sight of God', there is a 'loss of any internal compass that should guide decision making' and begin to entertain the ideas of getting away with what other people might not see or might not deem as too serious this time.

5thly

Comments from the wider public yielded some interesting perspectives.  One said that it was all a great 'embarassment' and they should have been 'aware they were being watched on the security cameras'. 

Here we have the core of the problem.  When we don't live before the eyes of God we will take risks hoping no human eyes see us.  When we don't 'see' with our own eyes, who the eyes are that are watching us, we tend to think they are not watching at all. 'Out of sight out of mind' can take on a fresh meaning!

If this is a wake-up call to the fact that our modern world has cameras and eyes everywhere, it is a reminder to us all that we are being watched by Almighty God for all eternity. And just as those cricketers let the present moment blind them from the reality of 'camera eyes' everywhere and the future consequences of their choices, so we are tempted every day to forget that God's eyes see everything and there will be future eternal consequences of all our actions here on earth.

6thly

The shame of sin affects and infects more than the individual sinner. The problem with this act - and the main reason given for punishment - is that it brought disrepute to the game of cricket. It didn't just bring dishonour to the three men involved but to their whole team and to the game itself and to the nation of Australia as a whole. Even the Australian Prime Minister is saying the incident is harming Australia's international reputation in more than cricket. I am 'shamed' in the eyes of South African's (and the world) even though I am not guilty of the actual act of ball tampering. We 'guilt-oriented' Westerners can have trouble coming to terms with Adam's sin impacting the whole of humanity. This cricket incident helps us understand the realities and consequences of sin.

7thly

Sin doesn't only make us guilty, but it is also shameful, and from the media reports I understand that the bowler's punishment was more for the actual tampering and the team leadership punishment was greater, not only because they were the leaders, but because they were responsible for the greater level of the game being brought into disrepute.  

This is reflective of the reality that the act has greater consequences than just the act. The 'transgression' of the law is also a shaming of the law-giver (in this case Cricket Australia and other international Cricket bodies).  This is a very good picture of the realities of our sin against God. The transgression of God's law is also a shaming and dishonouring of Him as law-giver. Our sin is wrong because it dishonours God and it dishonours God because it is wrong!  

If we think of it like an umbrella, shame is like the umbrella canopy and guilt is like the handle - both are together and part of the one apparatus but the guilt is 'within' the overall reality of the shamefulness of sin.

This Easter...

Maybe you could use some of the realities of this cricket story with your friends and neighbours about the eternal realities and shocks and pain that will come upon us when what God sees is revealed…and nothing will be hidden that was done in secret…unless we have been willing to admit to God our Creator that not only are we in great shame before him and need to be reconciled but we have also disobeyed his rules and need his forgiveness. We have made deliberate choices to flout God's laws and we are making the biggest mistake of our lives when out of ignorance of God and His all-powerful ultimate authority we fail to realise that we won't 'get away with' sin - He will expose it and it will be more painful that we could imagine.

We are all under the shame of Adam's sin, and we are all under the shame of our own sin. As we look at the shame of the cricketer's actions, it causes us to not just look at them, but look at ourselves. The issue has brought to the fore the whole issue of shame as it relates to sin. Even the national ABC news website saw fit to put up an article (by Natasha Moore, of the Centre for Public Christianity), full of biblical truth on public shaming, the Easter message about Jesus, and our sin - please take the time to read the full article here.

At this Easter time, Jesus is the good news of rescue from that ultimate pain of shame and punishment, that won't be for just 12 months like the cricketers got, but will be for all eternity. Let's use this event that has had worldwide exposure as a means of turning people's hearts and minds to the truth of the gospel message of Easter.