If I hadn’t known better, the volume and intensity of the words coming from the roof of our house would have alarmed me. If we were still in one of the other places we have lived in North America or Germany, I probably would not have just calmly smiled and continued typing. I thought about how our American friends would have responded if they had heard that yelling continue for over an hour.
A chimney builder was at work on our concrete-slab roof, and Sean and his close friend were helping him. Sean would have done it much differently, but he has learned to let the Albanians show him the Albanian way of doing things rather than showing them the American way. With so many cultural differences to think about, we’ve been learning not to sweat the small stuff. It’s not always easy to know what is small stuff and what isn’t, but it has been an excellent exercise in patience.
By the way, there wasn’t an angry argument or even a mild disagreement between the men on the roof. They were just having a friendly chat—a normal, high-decibel, outgoing Albanian conversation. We aren’t here to make people into American-style Christians. We are here to introduce them to Jesus and His Word. He is able to transform them into Christians who seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. So Sean happily hollers along with them. It’s the small stuff.
When we arrived in Albania, we had to learn the rules of etiquette the hard way. For example, in the village homes, we were greeted at the door with handshakes, cheek kisses, questions about how we were, how we had been, how our children were, how our spouse was, how our parents were, how our siblings were, all asked in rapid succession. It didn’t matter that my children and spouse were right there and were asked the same questions. It also didn’t matter that our hosts didn’t know my parents or siblings. We just said “mire” (well or good) to every question. We were supposed to be asking them the same questions, whether or not they were standing right there and whether or not we knew their family.
Then our hosts seated us in a culturally significant arrangement that we didn’t at first understand. Everything has meaning. The moment we were seated, imagine our confusion when the same handshaking, kissing and questions began again. Had they already forgotten? We again failed to ask them the same questions.
Next, we were served orange soda, candy and very sweet homemade jam, but with nothing to spread it on. We were to eat it with a spoon. Where I come from, if you are served something, it is polite to eat it all to show that you’ve enjoyed their cooking. I admit that we had difficulty finishing all those sweet things, especially the bowls of jam, but we didn’t want to offend our hosts. They had grown the fruit and made the jam themselves and were quite proud of offering their best to us. When we were finally able to get it all down, we were immediately served refills. How discouraging! In Albania, it’s best to leave a little food to show that your hosts have served you so generously that you couldn’t quite eat it all. They didn’t eat or drink with us, just watched us eat. We were supposed to tell the woman that her hands were happy (blessed), meaning that the food was well prepared.
With major differences in what we value, fear, or get upset about, as well as contrasts in how we think, teach, learn, respond and even in how we express ourselves, we need be able to step outside of our own cultural perspective if we expect to be able to effectively communicate the Gospel to Albanians. Of course, it’s the same Gospel, but we need to share it in a way that they truly understand. It is so much more complicated than just knowing the language. In fact, the language barrier is a minor hurdle compared to learning to see through the eyes of someone who has a fundamentally different outlook. Also, we must culturally contextualize our Gospel presentation without compromising our God-given convictions. Of course, Jesus’ example in this is exceptionally instructive.
Peter had to overcome bias and even prejudice in order to minister effectively among the Gentiles. It took no less than a vision from God plus divine providence to convince him to even enter a Gentile home. Then Peter had to face angry believers who were shocked that he had gone so far as to eat with the Gentiles.
Both Peter and Paul faced major opposition in the church when they first suggested that the Gentiles didn’t need to be circumcised or keep the ceremonial law in order to be saved. Many in the church thought they had gone too far and were compromising scriptural principles. But when they heard the testimony of Peter’s vision and especially how the Gentiles had been baptized by the Holy Spirit, they finally decided that the Gentile believers needed to agree to just four things: They would not eat meat offered to idols or from an animal that had been strangled, and they must not consume blood or practice sexual immorality. Why these four things?
“. . . in turning to God, the Gentiles had made a great change in their lives and that much caution should be used not to trouble them with perplexing and doubtful questions of minor importance, lest they be discouraged from following Christ. The Gentile converts, however, were to give up the customs that were inconsistent with the principles of Christianity” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 195).
Establishing a church cross-culturally in an un-churched people group requires patience and wisdom we do not naturally possess. We depend on God to empower us to effectively share Jesus with the people He has called us to.
Please pray for us that we will know the difference between “perplexing and doubtful questions of minor importance” and “customs that are inconsistent with the principles of Christianity” as we seek to build and multiply the church in Albania. By God’s grace alone, we will avoid making mountains out of molehills or molehills out of mountains and will not strain out gnats and swallow camels. By His grace, Albanians will know, love and follow Jesus well and will share Him all over Albania.
