In Thailand, light switches are on the outside wall of rooms. For instance, the bathroom switch is positioned beside the door before you enter—true also for the kitchen, bedrooms and every other room.
When we first moved here, this made absolutely no sense to me. Now I am not only accustomed to this arrangement, but I prefer it this way. It is good to enter a room with the light already illuminating every detail present, avoiding unpleasant surprises or stumbles.
I wish that in missions, we could know where the light switch is right away. But the truth is, most of the time, we enter the field while in the dark, looking on our own for the light switch on the inside—within the region, culture and worldview—feeling our way and stumbling, trying to do everything right but making mistakes. When we finally realize that the switch we are desperately looking for is actually on the outside—the Holy Spirit—and we are bringing Him with us when we ask for His help, what a difference it makes. He shines His light, helping us to see from His perspective, guiding us by His word and with His wisdom. And with the lights on, it is easier to understand why people act in a specific way, why they value some things and not others, and why people are the way they are (their worldview).
What we must understand is the purpose of the light: The light shows all the obstacles, but it does not remove them from the path. And right there, my friend, is when only the Holy Spirit can give discernment when sharing the gospel, differentiating the objects that are harmless from the obstacles that may appear harmless but are actually a threat to the integrity of the gospel, the so-called contextualization.
The journey through the transcultural mission field is challenging but also has its beauty. The challenge comes in understanding why people are the way they are, and stepping aside from our own worldview to understand theirs. But the beauty appears when you understand someone from a culture completely different from yours and realize that God left nuances of His character in their culture and every other. Amazing!
