Like most American cities Leominster, Massachusetts is a rich blend of a variety of cultures and occasionally there are some misunderstandings as each group makes adjustments to accommodate the others. The more we understand each other the more we live in harmony. Nothing causes more difficulty than one group wanting everyone to be like them. I have noted similar problems when reading the Bible. We sometimes err by thinking the writers of the Bible were like us when nothing could be further from the truth. Not only do we have the cultural differences of various groups of people but horrendous differences in chronology. Just as our great grandparents would suffer culture shock if they could resurrect now, so we think far differently than people that lived two and three thousand years ago.
Often we err by looking at the Bible as one book written at one place in one time. There are over 1500 years between Moses and John. Also it is easy to project Christian values upon Old Testament characters. But to do that falsely colors the stories. Abraham and company were not Christians. They weren’t even Jews. The Jews were the descendants of Judah, the grandson of Abraham. There is the issue of the occidental mind and the eastern mind. Paul was an extremely unique individual educated in both arenas of thought. His letters are an amalgamation of two worlds, two cultures, two philosophies and one very special way to salvation.
How fascinating that God chose to reveal Himself to us via shepherds, politicians, fishermen, farmers, tax collectors, historians, warriors, a philosopher, a physician and a scholar. And the sum of it is an amazing story of God’s love for all cultures, all people and not just our little group.
Written by Roger Bothwell on February 8, 2012
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org