Awareness of cultural differences in various societies is nothing new. The Greek historian Herodotus who lived in the 400s B.C. traveled through the Persian Empire, which included much of the Middle East and surrounding parts of Asia and Africa. He wrote at length about the cultural and racial diversity of these places and linked much of this to differences in people's environments.
For almost 2000 years following the time of Herodotus, many people attributed cultural differences to racial inheritance. The biblical account of the Tower of Babel, in which God caused people to speak new languages, also provides an explanation for cultural diversity.
In the beginning, "the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground…" (Genesis 2:7). The truth we find in the Garden of Eden is that every human, no matter the ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, or age, shares a common ancestry of a species created in God's image and likeness. Each of us will one day die; when we do, we will return to that from which we came—the dust of the ground. We're all just dust. So what causes the battles and arguments about cultural and racial diversity? Herodotus would argue that the differences can be attributed to the environments in which individuals live.
As youth workers in the 21st century, we need to be aware of the demographics of the city to which we've been called—not just the specific local church. The young people we encounter today will go to school with young people from various backgrounds; some may not even be in school and may live on the streets. That's a culture within itself—the culture of poverty. We must be aware of the culture of poverty that pervades most cities in America. But even within the culture of poverty, there is diversity.
I recently had a meeting with youth workers serving in community ministries throughout our country, and it was interesting to hear the hearts of those working with the inner-city poor and those working with the Appalachian poor. Although the cultures were different, there were some undeniable similarities. The evidence of lack, learning difficulties, rejection, and family fragmentation were not only present in the impoverished cultures of these two communities; these same issues can manifest in middle-and upper-class suburbia.
It's a Matter of the Heart
The crying heart of a generation feeling neglected and rejected must be ministered to. The youth worker of today must have an intimate walk with God and feel the liberty to cry out in times of need. Notice how the writer of Hebrews describes this: "Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:14 -16).
Too often we act as if Jesus can't relate to this postmodern culture; so we run to the seminar, roundtable discussion, or workshop to hear our fellow dust speak. I believe we can learn from one another in these venues, but there tends to be one population of people setting the stage of discussion in the room. Decisions for the future of youth ministry cannot rest solely in the hearts and minds of one people group just because they've had the resources in this culture of youth ministry. When we rely on only a few perspectives, we miss the richness of what could be discovered when other parts of the body of Christ come together—not only in dialogue and forums but also in a unified cry out to God for the needs of the young people in our communities— a taste of unity in diversity.
When we come together as a diverse community of youth workers, we'll notice differences, but the cries from our hearts will be similar when we petition the God of all mercy and grace on behalf of a hurting generation of teens. Picture a unified cry as if you stubbed your toe. Your whole body joins together to cry out on behalf of the toe. Imagine the power of one body crying out to God.
Differences are Symptomatic
The Tower of Babel was noted earlier for the differences of language as an explanation for cultural diversity. God spoke of the unlimited power that would manifest to a people of one mind. "And the Lord said, ‘Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them'" (Genesis 11:6).
The difference between a young person being rejected or neglected may manifest differently from one community to another. A young African-American male from a single parent home living in an impoverished inner-city neighborhood feels the pain of rejection. Having not been ministered to, he finds his comfort in all sorts of unhealthy relationships, and his inner frustration with lack and abandonment issues manifests in anger and violent behavior. A European-American girl lives in an upper-middle-class family with her mother and father still at home. Yet they're detached—they're involved in every club and function to give their daughter the best, but fail to give her their time. This young lady feels the pain of neglect, and she may find comfort in older men who pay attention to her. She may find herself caught in a relationship with a man who could be her father.
Similar internal issues are sometimes covered by external ethnic symptoms. The symptoms are different, but the causes are similar.
As in the time of Herodotus, many people attribute cultural differences to racial inheritance. As men and women of God, though, we must be careful not to look at race alone to define cultural differences. Culture is actually an agricultural term relating to something that is tended to and developed.
Adam was given the mandate to cultivate the garden. God established the garden; all Adam was commanded to do was keep the environment conducive to growth. He didn't focus on the different colors of the plants and trees to figure out what he needed to do to get them all to look the same, or to better blend together. He trusted in the Creator when God made one plant blossom bright red and orange and another purple and gold—the splendor of the unity in diversity.
Garden Issues of the Soul
We must ask ourselves if we're willing to tend to the garden issues of the soul. For example, pain, pride, prejudice, anxiety, and anger can grow in a young person or adult just like a weed can grow in a garden. No matter the ethnicity or neighborhood in which you grow up, these attitudes of the soul, like weeds, will take up space and nourishment. When allowed to grow, they'll choke the love, joy, peace, and patience out of the plant they've invaded.
A plant or flower begins as a seed—and so did we. Men and women come from God's seed: "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God…" (John 1:12) All of us—every tribe, tongue, and ethnicity, whether rich or poor—have the same spiritual parent. Peter puts it this way: "You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). If we're born of God's seed, we'll grow and develop out of that which is in us—God's nature and character. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness—when these are allowed to develop, not being choked out by the weeds of bitterness, anger, pride, lust, etc., self is controlled by the Spirit of God.
Culture is a matter of the heart, not the head. We've allowed ourselves to believe a certain way based on our external upbringing or ethnicity. Can we, will we, as youth workers, tend to the garden issues of the soul? Will we commit to be a people who are culturally conscious but not culturally controlled (not bound in ethnicity issues but rather in the culture of God's Kingdom)? Let's recognize and appreciate the different sizes, shapes, and shades of those we've been called to serve; as we grow in this understanding, there will be unity in diversity.
Originally published in the May 2005 issue of YouthWorker Journal, copyright 2006, Youth Specialties. Reprinted/used with permission.
