Blind Spots

The air was hot and sticky. My clothes were soaked through with sweat from the combination of humidity and the long hike before me. The beauty of the dense jungle around me was a welcomed distraction from the temporary discomfort of the heat. I followed the small group of North Americans and Guatemalans along the trail that would lead us to a remote Guatemalan village where the kids carried water in jars balanced on their heads. (But not so remote that you couldn't find a fútbol field nearby.)

As we hiked further into the jungle, something caught my eye...something that stood out against the backdrop of the lush green that surrounded us. Concrete stairs. I remember thinking, "What in the world are concrete stairs doing here?!" They looked similar to the steep stairs you might see when you visit old Mayan ruins, only these concrete stairs were new. One of the Guatemalan pastors stopped to explain that there were people still practicing Mayan spiritism and the stairs led to the place where they would offer weekly pig sacrifices. He mentioned that some Christians have also been caught up in the resurgence of Mayan spiritism. Questions jumped to my mind: "How could this happen? How could the Christians be doing this? Did they see what they were doing?" Just as quickly as those questions began to clutter my mind another voice broke through: "And what about you, Marcie? What are the things in your American culture that are not of Me? Do you see what you are doing?" As we continued on the hike to the village, I wrestled with these questions.

That was in 2003. I am still asking myself those questions today...trying to see my culture with different eyes. Sometimes it is hard to see the answers when you are looking from the inside out. My cultural identity has influenced me - has played a part in shaping who I am and how I view things, but I don't want it to define me. The identity I hold most dear is being a child of God, adopted in to His Kingdom.

In the newest edition of Operation World, prayer challenges are listed for each country. Under the United States, one of the prayer challenges states:

Syncretism is as common in America as anywhere. In the US’s version, biblical Christianity is mixed with hyper-individualism, consumeristic materialism, moral relativism and national pride, creating a dangerous strain of faith that justifies selfishness, immorality and hubris. Pray for the ability to distinguish between what is scriptural and what is cultural.

On Sunday, as I was driving to church, I was thinking again about blind spots. Where are my blind spots? Where do I struggle with syncretism in my day to day life? Was it any coincidence that one of the challenges given by Pastor Chad in the message was “Know Scripture – not the cultural image of Jesus.” The timing of the message confirmed to me that I need to be persistent in seeking God’s Light in these areas – seen and unseen. The more difficult question for me remains: What am I going to do about the things God reveals? Stick with the comfort of my culture or move closer to His Kingdom culture?