I do, especially in situations that where people don’t realize what they are seeing or in situations where what is observed bends the rules of what is expected.
.
Take for example…
.
One of my students recently returned from a trip to the Holy Land with her church. It seems that tours of the Holy Land are increasingly popular by Christians throughout Asia. What do Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims think when these tour groups come through?
.
When 50% of the world’s Mattel Barbie dolls in the world are made by Indonesia workers, what do the workers that make them think?
.
Ibu Warhsi (our maid) hosted a woman from her village today, as the woman was moving to Jakarta for work. After we met her we commented how old she looked (55+ in our opinion). Turns out she is 40, has been widowed twice, has three children and has lived in absolute poverty her whole life. What was she thinking as she met us and saw our house? Better yet, what should we have thought (and done) about her situation?
.
This week we attended a church started by new missionaries from Michigan. For many of us, this would conjure up pictures of a Dutch CRC family from Hudsonville, Michigan arriving in Indonesia for a stint working overseas. However in this case, the pastor, his family and the 8 others who came along are Asian Americans who recently graduated from the University of Michigan. You can check out the web page of their church and mission at http://jakarta.hmcc.net/ . The church started 13 years ago and has 4 daughter churches already. What do you think of that?
.
2 comments:
Steve, this is provocative (in the good way). I have to admit that I had thought of the experiences and perspectives of the folks you listed until the last one about a church that began a few years ago and has four "offspring" so to speak...too "R"eformed for my own good?
Dirk
I think we can be glad that we don't know what those who are needy are thinking of us. They probably misjudge us and we probably misjudge them. My hunch is that they are more accurate in their assessment of us than we are of them.
John
Post a Comment