american-minded

I spent the last two weeks in St. Augustine, Florida at Young Life’s New Staff Training and Cross-Cultural Orientation, which, like everything else Young Life does, was executed with brilliance and excellence. But before you get too jealous of Florida in January, know that I spent 95% of my time in hotel conference rooms and was deprived of the beautiful, warm streets and weather. But I wouldn't trade that 95% for anything. I learned some pretty incredible things and met some pretty amazing people in those conference rooms. That you can be jealous of.

I’m still processing everything I learned, and believe me it’s a ton. But if there’s one thing that has really stood out to me, it’s this idea of “American Christianity.” It's actually been a badgering thought in the back of my head for a couple years now, but not until recently has it boiled so close to the surface.

Let me preface with I love America. Like. A whole, whole lot. I saw American Sniper this afternoon, and my heart swelled with pride, patriotism, and emotion. I hold my American values and beliefs near and dear to my heart, especially as my move to Germany gets closer and closer. 

But as I process everything I’ve learned over the last couple weeks, I realize how American culture has shaped my view of Jesus. Not in a bad way. But it’s definitely limited how I live this so-called Christian life. I’ve been studying the Jewish culture that Abraham and Jesus lived in, the Greek culture that Paul reached out to, present-day German culture, my own American culture, and a few others. It’s broadened my mind, and if I’m being perfectly honest, there are times when I don’t like or want that. It’s hard, painful, and challenging to step outside of my American worldview.

So this I struggle with: I’m not called to be an American-minded Christian… I’m called to be a Kingdom-minded Christian. Now, that doesn’t mean I abandon my American values. I believe God is sovereign, and He 100% intended for me to grow up in the south of the United States. But being Kingdom-minded means I become a student of other cultures. God is so much bigger than my little corner of the world, whether that corner is Fayetteville, Arkansas or Munich, Germany. His mission is bigger than that. His mission is to everyone… Everywhere. Including, but certainly not limited to those corners. He’s been calling people from every nation and culture back to Himself for thousands of years, and somehow I fit into His mission at this point in history. And not in my home country.

It’s deeply humbling.