Learn Sarkhanese!!!

In his book Above All Earthly Pow'rs, David Wells summarizes the book The Ugly American to make an important point about a church's faithfulness while engaging the culture.

"...the reader early on is introduced to Louis Sears...[who] settles on becoming the United States' ambassador to the fictional Asian country of Sarkhan. However, he neither learns the language nor the customs of this country. Indeed, he forbids his staff from becoming too involved in Sarkhanese society. The problem which arises, of course, is that he does not know what is happening, since he cannot read the papers, and in Sarkhanese society, etiquette does not allow for translators to pass on bad news to the person for whom they are translating. Furthermore, he cannot communicate American interests to most people since he does not speak their language and they do not understand his" (10).

Wells then makes this application of The Ugly American to church ministry:

"Perhaps, then, we might say that on the one end we have those theologies which have learned Sarkhanese, learned the local culture and habits, but have lost touch with the country whose policies and interests they are supposed to represent as ambassadors. Instead, having cut themselves loose, they have come to see their oles as simply representing their own agendas and policies and passing them off as if they were those of the country whose ambassadors they supposedly are. On the other end, we have those theologies which are self-consciously ambassadorial but which fail to learn the Sarkhanese language and customs. Thus they are hobbled in their ability to communicate both the content of, and the reasons for, their country's policy decisions" (10-11).

This must not be because...

"...American culture is undergoing a drastic change in cultural mood, thereby transforming the missionary context in which the Church is living" (11; italics mine).

So, what should our response be?

"...the history of the church shows that in every generation there are cultural challenges...and yet generation after generation the Church has joyfully proclaimed the greatness of Christ in his humility in assuming our flesh, taking upon him our sin as if it were his won, and in conquering that sin also conquering both its consequence of death and the devil. The looming threats of aggressive religions, of hostile government powers, of tribes and nations bound in their opposition to Christ, are no match for the power of God made known in the gospel" (11).

Yes! Yeah God!

Therefore, the goal of every church and pastor should be the goal of this book: to learn the languages and customs of the changing culture to promote and proclaim the unchanging message of Christ crucified. May God help in this great task.