“Christmas in America is so strange!” I could hear the reverse culture shock in his voice. He hadn’t celebrated this major holiday in his home country in fifteen years. The materialism of an American Christmas distressed him. Later, a friend from Africa said, “I don’t do Christmas. Here in Africa, we traditionally go to church, eat a feast, and buy new clothes for our children, but I don’t celebrate this holiday.” The Christmas season stirs up questions for missionaries. How much do we adapt to the culture and when do we resist it? What do we do and not do at Christmas?

Culture plays a huge role in the celebration of festivals.

The Christmas festival, in particular, has taken on many cultural elements. Many of them are not at all Christian and need to be resisted. Others have value and can be used as a bridge to share Jesus with others.

How do you know what to resist and what to adapt when it comes to cultural issues?

This is an important question for any missionary. It is not only related to Christmas. Let’s use this holiday to instruct us in cultural adaptation principles.

Water to a Fish

Culture is like water to a fish. We don’t notice it, but it plays a huge role in our lives. The more adapted you are to a cultural environment, the less you pay attention to it. This can be bad or good. Jesus’ followers must learn to be thoughtful about what we adapt to or resist in the culture around us (This is true in our own culture and our new culture as well.)

I Don’t Like This!

Cultural issues often came up when we returned to our home country. It was also a big issue when we moved to Nepal, India, and Thailand. How much do we adapt to the culture around us? Do we wear their clothes and eat their food? Is it okay to only learn the trade language, or do we need to also learn the heart language of the particular group we want to reach?

Coming back to the USA, there were things we found we didn’t like about our own culture. Things we hadn’t noticed before we went to another country to live. For America, a prime example is materialism. Our nation is obsessed with money and things. Obtaining them drives much of what we do. I don’t want that in my life as a disciple of Christ.

In India, our kids asked questions like, “My friends put a tikka on their forehead to match their khurta-suruwal (Indian dress). Can I wear those too?”

Back in the USA, they asked, “Will we celebrate Halloween and go trick or treating?”

These are cultural issues.

During the Christmas season, let’s look at issues that arise around this holiday.

• Do we exchange gifts and put up a tree?
• Do we have a special worship time with the believers and encourage them to celebrate?
• What are the origins of Christmas anyhow? If it’s not the date of Jesus’ birth, why are we celebrating?
• Are we importing Western culture when we put on Santa hats and go out caroling? Is that negative or positive?

We must make wise and prayerful choices. Our decisions have an impact, especially as we work among the unreached.

You may be the first person to share Jesus with your people group. The believers will look to you for guidance. The customs you adopt will impact the church in this people group for generations to come.

4 Principles for Adapting or Resisting Culture

1. Culture (and festivals) are part of our humanness.

They were created by God for good.

God designed human beings to live in a cultural and communal environment. Everything He does is good. Jesus was born into a particular culture. He transcended culture but also participated in Jewish culture. He went to cultural events and celebrated them in the Jewish way (the wedding at Cana for example).

Jesus participated in rituals, like going to Jerusalem with his family to celebrate Passover every year (Luke 2:41). Participation in cultural events builds community with others. This is something God designed us to need. We were made to celebrate. It is good for the soul.

2. Festivals have both a common and historical meaning.

As we examine cultural festivals, we must be aware of both the common meaning and the historical one. The Christmas tree is a good example of a Christian tradition that has a pagan root. These are good to be aware of but don’t necessarily determine what we do as far as resistance or adoption.

More important is the common meaning in most people’s minds. There are many examples of this, but let’s continue with the Christmas tree. Do people look at it and immediately think of druids dancing around it and worshipping a pagan god? Or do they think of the joy of giving gifts to loved ones now? Or the beauty of lights and family togetherness? What does it mean now?

This can be done with any cultural tradition. In India, the sticker tikkas (put on the forehead by women) has a historic meaning and a common one. For most women today it is much like wearing makeup and is something you wear to match your outfit. Very few even know the historic meaning. The red-colored rice put on the forehead is different. That is clearly a symbol of having done “puja” to a god or goddess. Which do you wear? Which do you avoid? Prayerful decisions must be made.

3. Culture can be redeemed.

Not everything in culture is redeemable, but many things are. We can ascribe new meaning to cultural symbols or rituals. This has been done throughout mission history.

By maintaining cultural symbols but giving them new meaning, the gospel feels local (indigenous). Its much easier for people to adopt it as their own, rather than as a foreign religion.

For example, in Africa, singing and dancing is a huge part of many cultures. Why not redeem the cultural songs and dances for good and use them to worship God? In Mizoram, there is a particular drum that was used in spirit worship. It is now used to praise Jesus. It has been redeemed.

4. Culture doesn’t rule us.

We don’t need to adapt to everything to reach people.

Some cross-cultural workers feel they must adapt to every aspect of their new culture without discretion. This is a mistake. Many things in culture are far from godly.

What are some examples of cultural things you do not want to adapt to? Think beyond surface-level issues. Here in America, I actively resist consumerism. It’s a huge cultural value, but not a Biblical one. In India, fatalism is a pervasive part of the cultural mindset. I resist it. God is directing my path, not karma.

Decision Time

This Christmas season, what will you adapt, redeem, introduce, or resist?

Share in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook Group.