The Journey: Forty Days of Promise
Celebrating the Legacy of African American Christianity

Day Two: The Power of Personal Presence

Welcome to day two of our forty-day intercultural journey of promise. From Martin Luther King Day to the end of Black History Month we are focusing on The Journey: Forty Days of Promise—Celebrating the Legacy of African American Christianity.

Day Two: The Power of Personal Presence[1]

Olaudah Equiano and his sister were soon deprived of even the comfort of weeping together.

“The next day proved a day of greater sorrow than I had yet experienced; for my sister and I were then separated, while we lay clasped in each other’s arms; it was in vain that we besought them not to part us: she was torn from me, and immediately carried away, while I was left in a state of distraction not to be described. I cried and grieved continually; and for several days did not eat any thing but what they forced into my mouth.”

Over the ensuing months, Equiano frequently changed masters. Weighed down by grief and a ravenous desire to return to his family, he decided to seize the first opportunity to escape. However, during a failed attempt he realized that the expanse that separated him from his home was too great and too dangerous. “I . . . laid myself down in the ashes, with an anxious wish for death to relieve me from all my pains.”

Left of the Rising Sun

Death refused to visit. Instead, Equiano was sold repeatedly, each time “carried to the left of the sun’s rising, through many dreary wastes and dismal woods, amidst the hideous roarings of wild beasts.” Being “left of the sun’s rising” paints a poetic picture of hopelessness—reflecting an absence of the hope that people have when they are “right of the rising sun” and thus anticipating that the sun will soon approach to dispel their darkness.

Equiano had been traveling in this manner for a considerable time when one evening, to his great surprise, traders brought his dear sister to the house where he was staying. “As soon as she saw me she gave a loud shriek, and ran into my arms. I was quite overpowered; neither of us could speak, but, for a considerable time, clung to each other in mutual embraces, unable to do any thing but weep.”

Ministry Even in Agony

For a time, the joy of their reunion distracted them from their misfortunes. But this, too, passed. “For scarcely had the fatal morning appeared, when she was again torn from me for ever! I was now more miserable, if possible, than before. The small relief which her presence gave me from pain was gone, and the wretchedness of my situation redoubled my anxiety after her fate, and my apprehensions lest her sufferings should be greater than mine, when I could not be with her to alleviate them.”

Even in his agony, Equiano offers words of insight into ministry. Note that it was “her presence” that gave him relief from his pain, and that he longed to “be with her to alleviate” her suffering. Before all else fails, implement what never fails—personal presence.

Learning Together from Our Great Cloud of Witnesses

1. How could your people-ministry grow if you focused on the power of presence?

2. Have you ever experienced the hopelessness of feeling like you were to the left of the rising sun—that your dark night would never end? If so, how did God comfort you during the dark night of your soul?

[1]Excerpted, modified from, and quoted from Kellemen and Edwards, Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction. Purchase your copy at 40% off for only $10.00 at www.rpmministries.org.

I received a great comment post on my blog about intercultural ministry. Please read Demetrius’ excellent question. Please read my brief response. Then please share your thoughts/

Is Targeted Evangelism Biblical?

Doc K: How would you apply inter culturalism on the mission field? The reason I ask is that I am a short term missionary in Cambodia for 7 months. In Cambodia there are various people groups such as the Vietmese, Khmer, Chinese, Korean, Nigerians, and Ex-pats to name a few. However, many the missionaries are only targeting specific groups to start their churches due to immense barriers between the races and the classes. The irony is I am African-American ministering primarily to Cambodian American Deportees who have an inner city disopositon and attitude toward life and I minister to the poor Khmer in the slums of Phonm Penh. Demetrius Walton.

Targeted Evangelism and Intercultural Discipleship

Demetrius, That’s a great question. While the ultimate goal of heaven and thus our ultimate goal on earth is intercultural worship, it seems that wisdom could still dictate an approach like you describe in your ministry under certain situations. Since you are working to evangelize the unsaved, we cannot expect the unregenerate to act regenerate until they are regenerated! That being said, a major part of the discipleship process then should include intercultural reconciliation. What a testimony and witness it would be for the entire region if/when Vietmese, Khmer, Chinese, Korean, Nigerians, and Ex-pats began forgiving one another, reconciling with one another.

Your Thoughts?

And what do others think?

As I always do, I appreciated and enjoyed the interview yesterday with Steve Hiller and Michelle Strombeck of Moody Radio’s Prime Time Chicago. We discussed Beyond the Suffering and the state of race relationships in America.

Steve asked me the perceptive question, “Bob, with the election of President Obama, are we now a post-racial soceity?”

My answer?

Well…I’m interested in your answer also. So…please join the conversation.

Okay…my answer…

We have made progress. Obviously, the election of an African American President, an election where millions of whites voted for an African American, is light years ahead of where we were just a generation ago.

However, we still have issues to deal with. Even since the election, I could share half-a-dozen examples that friends of mine have shared with me of racial tensions, misunderstandings, prejudice…

Just since the interview yesterday, I have received several “Thank You” emails from “new friends” (people I “met” only through the radio program and their response). They were thankful for the “balance” I brought to the issue: progress, but work to do. They shared examples in their lives of current struggles against intolerance.

Those who know me and read my blog know I am not a person interested in stirring up controversy. You know I strive to be a bridge-builder and that I strive to explore biblical solutions to relationship problems. That’s why I am inviting you to join me on The Reconciliation Journey from January 19 to February 28 on this blog. That’s why I am teaching around the country on A Christ-Centered TEAM Approach to Intercultural Relationships.

That said, sometimes we have to get the truth out there. So…what is your experience? What is your opinion? Are we a post-racial society? Are we there yet? If so, what examples do you see? If not, what examples do you see and what can we do to get there?

Many of you have asked to hear more about my presentation on intercultural (multicultural) ministry. Here’s an outline.

Presentation Objectives

The primary goal of Cultivating Christlike Intercultural Relational Competency: A Christ-Centered TEAM Approach is to equip participants to develop four championship TEAM skills that empower them to function effectively in our culturally diverse society. Participants will learn how to relate harmoniously by building bridges of understanding across diverse cultures. This seminar is based upon the biblical conviction that God in Christ is moving all of history toward an eternity where “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language” will stand before the Lamb in united worship (Revelation 7:9-10). Thus the eternal goal is to equip participants to relate interculturally now in light of their eternal future so that God is glorified and others are attracted to Christ by their love.

Student Learning Outcomes

After successful participation in Cultivating Christlike Intercultural Relational Competency: A Christ-Centered TEAM Approach, participants will be able to implement the TEAM intercultural relational competencies of:

T: Taking another person’s earthly perspctive through empathy and culturally-informed listening.

E: Engaging in bridge-building spiritual conversations through focusing on God’s eternal perspective.

A: Abolishing barriers through forgiveness and reconciliation.

M: Mentoring interculturally competent disciples through envisioning, empowering, and equipping.

Resources

I have a five-page outline plus a 60-slide PowerPoint presentation. If you are interested in having me speak to your group, feel free to contact me.

April Boycik is a former student of mine and a lifelong friend. Her prayerful response to my posts on intercultural ministry, with her permission, is posted below.

“Lord,

Let me plug in and serve together with whom you would have me serve, as you would, where you would…

Realizing my brothers and sisters, different from me culturally, politically, educationally are all called according to your purpose, too.

Together, we make the body.

Sepearate, we are but amputees.”

In the old game show, Name That Tune, contestants would say, “I can name that tune in ____ notes” (the lower the number of notes, the better). Well, I canNOT name the “tune” of intercultural (or multicultural or cross-cultural) ministry/relating in just a few notes.

In fact, one specialist in this area lists more than a dozen different names for the concept related to intercultural/multiculturalism. That’s a dozen names–each with its own set of scores of definitions.

So, is the cause hopeless? Nope.

But, keep in mind the humble title of this blog post: “toward a description…” It is not a final anything. And it is not even a “definition.” It is a beginning description.

I’ll save the more technical aspects for a forty-semester hour graduate course, and try to keep matters relatively straight forward for a somewhat short blog post. Of course, that means these basic descriptions have much wiggle room and can easily be quibbled with. That’s good–makes for expanding the conversation.

What Is Culture?

Let’s start with a supposedly simple word like “culture.” This word itself has a myriad of definitions. My working definition of culture is based upon a biblical theology/psychology of how God designed us. Here are two similar ways I would word my description of culture:

Culture is the shared relational, rational, volitional, and emotional patterns for living that people use in social interactions and learn through social interactions.

Culture is the system of shared patterns of relating, thinking, acting, and feeling that members of society use to relate to one another and to others, and that are learned through social interactions.

What Is Intercultural Relational Competency?

First, I use intercultural relational competency interchangeably with multicultural skillfulness. Here are a few ways I describe these terms:

Intercultural relational competency is the ability to relate like Christ with people from other cultures.

Intercultural relational competency is the ability to relate like Christ when interacting with people whose patterns of relating, thinking, acting, and feeling are culturally different (diverse) from yours.

What Is a Christ-Centered TEAM Approach to Christlike Intercultural Relational Competency?

Wow! That question alone is a mouthful!

Just as I build my description of “culture” on a biblical theology of people, so I build my description of competency based upon a biblical methodology of change. In my biblical theory of how to help people to change, I highlight sustaining, healing, reconciling, and guiding (SHRG). For intercultural or multicultural or cross-cultural ministry, I take these four terms and turn them into an acrostic: TEAM.

T: Tacking Another Person’s Perspective (Or Tracking Another Person’s Perspective)

This is the ability to empathize with someone whose patterns of relating, thinking, acting, and feeling developed out of a diverse culture. It is the ability to walk in the shoes of another person from another culture. It requires culturally-informed listening, among many other “skills.”

E: Engaging in Bridge-Building Conversations

This is the ability to encourage another person to assess their own individual, cultural, and universal experience through the lens of God’s eternal Person, perspective, purposes, and plans. It includes the both/and “skill” of listening to the earthly story while jointly weaving in God’s eternal, heavenly story.

A: Accepting, Reconciling with, and Forgiving One Another

This is the ability to apply Christ’s forgiveness of us to our intercultural relationships. It highlights the fact that “racism” (another word with multiple definitions) is not a skin issue but a sin issue. It recognizes that integration alone is a legislative/law issue, while reconciliation is a heart issue, a spiritual issue. This includes the “skill” of being an ambassador of intercultural reconciliation.

M: Making Disciples Who Are Interculturally Competent (Or Mentoring Disciples…)

This is the ability to equip equippers. It is the ability to envision, empower, and equip others to be interculturally Christlike. It is a spiritual direction/discipleship process that passes on and stirs up Christlike intercultural love.

A Soul Care and Spiritual Direction Model

What I am developing/suggesting is a soul care and spiritual direction model of intercultural (multicultural, cross-cultural) competence. It is not simply an individual model: change one person. Nor is it simply an institutional model: change the law. It is a spiritual, ecclesiological model: a Christ-centered, TEAM approach to cultivating Christlike intercultural relational competency.

My passion is to equip the Body of Christ to relate like Christ when interacting with others whose patterns of relating, thinking, acting, and feeling are culturally different from them.

Thus, intercultural competency certainly includes evangelism, since the unsaved and the saved, even from the same home, have diverse patterns of relating, thinking, acting, and feeling.

But it goes far beyond evangelism (ambassadorship) to include fellowship, worship, stewardship, and discipleship. Christlike intercultural relational competency includes how we relate to one another of different cultures in church, at work, in our neighborhoods…it is all-inclusive.