I am Casey. I was born in Hong Kong, grew up in Canada, and raised by Chinese parents. Jason described quite well what a fourth culture kid is. I want to share a recent experience and how it may apply to us as people who are striving to live in the fourth culture. Some of the content may at first seem offensive and even debatable, but I hope you endure until the end to grasp the main point. But please offer your comments and insights as well.
A few weeks ago, I watched Canada play the US in the Olympic hockey game (not the gold medal match, but nevertheless an important game for Canada's pride, the god of hockey). I was watching the game with mostly Americans. US eventually won the game and I remember feeling like an outsider as I felt everyone was celebrating at the loss of the team I was cheering for. There was no offering of sympathy, nor celebrating silently, but emotional shouts to add salt to the injury. If Canada loss to another country other than America, it would not have felt as bad. But losing to America in my mind just reinforced the immense national pride that I perceived America to have. Stereotypically (please note that the following may be a gross generalization), Americans have the reputation around the world as being arrogant. The majority of the world does not like Americans. One reason may be that they are jealous of the success and prosperity that America has. Another reason may be that Americans sometimes flaunt that success and prosperity, and sometimes even use it to oppress other countries.
If Americans are committing the sin of pride by boasting in themselves, the rest of the world is committing the sin of pride by judging, and in thus subtly boasting about themselves. For example, Canada often identifies itself as not being the US. There is the sense that though Canada does not have as much power and influence as US, they are not arrogant and prideful like them. The irony is the pride contained in that statement. The world judges US and condemns it for being arrogant, but in the process, they are guilty of the same thing they are condemn US of: pride. In their hearts they are saying, “look at those arrogant Americans, we are not like them, thank God we are not like them”. This reminds me of the prayer of the Pharisee who had confidence in his own righteousness and looked down on tax collectors who had an evil reputation (Luke 18:9-14).
Therefore, pride is prevalent in every human soul around the world. Looking at Jesus is refreshing. His humility attracts everyone to Him. He opens His arms to everyone to accept and embrace them. People groups that were rejected and outcast by society (prostitutes, Samaritans, lepers) were attracted to Him. It is His kindness, not coercive power that causes people to run to Him.
As humans, we are quick to draw dividing lines and neglect, ignore, condescend, condemn, or hate, people outside the boundaries we set up. This can be in the context of nationality like being Chinese, American, or Indian, or it can be in the context of geography like being from the south, being from the north, being from a certain city, or being from a certain region of town, or it can be in the context of the tone of our skin, yellow, red, brown, black, and white, or it can be in the context of sports, Clemson fans versus USC fans. We like to identify ourselves with a certain group of people. There is nothing wrong with that except when we fail to love the people that we do not identify with. That is sin and against the nature of God. Different groups reflect God’s diversity. The Trinity is a good example for us of unity in diversity. They display love, service and humility in relation to each other. The only group that God despises are sinners. Jesus who knew no sin became sin on our behalf so that we can become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21) and as a result be reconciled, embraced, welcomed, honoured, and accepted. Jesus experienced the full implications of the Father’s wrath in being rejected, despised, excluded, abandoned, hated, shamed, and condemned. At the cross, He became an outsider to the family of God so that we can become an insider. This gift of eternal inclusion into God’s family was bought by Jesus being excluded on the cross.
How sad is it my brothers and sisters when we boast more about the cultural, national, or whatever group we are in more than we boast about the work of Christ that allows anyone to enter into God’s inner circle? There are only two main groups that ultimately matter: the citizens of God’s kingdom (people indwelt by God’s Spirit) and the people who are not citizens of God’s kingdom (people who are not indwelt by God’s Spirit). How often do we hear people say “I am American”, “I am Chinese” rather than “In His infinite mercy and kindness, God has adopted me as His child, and that is my identity”.
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus understands and sympathizes with all who have been excluded, rejected, condemned, and hated upon because of the group they are labelled in. Jesus experienced all that because He identified Himself with sinners, the only group that God the Father despises. The implications of the gospel stretch further than merely our relationship with each other on earth, it is also about our relationship with God. The world needs to know that they are excluded, rejected, and abandoned from God if they walk their own way. The only way into inclusion, acceptance, and security is through Jesus.
Has the gospel really shaped the way we perceive ourselves and our identity? Has it made us leap with gratitude and shout with joy for what Jesus did? Are we looking at people through God’s perspective, begging our fellow human race to allow Jesus to bear the hostility of God in their place so they will have peace with God and others from now to eternity?
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:11-22
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