by Jonathan Ho

I had no idea what to do.

My friend had invited me to join him and his band to play some music but I felt completely lost. I grew up playing classical music with Bach, Schumann, and Mozart, and here everyone was talking about Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix, jazz progressions, and words I couldn’t place any meaning or experience upon. I felt judged by my inability to fit in. Everything felt like disorderly, unclear noises, not a true expression of the soul. I couldn’t make sense of anything and felt unsure of how to proceed as I sat at the keyboard amidst all the noise in the practice room.

Have you ever felt out of place and unsure how to proceed? Maybe it was entering into a new social circle or going to a friend’s wedding or birthday without knowing anyone. Or maybe it was when the music styles changed in a worship service. Entering something unknown or different is scary and this pressure of something different often reveals what is in us. If you’re like me, these moments often bring out emotions ranging from insecurity to embarrassment to anger.

While these moments are uncomfortable, they are not to be avoided. And it’s not only new environments which might bother us. God himself is much beyond our comprehension. Dr. Ed Welch, from the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation, likes to say, “Scripture is surprising.” God is not who we think he is. Some say if “your” God looks just like you then something’s probably wrong.

In the book of Isaiah we read, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”1

Our thoughts often match our culture, the way our parents or communities raised us. However, God’s Kingdom culture is so different from ours. Wrestling with the notion that our culture is not perfect can be painful, but if we choose to ignore this pain and shy away from hearing ideas which clash with our own, then we can easily end up taking the wide gate and easy path. Jesus does not call us to an easy path but to enter through the narrow gate and narrow way which lead to life.2

Growing up in the United States, I have found it easy to latch onto political ideas, at one time arguing that everything a Republican stood for was godly. I have friends who seem to believe the reflected view, that everything a Democrat stands for is godly. Both paths are too easy to walk down.

Jesus calls us to die to ourselves, and this must include dying to our cultures. This doesn’t mean our cultures are completely wrong, but it does mean that they must find their redemption, transformation, and fullness in Jesus.

In this issue, Matt shares examples of the intersection of our personal cultures with those of God’s Kingdom and what we are to do at these points, Andy describes how our sojourning is not so different from that of many immigrants, and Eric describes how to react to losses. I also share a thought on how we can start living as Kingdom citizens.

In each article, my prayer is that God would give us grace to have ears to hear and minds to understand, to be transformed by the renewing of our minds to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God, citizens of one mind, one heart, one body, and one Lord.

I want to note that Andy’s article touches upon the often charged subject of immigration. As believers we can feel a strong tension between submission to the governing authorities and compassion for the stranger and alien among us. Are we enabling an illegal immigrant by providing care for him or her or are we caring for “the least of these”? It’s a difficult topic.

And yet, immigration is too important to leave on the sidelines of debate or in a place of indecision. The inclusion of Andy’s article is not to argue for or against specific policies, but to ask, as Kingdom citizens, how does Jesus call us to live? Jesus pursued us and I believe we are called to pursue those he has placed around us. How that looks will depend on the leading of the Spirit, but to obey is often to move towards. Please utilize Andy’s article as a call to prayer, thought, and relational action.

Finally, please send any comments or thoughts to us at krc.english@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.

Jonathan Ho