“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” -Albert Schweitzer
“We are not called to help people. We are called to follow Jesus, in whose service we learn who we are and how we are to help and be helped.” -Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon
Did any of you realize that servanthood is culturally defined? Yeah, neither did I. It is so completely fascinating when you realize that your entire understanding of what Christianity is, and how to follow Christ is widely based upon culture. I follow Jesus as a westerner. I’m realizing that in order to follow Jesus well in Peru I’m going to have figure out how to separate myself from my western understanding of who Jesus is. So the big question is, how to be culturally sensitive to those I am around while “remaining true” to scripture. This is the burden and the challenge of servanthood. At least it is according to Duane Elmer, author of “Cross-Cultural Servanthood”. This is one of a few books I am reading at the moment, and I believe it may be one of the most relevant books that I have picked up in preparation for this ministry. “The ways we are effective in culture are also the primary ways we serve others”, says Elmer based upon 1 Thess. 2:8, and, “we are inclined to serve others from our own frame of reference”.
I have a lot to learn. This process of learning how to truly serve is actually quite humbling. Who would have thought .
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