Cultural Intelligence

I am listening to a lecture series on cultural intelligence by Professor David Livermore.

He is teaching on the importance of cultural intelligence when working in a cross cultural setting. One example he gives is when he questioned three Christian ministers from different cultures why the prodigal son was eating with the swines.

The eastern European minister said it was because there was famine.

The African minister said it was because no one would give him food.

The American minster said it was because the prodigal son squandered his inheritance.

Who was correct???

Immediately, I thought like an American, because he sqandered his inheritance. But really all three are correct, it is just the lens from which they read the bible.

Luke 15

 11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Life is difficult as an outsider

Ethiopia is full of wonderful people. We have many Ethiopian friends and through our many challenges we have been cared for well by our community here.

That being said, sometimes it is difficult as an outsider. This isn't a pitty party, but its just the reality of life whenever you are the minority. You stand out. And therefore become a target. Last Sunday we were walking home for church and a young boy about 8 years old thought it would be funny to throw a rock at a white girl's face. My friend was hit on the side of her neck.

Today, we were out for a walk with our family, and a young motorcycle driver thought it would be funny to pretend to hit us. The road was wide open. Adam, Cole, Leah and I were walking on the side of the road and the driver swerved toward us and came a few feet from our path. That is really funny huh??? Luckily, no one was hurt.

God is teaching us to have compassion and mercy on those that are the minority in America, others here in Ethiopia and throughout the world. I have always felt like I tried to advocate for my fellow brothers and sisters, but not until moving here did I realize that it's not always the big things, but sometimes the small things that can chip away at one's morale, at one's sense of hope and at one's sense of belonging. For those small things, we need to be more alert, more sensitive and more intentional.