Cross-Cultural Connections: Worth the Effort!

I’m glad I issued an invitation here for guest bloggers here at johnnylaird. The latest contribution comes from my good friend Dana Byers.

Check out what Dana has to say, and look out for more guest posts coming soon – there more great ones in the can, and on the way!

Dana Byers is a church online leader and co-founder of Blue Door Ministries, Inc. She is passionate about reaching people around the world who are far from God.

There’s nothing like a child’s perspective to remind us how we should respond to a situation. When our family were living in Poland last year, I began homeschooling our children. It wasn’t a good fit. Here’s the conversation we had at the dining room table 4 days into homeschooling:

Son: Mom, I wanna go to school.
Me: This is Poland. You don’t speak Polish.
Son: I’ll learn to speak Polish.
Daughter: I’ll learn Polish, too.

I saw our family’s inability to speak Polish as a reason not to fully engage into community. My kids shrugged their shoulders and pressed on in the hopes of making friends (which they did!).

The Church isn’t comprised only of the people who attend your local congregation. The Church is out there – in the rest of the world – and we’re missing out on knowing many of our brothers and sisters in Christ when we assume we can’t relate or that our differences are barriers.

God’s plan is for His children to unite, to engage in global community, to overlook minute differences and combine efforts for good. I believe there is no international barrier – when met with a bit of technology or cheekiness – that cannot be overcome. Start today by learning about what’s happening in The Church in India. Locate a pastor in Eastern Europe on twitter and befriend her. Pray for the opportunity to travel to (or host) Christians of other nations to learn, be challenged, and grow.

How could God encourage or develop you through a relationship with a follower of Christ living in another country? Make a little effort to connect, and prepare to be
amazed!

Go here for more on Dana at johnnylaird