It is 08:45. I am writing on a train bound for Cheltenham Spa, having arrived in England after an overnight flight from Dubai. My trip to the Middle East was brief and passed by far too quickly, but it was jam-packed with fun and adventure. It was breath-taking to see in the flesh parts of the world that I had only previously observed through the lens of a Google Images page – the tallest building in the world, an amazing fountain display in Dubai Mall, luxury seven-star hotels.
In addition to these tourist activities, It was a great learning experience to visit a country which has a church context so different from the West. Christianity is in the minority, and the church has restrictions placed upon it by a state that is largely governed by Islamic law. Christians have to be careful.
The conference that I attended during my stay was titled “Global Missions and the Church". Guest Speakers were John Piper and Victor Atallah. Although lots of good teaching took place, I won’t go into much detail here. Instead, I will briefly note some interesting things that I consider worth sharing:
1. The conference was hosted by the United Christian Church of Dubai (UCCD). The congregation is beautifully multicultural. One observer noted how the church in Dubai was a foretaste of what is described in Revelation 7:9.
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands".
This diversity of ethnicity within the church’s congregation is a microcosm of the whole community in Dubai – a place with people of all nations and tongues. Only ten percent of the population are local Emiratis; the rest come from all four corners of the globe. With such intense diversity there is often the risk of individual cultures fearing or misunderstanding others, isolating themselves and becoming inward-looking. Thankfully, any of this segregation within the community is not present within the church body. I was overwhelmed by the strong sense of unity within a community of such varied peoples.
2. With such a diverse congregation, it is not easy to know to which culture one ought to contextualise. Often, churches which lack such diversity are tempted to contextualise to a single culture’s norms to such an extent that the church becomes dependent upon its “relevance" to culture. Contextualisation is acceptable unless the Gospel message becomes watered-down, softened and impure.
The church – especially in the West – tends to forget that the simple and true message of the Gospel is intrinsically valuable and relevant to all peoples. The Gospel’s applicability transcends cultural boundaries. It’s power and efficacy is not dependent upon the latest audio-visual technology, the pastor’s “coolness", or any other of man’s natural faculties.
The church in Dubai could not – and chose not – to rely upon an over-contextualisation of their church services and other activities. They kept and retained the clear message of the Gospel. They do not add or take away from the Gospel to attempt to relativise it’s message. Mack Stiles referred to this mindset as “Gospel Primacy" and “Gospel Purity": the Good News of Jesus Christ must be the church’s primary proclamation; and such a proclamation must not be alloyed or mixed with impurities.
Have some churches in England become overly reliant upon man’s own natural faculties, forgetting that the Gospel story is the most relevant of all stories?
3. Experiencing church in a whole new context broadened my Global church perspective. I, with many others I am sure, often forget that the Christian faith is a worldwide phenomenon. How the church looks in England is not normative by any means. Depending upon the church’s situation, it faces different challenges and clashes with different world views. One quotation which I found particularly poignant is as follows:
“Many Christians in the world fear the raised fist, whilst we in the West fear the raised eyebrow."
Friends, there are Christians who boldly profess the Gospel in the face of incredible hardship. Our brothers and sisters are a living embodiment of the audience Jesus addresses in His famous Sermon on the Mount, who says “blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account." Such Christians don’t ascribe to certain beliefs in a light-hearted manner. Their faith isn’t cold, cerebral and distant. They don’t merely assent to some kind of comfortable pragmatism of “let’s all be nicer, better people". For these people, the Christian faith is a way of life and death. They spend their lives for the sake of the Gospel. It’s often not cosy – it’s costly. This is serious business.
Christian friends, join me in praying for the global church. Our brothers and sisters need boldness and courage, not blind and baseless comfort. Perhaps God will awaken in us the kind of urgency they have for the spreading of the Gospel. I ask and pray that He does this for me.
4. The Christian can be called to go anywhere; this is something else that I have come to realise. There is a great need of Christians from the West to be willing and open to leaving their homes and take the Good News far and wide. We must not become so comfortable and settled that our minds are closed to the possibility of being called somewhere else in the world.
Now that my short trip is over, I must settle into Cheltenham again. After such an eye-opening adventure, it both saddens and excites me that I must get back to the daily rhythms of life here. Lots awaits me: responses from universities and potential invitations for interviews, the build up to Christmas at church, continuing to serve and love the poor and vulnerable in the cold winter months, studying and reading, thinking about the future. I pray that amidst the hustle and bustle of this season – both the highs and lows, the busy times and the quiet – I may draw ever closer to God, who is my peace and my strength.
I must conclude by thanking Jo Summers and her family for being such wonderful hosts. I don’t take it for granted that I was able to travel half way across the world and be fed and housed. Thank you for your incredible hospitality: for driving me to/from the airport; for showing me Dubai; for welcoming me into your home; for hanging out with me; for making some great memories to look back upon. I hope that I can see you again soon.