Inculturation

When reading this specific issue of "The Other Sheep" nothing drastically stuck out to me that made me think, "Oh!! I should write about this in my blog post!". However, something that has been brought up in class and is an underlying theme in some of the stories in this magazine is the topic of inculturation. I personally think that it is vital for a missionary to invest themselves into learning and understanding the culture they are trying to reach. They need to live in this culture as the others do, minus any sort of witchcraft, idol worship etc. One story in this issue of the magazine was about having to walk 10 miles to just get water. It made me appreciate that the missionaries in that specific story were willing to walk as far as every other community member and get the water for themselves. They did not see themselves as any better than anyone else, and did what they had to do. As long as the missionaries do not put themselves in a position of ungodliness, I think that it is really important for them to immerse themselves in the culture they are in. Eat the same food, learn the language, wear some of the same clothing, learn the traditional values and ethics. People are much more likely to be open to missionaries if they know that the missionaries are humble are are eagerly trying to learn about the culture. In my mind, learning about and honoring the culture of the people you are trying to reach is an essential part in your ability to be able to connect with them. When Jesus was on earth he walked everywhere like everyone else, he ate the same foods, and cherished and invested Himself in the culture He came to serve, shouldnt missionaries do the same?