Being at Urbana, I’ve met some really cool people.  My first day, I met a guy named Scott who is the area director of the New England district for Intervarsity (IV).  Scott’s been working for IV for 30 years.  He’s been to so many Urbana conferences that someone should give him a trophy.

I asked Scott, “What is the best thing about Urbana”?  After reflecting on the question, he responded…

“Urbana is a place where we get to see what God is doing in the world and think about the part that we get to play in it.”

We need to be reminded from time to time of how big the world and God is.  We need to be reminded that God is doing something significant in the world and our lives as well.

Unfortunately, we can often view our personal world as the center of the universe.  When God is at the center of our personal world, it’s interesting to see the type of theology about God we develop.

Interacting with people of different nationalities and cultures help us to see God in a different light.  

Two of my roommates are from India and one of my roommates is from Singapore.  Last night we were telling our stories of how we came to faith in Jesus.  One of the brothers from India was telling his story of how he and his family were living in Kuwait and became refugees because of the Iraq war of the 90s.  His family was a Christian family similar to my family.  When he was 6 years old, America began to invade where he and his family were working and living.  American soldiers were invading homes, looting, and doing other ungodly things.  His family had to flee Kuwait not because of the evils of Sadaam Hussein, but because of the evils of the United States.

At the time of the first Iraq War, I was about 9 years old.  I remember hearing about how evil Sadaam Hussein was and how it was the duty of America to police the evils of this world.  The Christian media that we listened to in our safe Christian home, talked about the “Biblical” significance of America being a “Christian” nation and our right to war with the people “over there”… and of course, God is on our side.

Last night my heart was broken at the realization of what happens to my other Christian brothers and sisters that are on the refugee side of war.  It was saddening to see how America's cultural association with Christianity misrepresents God.

My roommate from Singapore said that his pastor from home says that, “The God that America preaches is not always the God of the Bible.  Sometime America preaches a ‘kick butt’ God that I don’t see that in the Bible”. True words.

We need to interact with people of different cultures and communities to help us see a clearer picture of who we are and who God is.  Last night I saw how we all need God’s grace in our lives whether we are the dictator, the soldier, the refugee, or the relatively safe American.  Interacting with people of different cultures and communities helps us to see that there is no holiness without a Savior. 

How has your community and culture shaped the way you view God & the world?  When do you have opportunities to reevaluate your ideas?

Photo credit Untitle Blue