CHURCH IS LIKE AN ONION

Continuing with the theme of church culture again this week; it has been said that, “…culture is hardly perceived as long as we do not leave the only one we really know. A fish doesn't perceive the water in which it swims, and neither are we aware of our culture, or the influence it exerts on our thoughts and actions. (Peterson 100)” However, people viewing our culture from outside, are quite aware of the differences between our culture and their own, and they often find it difficult to penetrate even the first layer. Carl Sandburg wrote, "Life is like an onion. You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep." Similarly, the layers of culture that make up our societies, as well as our church communities, both conceal and reveal who we are and what we’re all about, and sometimes, it should make us weep. What do the outer layers of our churches conceal and reveal about us? Do we reveal an easy path for visitors to join our fellowship, or do we conceal ourselves, like a secret society, with special handshakes and rituals, revealed only to the fully initiated ones? Okay, that's hyperbole, I admit it, but Christian culture can be a bit prickly sometimes. We may act somewhat standoffish, clickish, and even suspiciously toward new visitors, and those first impression last forever!  

Given this problem, I think it is helpful to view new visitors coming to our churches, as though they are immigrants, who are not only migrating into a new culture for the first time, but are also trying to decide if they want to become a part of our culture or not. Researchers have identified four basic layers found within every culture that must be penetrated before someone can be considered an accepted member, and these apply very well to the church culture also. The first layer, as you might expect, given the example of the onion, is the dried out, brown, outer layer or the, “…surface layer, [where] we see the behavior and the artifacts that are a part of everyday life. (Koessler)” When we venture into foreign lands to see the sights, visit the monuments of man’s past, experience the beauty of God’s diverse creation, and sample the delicacies of far away places; we are trafficking in this outer layer of cultural experience. With our tourist camera slung around our necks, we run about capturing the curious mannerisms, unique architecture, and traditional relics of that culture with great fascination, but we rarely peel back that second layer in this capacity. 

Sometimes, these behaviors and mannerisms can even be quite offensive to our delicate sensibilities in the more industrialized nations. Consider the snobbery of the elitist, Aldous Huxley, when he visited Afghanistan and ranted, “I am not the type… who feels himself superior to the rest of humanity. Indeed, I am no better than others. But these people, these Afghans. They are not human. …Have you eyes? Look at those men over there. Are they not eating with their hands? With their hands! It is frightful. (Storti 31)” Hopefully, church hoppers coming for a visit will rarely have such a visceral reaction to our services, but it begs the question; what mannerisms, behaviors, and rituals do people observe when they migrate to our churches? Again, we don't perceive the 'water that we are swimming in', because we are fish who are native to this pond, but are we offending people unnecessarily without even realizing it? Are we doing or saying things that create pointless barriers that could easily be removed, in order to allow someone to find common ground with us? 

Going to the next layer of culture requires us to submit to the, "social authority, or, …the pressure to conform to cultural norms. Those who do so are rewarded with approval. Those who refuse to conform are sanctioned with disapproval... (Koessler)” In every social setting, it would seem, we are encouraged to relent to this authority. We can refuse to submit of course, and defiantly go our separate way, but with that defiance comes the rejection of the society itself, and we become outcasts. The church has struggled mightily in this area since its inception. Following the pattern of the world rather than the example that Jesus provided; we judge people because of the clothes they wear, the style of their hair, the piercings in their ears (and noses), and the genre of music they listen to, and pressure them to conform or get out! 

Jesus said, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. (John 7:24)", and "...the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature... For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Sam 16:7)" It reminds us that, “We are all subject in our thinking… to “ethnocentrism.” …the implicit assumption, often unawares, that our culture is the best, that our way of doing things is normal, the right way… We all overestimate the importance of our …our culture in the scheme of things. When we see something different in another culture, we are liable to view it as abnormal and inferior…(Storti 68)” 

Once that layer has been removed, we find that we are confronted by a layer of, “…personal and collective experience... (Koessler)”, which surpasses even the power of cultural norms and social authorities in our lives. Indeed, “Reason alone is not enough to change the views of those whose convictions are based on personal experience. …it is useless to say that a remembered experience did not happen… (Koessler)”, our minds just don’t work that way. In fact, rational and logical thought can even be overridden by this powerful force of culture. Have you ever had the unpleasant experience of trying to make friends at a new school as a kid, but could not get past this invisible barrier of common experience that the other kids shared with each other? "Hey, we've been friends since kindergarten! Who does this new kid on the block think he is?" It is much more subtle and subconsciously held, but the same carnal principles apply in our churches if we don't guard against them. "Hey, we've been through a lot together, and we are a close knit group, that share deep wounds, victories, and sorrows together; there's just no way you could understand!" 

Subtle or not, this screams out to visitors, "You're not welcome here!" During the greeting times, before, during, and after the worship services on Sunday, a similar scene takes place in every church. There are groups of people who know each other well, and have shared relationships and experiences, who are joyfully talking to each other, laughing and enjoying themselves; while spread out throughout the sanctuary,  are small pockets of people who are new, that don't know anyone, and no one is talking to them. It's like being back in the school yard during recess again, dejected with no one to talk to; but these are the ones who Jesus would have gone over to talk to, and so should we.

Finally, once all of the layers have been peeled away, we find at the center, “…the core values that shape the outer layers... ...the foundational assumptions that shape culture. (Koessler)” As strange as it may seem however, these core values are often in conflict with the way a culture  actually conducts itself. I remember early in my career in the Navy that our stated ‘Core Values’ had to be revised, after a major scandal involving high ranking officers. The old values of, “Tradition, Integrity, and Professionalism”, had to be cast aside for a new set of core values: “Honor, Courage, and Commitment”. The value of ‘Tradition’, was the impetus for the "Tailhook" scandal that rocked the nation, and ended the distinguished careers of four star admirals. The time honored traditions of the Navy’s past, were no longer socially acceptable for the Navy of the future, and our core values needed to reflect that. In the same way, the stated core values that we preach from the pulpit, and post on our websites as doctrinal creeds and statements of faith, may be compromised by our own hypocrisy, when we fail to live up to them on a habitual basis. This is of course the most egregious sin that can be committed, and rightly so, it is justifiable grounds for any church goer to migrate to a different culture, in order to escape the toxic one that we have created. 

Ultimately, it is the layers of our hearts that need to be peeled back, before the doors of our churches can be truly opened to the hurting and spiritually hungry. "So rend your heart, and not your garments... (Joel 2:13)"

By Pastor Glen Mustian

Works Cited:
Koessler, John. Culture Defined: What is Culture? 

NKJV. Holy Bible.
Peterson, Jim. Living Proof. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress. Print. 1989. 

Storti, Craig. The Art of Crossing Cultures. Boston, MA: Quercus. Kindle Edition.