Contrasting Worldviews

My friend and teammate, Kathy, recently pointed out an article in the January 2008 issue of EMQ (Evangelical Missions Quarterly). It was titled, "Contrasting Worldviews and Their Implications for Missions in Spain." It has some very interesting points to make and I thought I would share some of them with you to give you a better idea of what it's like to be a missionary in Spain. It opened my eyes to some things I was not aware of, even though I've been here three and half years.

The first major difference one encounters as a missionary entering Spain is the change in identity. North Americans and many Northern Europeans are accustomed to defining themselves as individuals. A mature adult, in this worldview, knows who he or she is based on his or her internal worth. He or she does not depend on others' evaluations to determine his or her worth...In the Spaniard's worldview, however, the individual's identity lies within the group of which he or she forms a part. Thus, identity is determined by one's family, birthplace, neighborhood, group of friends, colleagues and church.

A second aspect of the identity question is the concept of being versus doing. We North Americans get our value, identity and worth to a very large degree from what we do...Our achievements give us personal worth. The Spaniard defines him or herself in terms of being, and his or her being is closely related to his or her group identity. In fact, for the Spaniard, the two are virtually inseparable.

A third important area in which the Spanish worldview differs has to do with the perception of the world in which we live. North Americans are taught from birth that we can control our world and affect our circumstances. We believe we can achieve anything if we just put our mind to it and are willing to work hard...For Spaniards, the individual has very little ability to control his or her environment and all resources are limited. This belief breeds a kind of fatalism. One cannot change anything, so why even try?

How does a missionary come to grips with these problems and find a way to function effectively? Here are a few suggestion:

1. Pay careful attention to the being-versus-doing and the individual-versus-group aspects of society. The missionary must be willing to arrive, pick a place to live and a church to work with and settle down for a long stretch of what will appear to be "nothing." During this time...the emphasis must be on learning the language, gaining trust, listening to people, being who we are and proving ourselves to be part of the group.

2. Learn how to deal with criticisms, attacks and confrontations. When we perceive ourselves to have been sinned against, we must deal with the occurrence the same way we would any other offense. Making excuses or saying we must just "get over it" does not really help. We have been sinned against and must choose to forgive that person, whether or not he or she repents.

3. Do not copy everything you see the Spaniards do in an effort to acculturate. That would be like eating the meat sacrificed to idols: we would be sinning against our own conscience...For most missionaries, learning when to speak up and when to be silent will be a long, slow process...We must remember that we are here to see change for the progress of God's kingdom...Nevertheless, I must be here a long time to earn the right to model something different, and that on a totally different time schedule than my own.