YOU ARE NOT ODD! YOU ARE PECULIAR!

I recently visited a couple in church who just had a baby. I love babies. They symbolize the incredible power to create something new from what was once old. Upon arrival, I met the new mum and the grandma who had come to offer her support. I also saw the health visitor, a British middle-aged lady dedicated to helping families with children from birth to about five years old stay healthy. She was sitting in a chair, focused on her work when I walked in. I greeted the new mother and prostrated to show respect to the grandma. The health visitor glanced at me quickly and furtively. It was a look I might have missed if I hadn't been anticipating it. I was familiar enough with culture shocks in the UK to recognize how my greeting might surprise her. I was right. I turned to her and asked, "Are you wondering what I am doing?" Her chuckle confirmed my suspicion. "This is how men greet elderly people in my culture," I explained. "Oh!" she replied, seemingly understanding. We shared a brief but meaningful exchange about the cultural differences in greetings, and we both laughed it off. This incident reminded me of Paul's words to the Ephesians: "we have not so learned Christ" in Ephesians 4:20. There is a culture of Christ, a unique way of living that transcends the laws of the land moral compasses, or popular opinions. For example, we learn that seeing is not believing, but that believing is seeing. We recognize that our bodies are not our own; we are bought with a price, belonging to Jesus. Our stances on various issues may seem strange to some-this is culture shock. In Christ, we are guided by a culture taught by the Holy Spirit. This doesn't make us odd; it makes us peculiar! and that's okay. -