Language and Culture

The process of learning a language isn't easy. I'm pretty sure everyone who has tried would agree, but I'm wondering if learning culture, even though it is often talked about as the secondary thing, is even harder.

I'm not writing this blog post out of frustration after making a major cultural mistake, but I have heard a few things lately that makes me think culture is, maybe, more important to learn than language.

If you move to a new country, in most cases, you have to learn the language, but in my experience the vast majority of people will easily forgive if you have a hard time speaking, or they will be patient if hey can't understand what you are saying, and politely ask questions to get your point.

Culturally you don't really have those layers of security and understanding.

Even though there is a small degree of "he's a foreigner, he probably didn't mean it" it seems people have to make a conscious decision not to show that you actually offended them when it comes to culture.

Things like when you know the language well enough to a make a funny comment that would have been harmless in your home country, but could literally get you in trouble with the Police, if reported, in your host country.

Or when you have a friend that you feel like you are bothering a lot by often asking for help, so one time you ask someone else, thinking you are being a good friend by giving him a break, just to find out friend #1 is offended because not asking him is a way of saying you don't trust him.

Since I'm Norwegian and my wife is German, two cultures that are quite close, but still different, we have on occasion had strange misunderstandings because we both assumed the other one would understand based on culture. 

Where we live now, in Pacific Asia, the culture is very different, so even though we speak the language at a decent level by now, I sometimes have the feeling that because of that, we are just more likely to get in trouble culturally.

The small, and so far (as far as I know) harmless, cultural blunders we have made, has reminded me of the importance of understanding culture when it comes to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

You have to understand how the message you are trying to share is understood by the listener.

We are not in a tribal setting, we just live in a town, but even here I have heard of very small cultural things, that if not explained thoroughly, could make the listener think that you have said something very different from what you wanted to say.

And that is not good when it comes to something as important as the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I'm not sure if what I'm writing makes a lot of sense, since im just sharing some thoughts,

but something more specific that I want to ask, is that you all would continue to pray for servants of the Lord around the world.

And we will continue to pray for you guys in the sending countries, we are very thankful for each and everyone that prays for us.

God Bless

Just so that the post won't be without pictures; here's one of the beach