The image shown above is a sketch and it expresses something that is in progress, not yet finished. Thus, our human growth is a lifelong task. There are two human faces in two different positions. One looking in front and another one alongside (3/4). The third face looking in front intends to be the face of Jesus, who is our model in this journey of human growth.
St. Francis Xavier International Theologate – Manila
We deal with cultures in our apostolic work, striving to make the Gospel welcomed by the people we are serving (inculturation) and through our adaptation to the local customs, sensitivities, and way of living (acculturation). But challenges due to cultural differences are currently found also within our communities which are becoming less and less homogeneous as far as culture is concerned. Often it happens that we “protect” our selfishness or cover up our psychological inconsistencies, by appealing to cultural reasons. Anthony Gittins calls it “playing the ‘culture card.’
… If members of a community are not of the same nationality and culture, different levels of integration may occur. The lowest level is the simple Internationalization: culture differences are just tolerated without efforts to understand or even less to welcome alterity. … A deeper level of integration is Interculturality, which is the interaction and exchange between different cultures which have come into contact with one another. … For successfully living interculturally in our community we need the clear intention to take it as an important dimension of our lives and mission. Living interculturally requires, therefore, a deep spirituality.
There is a strict connection between mission and the quality of our community life, including our ability to live interculturally. … A serene intercultural relationship proclaims a new way “where there are no longer strangers nor guests,” but only brothers united by the same Spirit and servants of the only one God who, despite the diversity of the peoples’ gift, cultures, and sensitivities, is Father of all. Living interculturally is therefore a challenge but it is also the opportunity to bear witness to the Gospel in the contemporary world.
Finally, we must be aware that the Gospel not only calls for respecting cultures, but also challenges them in their anti-evangelical aspects. This is the prophetic dimension of evangelization which goes together with the disposition to dialogue with every person.
Contents:
- Introduction
- Interculturality in Community Life
- A Spirituality for Living Interculturally
- Taking inspiration from the community of Philippi
- The Holy Trinity as our Model
- In Our Concrete Life
- Some tools to grow in our intercultural fraternity
- Conclusion
