Can the fish see the water?

Yesterday in Foundations for Pastoral Care we were discussing various aspects of NZ European culture and how it affects us. But really, can we, who are seeped in the culture and usually totally oblivious to it, can we really see it? Do we know why we do what we do, why we say what we say, why in Invercargill people speak funny and call a vacuum cleaner a lux and a holiday home a bach or crib? Can we really see the culture we are absorbed in? Can the fish see the water?

The answer usually is not really - unless that fish is removed from it and put into something else, or steps back and tries really really hard. But if you are from a minority culture or have traveled and experienced other cultures, you may have noticed just how unique and strange NZer's really are. We do some odd things... We say some odd things... Things here that are acceptable are completely taboo in other nations. Things we are strict on are loosely regarded elsewhere.

The concusion to this discussion was that Christianity is counter-cultural. We have been born again into a new culture - a kingdom culture - of which we can look and see the positive and negative aspects of the culture we have come from, and hopefully do something about it.