Different Cultures, Same Language

This entry is inspired by the same cousin who inspired my last entry.  This was the cousin whose "husband" (technically boyfriend) said they were having communication problems that compelled them to seek therapy.  My cousin explained that they were having communication issues because they come from different cultures.

To be sure, both are Americans, born and grew up in the United States of America, although my cousin has Asian parents and her "husband" has blond hair and I think, blue eyes.  I agree with my cousin that upbringing can impact how a person thinks and behaves because mine is a bifurcated life, having been brought up in Asia and having my formative years being molded by Caucasian monks in Illinois.

My bifurcated life is a plus for me because I see things from both sides.  In the beginning, I saw differences which I attributed to differences in culture that were difficult to bridge.  I was wrong.

As time went by, what difficulties I had with differences, the mature me realized, had nothing to do with culture at all -- not one iota.  All the differences and the difficulties have everything to do with one's Free Will in making choices in life, choosing between good and evil, between following Christ and falling for Satan.

When everybody chooses to be like Christ, there will be no differences or difficulties, but because Satan is always present with Its temptations to imprison us, to detract all from following Christ, conflicts have thus become inescapable and integrated into our lives.

Despite Satan's sweeping influence, there is one thing Satan is unable to take away from any of us, and that is love.

Everybody in the world needs love, even those who have been hardened by life's circumstances.  When there is love between any two people from any two diverse cultures, religions, ethnicities and upbringings, the kind of love that emanates from deep down in the heart where God resides [1], they speak the same language and are in unity.

Those who believe in God have hope that unity between any two persons and among all peoples are possible, and know that the ultimate unity is with God and the path for anyone to be eternally united to God is through Jesus Christ.


[1] Satan battles continuously to evict God from deep down in a person's heart.  It succeeds only when the irrevocable choice to reject God forever is made.