3+ years and still don't know anything!
That's the feeling I get sometimes when I spend time with someone (or people) that expand my understanding even further about Polish culture. Honestly, there are times that I feel like I've just arrived and that I'm having my first conversations about it all. That's what I was feeling last night.
It turned out that my friend Waldek was going to be late last night and that he would be coming with "Chris"..."Paul" wasn't able to make it at all. This was all ok with me. You know, you have to pretty much go with the punches around here. A lack of flexibility is a recipe for disaster (been there, done that, will sell YOU the t-shirt). I just didn't know what I was in for.
Chris is an older guy, about 54, and has an unreal history. I won't go into it all but he's pretty much seen things that you and I will hopefully never come close to seeing...let alone living. He decided long ago that life wasn't worth living if he didn't take a stand for his beliefs and convictions in all areas of life. In the beginning he suffered big time at the hands of the communists for voicing his own opinions and basically challenging the status quo, about as bad as it gets in socialism. The things I heard were unimaginable, almost as if they were being made up...but they weren't.
One of the things we talked about is how this nation has been taken advantage of and cheated repeatedly by surrounding countries throughout their history. This is stuff that goes back to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire days and beyond (I'm really on shaky ground in the history department). But, as the guys were talking last night, it seems clear that Poland is still being taken advantage of today. The word "raped" came up several times...both literally, as "special agents" and even police could get away with what they wanted, and figuratively, speaking of how the great resources of this nation have been plundered at the hands of both enemies and friends.
To expound on the present situation, let me share with you what they talked about with regard to the EU. Joining the EU was heralded as a monumental move for Poland (as well as several other post-communist nations). Western countries promoted this move as an end to many, if not all, of Poland's problems...bright future...economic growth...etc. But the guys began talking about example after example of how this move has had so many deep negative impacts on life here.
Over 1 million people have left Poland since the borders opened up in "Greater Europe". People, especially young people, are leaving as quickly as possible in search of better jobs and greater prospects for their future. But often what they run into is extremely low-pay and equally extreme long hours. My friends painted a picture of slavery...Poles enticed to come and work in a given place...they give up so much to leave their homeland in pursuit of a big pay day...and they find themselves trapped in a horrible job with hardly any income, bad living conditions, and a realization that their big dreams were merely a mirage in the desert.
My friends went on to talk about how Western businessmen have profited so greatly from this influx of cheap, Polish labor into their job markets (of course it has worsened the job availability for national workers in those countries...but capitalism doesn't care about that). And this is, again, the figurative raping of this country...albeit far more subtle than what occurred at the hands of the Nazis or Soviet Union. See what I (or they) am saying?
So, I listen to things like this...and over the course of those 2.5 hours there was much more...and I think about how much I don't know, how much I can't yet comprehend about the lives of the people around me every day. I think about how easy it is to come up with grand schemes, strategies to evangelize this nation. Yet on days like this I find myself wondering how that's possible when I (again, can't speak for other missionaries...but I wonder what they think about this) can't even begin -- after 3+ years to understand what is really going on at the core of this culture's existence -- to identify with the people to whom I'm trying to minister.
Ok, I'm not trying to give any excuses for a lack of doing something even when we don't understand or identify with our host culture 100%. That's definitely not what I'm advocating. What I'm talking about (in a sense with myself...just "out loud") is how much deeper I need to go. I need to have more meetings like last night. I need to have more conversations with people like Chris who could reveal that cultural core to me AND (this is important) take me alongside him, not the other way around, to see what he is doing to reach his people.
Oh man...I wish you could have heard him and his love, his passion for his people. He hurts for them. He begs God for their souls...as well as for the souls of people in the US as he is incredibly burdened for our country as well. He pours his heart out asking for God to use him...and God does in wonderful ways on both small and larger-sized scales.
There are a multitude of things that could be read into this post. I hope that none of those will be from a negative slant. That's certainly not my intent. Last night was so needed for me. Growth...transformation occurs from conversations like that one when we're sharing our hearts and watching others do the same. I'm encouraged and at the same time greatly burdened. I'm also humbled knowing that I, in and of myself, have nothing to offer. But through God's presence in me, combined with my deep desire to minister to people wisely, people can see Jesus through me.
As always I feel that this is yet another topic short-changed b/c of this imperfect delivery system. I know I've done a poor job at conveying this message...and certainly the atmosphere from last night's meeting...in its completion. Hopefully you're not left thinking, "uh....huh? What'd he say?"
Have a great weekend!!
It turned out that my friend Waldek was going to be late last night and that he would be coming with "Chris"..."Paul" wasn't able to make it at all. This was all ok with me. You know, you have to pretty much go with the punches around here. A lack of flexibility is a recipe for disaster (been there, done that, will sell YOU the t-shirt). I just didn't know what I was in for.
Chris is an older guy, about 54, and has an unreal history. I won't go into it all but he's pretty much seen things that you and I will hopefully never come close to seeing...let alone living. He decided long ago that life wasn't worth living if he didn't take a stand for his beliefs and convictions in all areas of life. In the beginning he suffered big time at the hands of the communists for voicing his own opinions and basically challenging the status quo, about as bad as it gets in socialism. The things I heard were unimaginable, almost as if they were being made up...but they weren't.
One of the things we talked about is how this nation has been taken advantage of and cheated repeatedly by surrounding countries throughout their history. This is stuff that goes back to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire days and beyond (I'm really on shaky ground in the history department). But, as the guys were talking last night, it seems clear that Poland is still being taken advantage of today. The word "raped" came up several times...both literally, as "special agents" and even police could get away with what they wanted, and figuratively, speaking of how the great resources of this nation have been plundered at the hands of both enemies and friends.
To expound on the present situation, let me share with you what they talked about with regard to the EU. Joining the EU was heralded as a monumental move for Poland (as well as several other post-communist nations). Western countries promoted this move as an end to many, if not all, of Poland's problems...bright future...economic growth...etc. But the guys began talking about example after example of how this move has had so many deep negative impacts on life here.
Over 1 million people have left Poland since the borders opened up in "Greater Europe". People, especially young people, are leaving as quickly as possible in search of better jobs and greater prospects for their future. But often what they run into is extremely low-pay and equally extreme long hours. My friends painted a picture of slavery...Poles enticed to come and work in a given place...they give up so much to leave their homeland in pursuit of a big pay day...and they find themselves trapped in a horrible job with hardly any income, bad living conditions, and a realization that their big dreams were merely a mirage in the desert.
My friends went on to talk about how Western businessmen have profited so greatly from this influx of cheap, Polish labor into their job markets (of course it has worsened the job availability for national workers in those countries...but capitalism doesn't care about that). And this is, again, the figurative raping of this country...albeit far more subtle than what occurred at the hands of the Nazis or Soviet Union. See what I (or they) am saying?
So, I listen to things like this...and over the course of those 2.5 hours there was much more...and I think about how much I don't know, how much I can't yet comprehend about the lives of the people around me every day. I think about how easy it is to come up with grand schemes, strategies to evangelize this nation. Yet on days like this I find myself wondering how that's possible when I (again, can't speak for other missionaries...but I wonder what they think about this) can't even begin -- after 3+ years to understand what is really going on at the core of this culture's existence -- to identify with the people to whom I'm trying to minister.
Ok, I'm not trying to give any excuses for a lack of doing something even when we don't understand or identify with our host culture 100%. That's definitely not what I'm advocating. What I'm talking about (in a sense with myself...just "out loud") is how much deeper I need to go. I need to have more meetings like last night. I need to have more conversations with people like Chris who could reveal that cultural core to me AND (this is important) take me alongside him, not the other way around, to see what he is doing to reach his people.
Oh man...I wish you could have heard him and his love, his passion for his people. He hurts for them. He begs God for their souls...as well as for the souls of people in the US as he is incredibly burdened for our country as well. He pours his heart out asking for God to use him...and God does in wonderful ways on both small and larger-sized scales.
There are a multitude of things that could be read into this post. I hope that none of those will be from a negative slant. That's certainly not my intent. Last night was so needed for me. Growth...transformation occurs from conversations like that one when we're sharing our hearts and watching others do the same. I'm encouraged and at the same time greatly burdened. I'm also humbled knowing that I, in and of myself, have nothing to offer. But through God's presence in me, combined with my deep desire to minister to people wisely, people can see Jesus through me.
As always I feel that this is yet another topic short-changed b/c of this imperfect delivery system. I know I've done a poor job at conveying this message...and certainly the atmosphere from last night's meeting...in its completion. Hopefully you're not left thinking, "uh....huh? What'd he say?"
Have a great weekend!!
posted by Michael Shattuck at
7:19 AM
1 Comments:
I believe that we have all thought we knew everything about a people group, we had a good handle on their thoughts and behaviors, only to discover God giving us new direction. This is an example for all of us to go deeper, look with God's eyes and allow God to show us how best we can continue to serve Him. I know that is what "Experiencing God" is all about.
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