My Culture....... Your Culture?

A human race of different cultures! Many conflicts or issues in life are often culturally related. One person I once interviewed, though, says conflicts are human nature things. Culture, often blamed or used as a scapegoat, seems to be where people resolve to settle.

I will be marrying an American girl on April 7, 2007. In this connection, the cultural factor may be something we might work on. Or should it rather be human nature as one of my ninongs said in one of my interviews with him for one of the requirements in my class?

Culture either bridges or builds gaps depending on how both parties will respond to the situation. It is my prayer that as we both enter into this marriage, a commitment for life, our lives will seek His thought and understand things the way God wants us to approach whatever differences we may have (And I know it is not easy, yet I can depend on Him as He enables me with His grace, mercy and love). For I know that my human nature may do otherwise but He has promised to be with us even to the end of the age- a promise that His never ending presence should keep me aware of, that He will always be there to provide all my needs, be it personal, my relationship with my future wife, family, friends and the people I/we will be ministering to. This is not an absence of conflict or difficulties but an assurance that He will help me to be loving, understanding, patient and to see my partner the way God wants her to be molded just like the way He wants me to be the person I am created to be for her and for others. I have to be aware that this is a process and not an overnight transformation. God help me to be patient and wait in his time.

My tribe has no word for courtesy like the "po" or "opo" in Tagalog, "manong" (older brother) or "manang" (older sister) and others... In the early days of my exposure in the lowland, either we were perceived to have "no respect" or so.... But mind you, my people never have the intention of not respecting people. One time, I was seated in a hospital while observing people. I noticed one woman seemingly in need of assistance. Her unconventional gesture put her as if she may not be a person that an employee in the hospital would want to attend to. My discernment was right. I ended up knowing their case, and felt bad that they were not given attention and had gone home, being delayed for two days because of unaccommodating employees in the hospital. I did not want to hold personal grudges against the employees in the hospital, yet I would have yelled at them because of my disappointment with their unfair treatment of my people.

We may not greet someone good morning or good afternoon (though in the course of time we adapted some of these and have been practicing them) when we meet people on the street, but we show respect by giving way and having the other person/s pass first. Our expressions of respect are not in flowery words, such as the "sirs" spoken in restaurants and establishments to please customer's ears (so that they would come back), but are often expressed in the way we treat people in action and not in word. Giving something at our best, even if we do not have much, is another form. I wish that every one's culture would not be not masked with the mediocrity that culture has been transformed into these days!

Let the richness of our culture be preserved as long as it honors our heavenly Father!