Honoured, Holy, Righteous and Clean:
Human Aspiration and the Gospel by Paul Hazelden
(Work in progress...)
Introduction
Humans often struggle to communicate and work with those who
have a different value system. It is sometimes said that the
Western world bases its legal system on the concept of guilt,
while some other parts of the world base their legal system on the
concept of shame.
So, for example, in some places a father will kill his own
unmarried daughter if he discovers that she is pregnant, because
the alternative would bring shame ('dishonour') on the family. In
English culture, this response is unthinkable.
In England, various parts of society regard criminal activity
as an ordinary part of life, and punishment by the courts by way
of fines or prison are just an occupational hazard. But, almost
without exception, each of these criminals will readily explain
what they would never do: there is a strong moral code, even if it
does not correspond to the requirements of the law.
What difference does it make to grow up in a society where
shame matters more than guilt? Or where ritual purity is the
first priority?
These issues touch on the deepest areas of human life: on our
actions and motivations, on our deepest needs. If the Gospel is
God's response to our deepest needs, somehow the Gospel message
must tie in, be affected by them. The Gospel, if it is a
universal message, must speak to people across all societies and
within all cultures.
The Gospel, perhaps, never changes. But the words we use, and
the emphasis on different aspects, will vary from place to place
and person to person. How does the Gospel message accommodate
these very different social settings we find across the world?
The question is increasingly urgent and relevant, as different
cultures and values jostle with each other.