Why should we care about other cultures? Does the Bible have anything to say about our different ethnic backgrounds? In Becoming All Things, Michelle Ami Reyes shows how small changes lead to lasting connections across cultures.
Share Christ with the Nations
The basis of this book is 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. Reyes explains and elaborates on how the apostle Paul embraces cultural diversity and advocates for cultural flexibility. The missiological impulse to share Christ with the nations means that we must go to great lengths to become a servant to every other culture.
With this theological foundation, Reyes first helps us learn to see and embrace our cultural identities. (It is worth mentioning that Reyes makes certain we understand that Whiteness is not an absence of culture.) We all have a cultural identity, and we must do the work to learn and unlearn what it means to know who we are. In fact, “not having to think about your own culture is an ignorance born of privilege.” We must accept that our cultural identity shapes our faith, and this is a fundamental aspect of the real and good diversity of the Christian faith and the family of God.
Next, Reyes focuses the rest of her book on how to appreciate and adapt to other peoples and cultures. She teaches us how to move beyond stereotypes by never treating someone as representative of an entire ethnic group, giving people the honor of self-definition, and focusing on an individual’s cultural narrative. With these ways forward, she grounds her motives in love for others and an ultimate love for God as we seek to share the Gospel.
Win Them for Christ
What I appreciated most was how Reyes shared many personal uncomfortable scenarios throughout the book. She uses her real-life examples to illustrate and also empathize the difficulties and challenges of cross-cultural relationships. She calls on all of us to lean into the discomfort for the cause of Christ.
I was most interested in Chapter 4: “Rethink Code Switching, Privileges, and Rights.” Code switching is the way we “change ourselves in different scenarios, bending and reshaping our personalities to accommodate different situations, whether it’s a date, a job interview, or hanging out with friends.” Reyes shared how she code-switched as a professor, and I was challenged to see how I have done the same in my own life. Reyes does however end on an uplifting note, showing how we can be sensitive and adapt for the mission of the Gospel.
This book is not just for academic thinking about culture. Reyes calls us to put words to action. To combat cultural appropriation, we can support real locals as a way to love those who are impacted by gentrification. We can find new spaces to hang out and eat — looking at different areas with different ethnicities for the opportunity to truly engage with others for the Gospel. We need to make new friends by inviting others to our homes, even when there are language and other cultural barriers. We can overcome differences with love, and we can have the opportunity to win them for Christ.
The Love of Christ Compels Us
The book ends with a call to change our perspective on justice. Reyes calls us to become like the weak and truly feel and understand by letting minorities lead the conversation, mourning when they mourn, and breaking down systems of oppression as if they were our own. It is a challenging chapter and a call to action that speaks courageously into our current moment.
Those who are serious about loving others will want to read this book for its practical considerations. Those who preach and teach will find Reyes to be an excellent example of what it means to speak the truth in love. Parents and students will find her words to be winsome in engaging different worldviews.
This book encourages us not to give up. We can learn to love our neighbors as ourselves. We should care about other cultures because we can connect with others for the Gospel. The Bible says that our different ethnic backgrounds are a beautiful display of his glory and an avenue to share the Good News. We can become all things for the advancement of the kingdom. The love of Christ compels us.
Author’s Note: I received an advance reading copy of Becoming All Things and this is my honest review. The book will be available beginning April 27, 2021.