“He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37 NKJV).

I grew up in the U.S Bible Belt, the child of devout Christians. Everyone I knew went to church and thought that it was important to do so. Later, when I would visit members whose attendance was irregular, they would often say something like “I know I ought to be in church.” Putting God and his work ahead of other things was a principle which was accepted by many.

I don’t need to tell most of you that this is not true of most of the world, and not nearly as true in the area where I grew up as it might have once been. Here in South Asia the local religions do not practice regular assemblies in the same way that Christians do. The Islamic Friday, for example, is a day when people (especially men) will go to the mosque at some point to pray, but not necessarily at a set time. The idea that everyone must attend worship assemblies is unknown to the majority of people.

For that reason, it can be difficult to teach new Christians the importance of assembly. I was recently invited to a birthday party on a Sunday evening for the young son of a local church member. When I asked about a potential conflict with worship it had obviously not really occurred to him that it might be a problem. A few minutes discussion of the importance of putting God first caused him to change the celebration plans.

One of the issues I struggle with in adapting to different cultures is to appreciate how very different our experiences are and how much those experiences affect our understanding and practice. It is not that the people of other nations disagree on what one should do – it is that some of the things which we value and practice have just not really occurred to them. And it may take the evangelist some time to realize just what gaps exist.

A simple principle, like putting Jesus first, has many applications. Some seem very obvious to us. Exposure to others may reveal that we are mistaken. Patience and understanding will often help us to teach and develop proper applications, resulting in spiritual growth for all.

Michael Brooks, link to original article