Bribes

The culture that I am living in at this present time revolves around bribes. Growing up in America, we know the word bribe, but you can not really understand it until you have experienced it. Here, everyone knows and has probably used bribes many many times. In fact it is culturally accepted to give bribes, even when they are not asked for or demanded. How would that affect you growing up, knowing that if you wanted anything you would have to pay a bribe. Even to get your drivers license, you are expected to pay a bribe. Nothing is just straight up. Even if you lend something to someone, they don't understand that you are just being nice and require nothing in return. Free, does not exist. We joke in America that nothing is really free, and sometimes that is true. But here, I bet they even pay a bribe to get it to rain.

This is the good part. This is where contextualization of the Gospel comes into play. You can't imagine how difficult it is to grasp the free gift of salvation to a local person. But when they do, the good news becomes even...dare I use improper grammer and say gooder. If all you have known is bribes, and finally, you hear of something that is free. It is so foreign to your thought that it has to be explained again and again. How good is that! That could possibly be the best news you've ever heard. Oh what we have lost in our culture, and what is waiting for those of this culture!