Fourth entry

3. What should we do when we are confronted with other cultures?

Everyone in this world has some form of a culture. Whether cannibalism or civilized society, a culture is different within different environments and distinct within people’s natural status.I first moved to America when I was in fourth grade. American culture was something different. I could almost say that I would not be the same person writing this entry, had I not experienced American culture. No one would walk after 6 pm, most all stores would close before 10 pm, car would be a “must-have-item”, and everything was so far away. Korea was not like that, and I had no understanding of the cultural concept of American civilization before encountering it myself. I could say that it’s almost natural to be ignorant of other cultures- like the Sawi people were of Don Richardson and the missionaries.When two different cultures collide, the influence it has from one to another is inevitable. Both cultures will be affected; they will both become something different. Like how I was influenced to become someone different, someone as a part of American and Korean culture, each culture will share their pros and cons with another. Every culture has its uniqueness, and the hardest part, or the easiest part would be accepting the difference. Culture can signify someone’s way of living, environment, traditions or even their life itself. The fine line between preserving culture and influencing it is a constant debate between not just for missionaries, but for everyone a part of this world. What determines the ethics for that fine line would depend on the transformation of a group to another. ‘Embrace’ is the right word to use in this sense, when a question like, “What should we do when we are confronted with other cultures?” is asked. A warm welcome and a friendly smile. That would be the beginning of a new transformation.