We’ve been learning a lot about how cultures are like onions… they have layers. On the outside, there are behaviours that everyone can see, but those behaviours are shaped by what is underneath: Authority structures, social networks, experiences, and even deeper… the “core” – where values and beliefs are held that often cannot even be expressed, but that shape everything about who we are. While the behaviours may change quickly in response to changes in environment, new technologies, etc., the “core” of a culture usually takes generations to change significantly. What does that mean for us? We’ve got to target more than what people do – we’ve got to figure out why they do it and aim for bringing the light of the gospel into the core of people’s hearts.

NOTE in reference to the post “Girly Angel Wings” from December… I have been informed by a good friend that there actually is a place in the Bible that talks about women who have wings – Zechariah 5:5-11. Although these women are in a vision and are not specifically identified as angels, some have argued that they are a kind of angel.