Title Pictures by Nicole Michalou, Kazi Omar Sany, Pexels
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to travel to Bangladesh. This Asian country is about the size of the U.S. state of Iowa, but is the 8th most populated country in the world with more than 170 million people. Islam is the leading faith in Bangladesh with over 90% of the population identifying as Muslim. Hindu makes up a significant 2nd with 10% of the population. Next is Buddhism at about six-tenths of one percent and then Christianity with less than one-half of a percent (less than 1 million Christians in the country).
I made this trip with Global Reach Director Travis Helm and our main objective was to encourage our field staff and meet with various government officials to encourage good working relationships in Bangladesh. As you may recall, 2024 has been a year of tumultuous change for the country with their longtime prime minister being ousted from office earlier this year, which has resulted in a completely new government from the highest office all the way down to local district offices. I can report that our mission and their work is well respected in Bangladesh – we heard that report over and over again at every level of government. While there are significant challenges in representing a minority faith in a culture that is overwhelming Muslim, our brothers and sisters are doing good work to demonstrate the love and care of Jesus. Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh.
I believe this was my first trip outside the U.S. during the Advent season. I made one observation that I’ve continued to reflect upon since my trip. This was a fairly brief trip and we arrived in the country early on Monday morning and departed late Friday evening. We spent time in three different areas and were in several public places of commerce. Five days in the country and not one hint of Christmas. I know it’s a Muslim majority culture, and I didn’t expect to see much, but I thought, at the very least, there would be some of the more commercial aspects of the holiday season, but nary the slightest sign or celebration of Christmas. No holiday lights, no Santa Claus, elves or reindeer. It’s not a part of their culture. They’re not having arguments over whether it should be “seasons greetings”, “happy holidays” or “Merry Christmas”! The only place I found such a familiar display of the season were the beautiful decorations on the mission house at our compound in Bogura.
It was strange for me to experience this lack of Christmas. I couldn’t help but think about this in terms of the overwhelming darkness without the light of Christ at Christmas. The gospel of John tells us that “in him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5) The Christmas story, the nativity, the baby Jesus are not widely known or embraced in Bangladesh. Our brothers and sisters there don’t enjoy the same religious freedoms and liberty that we’re so accustomed to here in the U.S. They don’t have many of the advantages that we have here in our culture. I returned home with a profound gratitude for their example and witness: faithfully demonstrating and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus in a culture that makes doing so very difficult.
I returned home and travelled to the Washington, D.C. area for a meeting of ministry leaders from across North America. We met at a large church located in the small suburb of Falls Church, VA. The large entryway was decorated beautifully for the season. The congregation was getting ready to host a weekend outreach event for the community with an artisan craft fair, petting zoo, and live nativity, strolling carolers, Christmas treats, crafts in Santa’s workshop as well as photos with Santa. It’s important to note that Falls Church is a very affluent and increasingly secular suburb of the nation’s capital.
The host pastor shared with our group that the congregation had traditionally hosted a series of cantatas or Christmas music events for the community that were incredibly popular and well attended. When the church did some evaluation of the event, they learned that the vast number of those in attendance were actually connected to other churches in the community. While there is certainly no harm in gathering the Christian faithful for such moments, this congregation has a passion for reaching the unreached. They weren’t content just to host large gatherings of the already reached. They set aside their typical Christmas event in the hope to create better ways to connect with their unbelieving neighbors.
The pastor went on to share that this new Christmas outreach effort was their attempt to build bridges to the unreached people in their community and meet them on the common, familiar ground of Christmas. He understood that some might be uncomfortable with the presence of Santa and a sleigh, but he also understood the people he was attempting to reach and their basic understanding of the holiday season.
Two very different cultures with two very different experiences of Christmas. There’s the same overwhelming need for the light of Christ in both contexts, that people would find the hope that’s only found in Christ. That’s the universal need we see that’s present in every cultural context across the globe.
Two very different cultures with two very different experiences of Christmas. Our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh can’t leverage the holiday season as it’s not a commonly held celebration in their context. Instead, they offer loving acts of service through medicine and education to build bridges to their unbelieving neighbors and fellow citizens.
Our brothers and sisters in Virginia are leveraging the holiday season that’s all so familiar here in North America. They’re utilizing the common ground of the “holidays” to build bridges to their unbelieving neighbors and fellow citizens.
Two different cultures. Two different approaches. One commitment to see men and women transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
May this Christmas season and the example of our Lord’s incarnation compel us all the more to demonstrate and proclaim the Good News of Jesus in each and every opportunity we’re granted.
Christ’s peace,
Lance
CGGC eNews—Vol. 18, No. 52
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