February 16, 2020 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART

By Pastor Tony Tira

"Look with wonder at the depth of the Father’s marvelous love that he has lavished on us! He has called us and made us his very own beloved children." (TPT, 1 John 3:1a)

I am what is called a 'second generation' Filipino-Canadian, the Canadian born child of 1st generation immigrants.  Growing up in a cross-cultural home, some of my earliest challenges were how to navigate differing (and what seemed like opposing) world views and values.  For instance, something simple like bringing lunch to school. My classmates would bring sandwiches, and my parents would pack me rice and “ulam” (dish).  Oftentimes, at a young age I would skip lunch entirely to avoid questions about what I was eating, why it smelled like that, and why I was eating out of a margarine container.  Home in some ways wasn't any easier to navigate in a western culture promoting the importance of self-expression; I had to figure out how to express myself in a culture where respect for my family was the highest value.  As the saying goes: 'blood is thicker than water.'  

In a recent article I read, Addressing Toxic Behaviors in Filipino Families by Abby Pasion she notes that "a 2015 Review On Depression Among Asian American Adults found that Filipino Americans have some of the highest rates of depression among Asian Americans, yet Filipino Americans also seek mental health treatment at some of the lowest rates."  She goes on to write about the importance of healthy intergenerational conversations.

In many shame/honour cultures healthy conversations are easier imagined than completed, but it is no less important to engage particularly in cross-cultural contexts where love is misinterpreted, misunderstood, and miscommunicated.  For Christians, we need to remember that our culture is not East v. West or traditional v. modern, but rather earthly v. Divine.  How do we love one another? Talk to one another? Attempt to understand one another? Honour and respect one another? Like Christ.