The lenses we wear effect our perception of everything that we see. As Christians, our tendency is to say of ourselves, “My lens is strictly the Bible.” while failing to recognize the cultural, philosophical & political lenses we had on before we opened the Bible.
No believer (or community of believers) is exempt from this. Does this mean we can’t know or discern truth? Not at all. It means that we need the humility to ask ourselves how our culture or politics may be shaping how we understand and apply truth.
This is why diversity in our churches & networks is so important. The body imagery of 1 Cor. 12 captures this idea brilliantly. The context is spiritual gifts but the principle applies broadly. Eyes & hands, head & feet are mutually dependent.
My brother or sister in Christ from a different cultural context can help me identify lenses I may not have been aware of. This is a gift from God. If I resist this gift, I’m like the fish who perpetually says, “Wet? Nonsense. Nothing wet here.” Bottom line: we need each other.
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