10) Eastern versus Western Thinking

Rich images and stories fill the pages of our Bible, but they come from a time and culture very different from our own. The writers of the Bible are Hebrew (Eastern), and they are writing to Eastern audiences. Most Christians in our culture are Greek (Western), who think about the world in a much different way than the people of the Bible. 

Eastern and Western thinking are broad categories used to describe cultural and philosophical differences between societies in the Eastern and Western hemispheres. It's important to note that these are generalizations, and individuals within each culture may vary in their perspectives.

There is nothing wrong with being a Western Greek thinker. However, much of the Bible is lost in our culture and lost even more as we try to explain it through a Western lens. If we learn to think "Hebrew," the Text will begin to come alive. Reading the Bible from a Hebrew Eastern perspective is like looking into a house from a different window. You have been looking into the house from another window for so long, now you walk around to the other side and see it from a different perspective. Or, as another analogy, if you think of the Bible as a song with various parts. It has a melody, vocals, drums, piano, bass, and electric guitar. Thinking more Eastern is like listening to a song by only hearing the melody versus the bass lines. 

Here are some differences to consider between Eastern and Western Thinking:

Words -

Greek = expresses truth using words, ideas, and definitions; prefers outlines, lists, and bullet points.

Hebrew = expresses truth using word pictures and stories and prefers poetry, imagery, and symbolism. 

Numbers -

Greek = see numbers primarily as quantity.

Hebrew = see numbers primarily as quality or symbolic of something else. 

Eternal Life -

Greek = detached from this world, something that starts when this world is over. Hebrew = In this world (and every possible world), life lived in harmony with God. These are qualitative terms. It is about the "kind" of life we are experiencing. It is not linear.  

Community versus Individual -

Greek = Focuses on the individual (Jesus and me; God and I; sins of the individual),

Hebrew = Focuses on community (sins of the community/they as people)

Error and Sin -

Greek = wrong belief or incorrect thinking; emphasizes what a person knows. (Sin is something in you that you need to get rid of)

Hebrew = wrong behavior; emphasizes what a person does. (Sin is something that I do. Stop doing it, and the sin goes away)

Existence of God -

Greek = tries to prove the existence of God.

Hebrew = Assumes the existence of God. (The Bible is never trying to prove the existence of God)

Description of God -

Greek = Focuses on the nature of the being; what/who is this God? (Westerner wants to examine this thing; an example is how creation happened, the science)

Hebrew = Focuses on the nature of the relationship; How does this God relate? (Eastern wants to experience this thing; an example is how God related (interacted) with creation)

Faith -

Greek = Faith is intellectual; creeds, doctrines, belief statements; proof-texting to support belief.

Hebrew = Faith is relational (no definition; does not try to explain why or how something happened but how they experienced it); experiences of and with God; no attempt to rationalize. Example: Abraham is about to sacrifice Issac; Greek wants to explain the story/rationalize; Hebrew is about telling it and how God worked at that moment. 

Regarding the Western attempts to support our beliefs, proof-texting is often problematic because you pull one verse out of a larger context. You can never take one verse from context and have it stand alone. An exception may be proverbs. 

Truth -

Greek = truth is rational and scientific; the focus is on HOW; belief comes as one thinks through validation.

Hebrew = truth is religious/experiential; scripture focuses on WHAT and WHO; Belief comes through experience. 

Truth over time -

Greek = truth is static and unchanging; absolute (If we find out the truth is wrong, we must move it to a new location and redefine it).

Hebrew = truth is unfolding; dynamic. (This does not mean that truth is relative!) Truth is rooted somewhere, and that point never moves, but as time continues, we learn more about this truth. Judaism has kept one conversation over time and did not splinter until much later. In the Greek world, whenever someone disagrees, we have to start a new movement, write a new creed, etc. There is no room in the Western worldview to learn something new.  

How do we deal with this type of new thinking? What do we do when we realize a lot we don't know? Everything you know is only the beginning! Stay with it! Eventually, you will get to a point where you are trying to pour new wine into an old wine skin, and at some point, it may burst! Keep at it! 

Create a safe place to ask questions and learn new things. It is not about getting all the answers correct but about having new conversations! It is not about fixing doctrine or everything wrong with the church. We need to learn to wrestle. Be okay with the tension and be humble, knowing we don't know everything. Let your lack of knowledge be liberating and not frustrating. 

A rabbinic lesson focuses on the opening statement in Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning, God." Now, stop! "In the beginning, God," if we remember these things, the study of the Bible will go well with every one of us. Rabbis emphasizes that the opening words of Genesis immediately redirect attention to the ultimate source and origin of all existence – God. By beginning with the concept of "in the beginning, God," the lesson underscores the foundational principle that God precedes and transcends everything.

As things get overwhelming as we learn about a new worldview, we must remember, "In the beginning, God." This lesson may encourage reflection on the significance of recognizing God's role as the Creator and the implications for one's understanding of the world. It serves as a reminder to acknowledge God's sovereignty and to approach life with humility, recognizing that everything emanates from the Divine.

As Westerners, we get frustrated when we don't understand something. If you don't know something, find joy in that lack of knowledge. Why? Think about how exciting it will be when God reveals it to you! This attitude is more liberating than trying to figure it all out.