Culture Shock

Why did I just read that book? Job was the last Old Testament book I read during my reading of the Bible last year. And this was the first time that I listened to it being read.  By the end, I couldn’t help but ask the question “Why did I just read that?” For those who are unfamiliar with Job, the majority of the book is dialogue written in  dense Hebrew poetry . Yes, there’s a story with a beginning and an end, but the narrative predominantly serves to set up the dialogue. And here’s where my question comes in. At the end of the book, God makes it clear that three of the characters who talked with Job did so wrongly: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right…” (42:7) I’m not going to go back and count all the chapters in which there were “not right” things spoken about God, but it’s a large portion of the book. In fact, not only...

Photo by  Jackson Simmer  on  Unsplash Throughout my 18 years in Croatia, there are generally three ways I've dealt with the cultural differences I've encountered:  Completely accept the new culture's way of doing things. Coffee culture comes to mind. Completely reject the new culture's way of doing things. The draft is a prime example. Make some sort of compromise.  This post is about one of the compromises I continue arguing with myself about making. It still causes a degree or two of tension in my mind when it comes up. In fact, I sometimes end up talking to myself (in English) while speaking (in Croatian).  Since a year or two after I moved to Croatia, I have worked towards learning Croatian as well as I can. There have certainly been ebbs and flows, mountains and valleys, but the progress has generally looked like the sort of economic growth chart a company would strive for. But there's one thing I have to - and often do - push against when it comes ...