Third Culture Christians

Third Culture Christians

Years ago I went to a conference where I met a lady called Ruth Van Rekken. We did the usual small talk. After I told Ruth that I was raised in the United States in a Puerto Rican home – in other words I grew up between two cultures - she told me I was a Third Culture Kid. I thought she meant that Puerto Rico was a third world country. But, before I could ask her, Ruth explained to me what she meant, prefacing that this is a common phenomenon.

This phenomenon was discovered by Sociologist Ruth Hill Useem. She coined the term "Third Culture Kids" (TCK) after spending a year on two separate occasions in India with her three children, in the early fifties. Initially they used the term "third culture" to refer to the process of learning how to relate to another culture; in time they started to refer to children who accompany their parents into a different culture as "Third Culture Kids." Useem used the term "Third Culture Kids" because TCKs integrate aspects of their birth culture (the first culture) and the new culture (the second culture), creating a unique "third culture"

Sociologist David Pollock describes a TCK as "a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership of any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background.”

The question, “Where is home?” to a TCK is hard to answer. Is it where they grew up, where there parents grew up, or wherever they are living now? Imagine a young TCK being told, “You are going back home,” and home is a land you have never seen with people you have never met.

We read in the book of Genesis that Jacob and his sons - and their families - left Canaan to live in Egypt. This clan grew into a few million 400 years later, while living in Egypt. Moses showed up one day and told them, “I’m here to take you back home.” To these people whether for good or bad Egypt was home. Now, God was taking them to a land they had never seen to live among a people they had never met. God miraculously takes them out of what they know as home to take them to their new home. We read from Exodus to Deuteronomy what God had to do to accomplish this. The beginning of the journey as an organized nation starts in Numbers 10: 11 – 36. Because of their resistance to God’s plan it took God more than a year to get them organized as a nation to go home.

In a real sense true Christians are in the same predicament. Christ came to this world telling us that He would be back to take us home. We read this in John 14: 1 – 4,

John14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

To all of us born and raised in this planet: this is home. We know nothing else. But, it was not meant to be our home. Also, God is destroying it in the near future (Daniel 2:44, 45; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20). (We have a new Land Lord. He is rebuilding our dwelling place. Our lease is not being renewed, we have been evicted. But, we have a new lease, signed and paid for by Jesus. We can be His room mates for eternity.)

When the Holy Spirit makes your heart His home (Romans 8:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17), you are gradually and increasingly transformed into a new way of thinking (Romans12:2). You acquire a new culture. This culture does not fit anywhere in this planet. You do not even fit or have a sense of belonging with those with whom you grew up with. You develop a new sense of identity. One, which “… sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background.” You only feel you belong with people of a similar (parallel) walk of Faith. You sense you belong only with those who are learning and are striving to live lives controlled and dependent on Jesus. When we get to our new home we will fit right in, because this is how those who are there live.