1951年美国神学家莱因霍尔德·尼布尔 (Reinhold Niebuhur) 在《基督与文化》(Christ and Culture)一书中提到两者之间的五种类型。第一,基督反对文化(Christ Against Culture): 文化受了罪的玷污,基督徒应该避免、拒绝、并排斥文化。第二,基督属于文化(Christ of Culture): 文化是好的,与基督徒信仰没有任何冲突。第三,基督高过文化(Christ above Culture):文化是好的,但要基督信仰对其做出最美的诠释。第四,基督与文化之间的张力 (Christ and Culture in Paradox): 基督徒与所处文化之间的互动始终存在一种紧张关系。第五,基督更新文化(Christ the Transformer of Culture): 基督徒努力寻求将文化的价值观和目的转化为服侍和荣耀上帝。由于篇幅所限,以上几点我不详细展开。多数福音派的基督徒赞同第五点,即根据耶稣的教导我们是 “世上的光,世上的盐” (太5: 13-16),我们在世界但不属世界(约17: 15-17),我们要以出世的心过入世的生活,不效法这个世界,只要新意更新而变化(罗12: 1-2)。
春节是华人第一大节日,是中国文化中很重要的一部分。在美国的华人基督徒面临三种文化:中国文化、西方文化及基督徒文化。华人基督徒如何平衡三者之间的关系,对于荣神益人至关重要。参照尼布尔所提出的第五种模式“基督更新文化”,按照保罗所说“所以,你们或吃或喝,无论做什么,都要为荣耀神而行“(林前10: 31)的原则,对于华人基督徒过春节,我和大家分享以下几点:
In 1951, American theologian Reinhold Niebuhur mentioned five types of culture in his book Christ and Culture. First, Christ Against Culture: Culture is tainted by sin, and Christians should avoid, reject, and exclude culture. Second, Christ of Culture: Culture is good and does not conflict with Christian faith. Third, Christ above Culture: Culture is good, but Christian faith should interpret it in the most excellent way. Fourth, Christ and Culture in Paradox: There is always a tension between the interaction between Christians and the culture they live in. Fifth, Christ the Transformer of Culture: Christians strive to transform the values and purposes of culture into serving and glorifying God. Due to space limitations, I will not elaborate on the above points. Most evangelical Christians agree with the fifth point, that according to Jesus’ teachings we are “the light of the world and the salt of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16), we are in the world but not of the world (John 17:15-17), and we should live an out-of-worldly life, not conforming to this world, but being transformed by the new mind (Romans 12:1-2).
The Chinese Lunar New Year (also called as “The Spring Festival”) is the largest festival for Chinese people and is a very important part of Chinese culture. Chinese Christians in the United States face three cultures: Chinese culture, Western culture, and Christian culture. How Chinese Christians balance the relationship between the three is crucial to glorifying God and benefiting people. Referring to Niebuhr’s fifth model “Christ Renews Culture” and following Pau’s principle of “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31), I would like to share with you the following principles about Chinese Christians celebrating the Spring Festival:
- Worship the Only One True God
God should be honored as the greatest, and idols should never be worshiped. The first and second of the Ten Commandments in the Bible (Exodus 20: 1-5; Deuteronomy 5:7-9) clearly stipulate that Christians should worship the one true God, and idolatry is an offense to God. During the Chinese New Year, we shall put an end to all forms of welcoming gods, offering tributes, pasting paintings of the Wealth god or Door god, or welcoming the Wealth god on WeChat, drawing lots, etc. We shall not promote the names of other gods (Psalm 16:4). We shall not call people “big gods”; we shall not call certain movie stars “male god” or “goddess”; we shall not regard servants of God as gods (Acts 14:14-18); and we shall not regard angels as gods as well (Revelation 22: 8-9).
When we pray, Christians should not call God “universal power” but “Almighty.” In the Chinese Union Version of the Bible, whenever God is mentioned, He is called the Almighty. By the way, Christians need to have an honest attitude of humble confession when praying, but there is no need to modestly say “the above prayer is unworthy” at the end of the prayer, because our privilege to pray to God depends entirely on the salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, not on our own good works. Christians can post the word “Fu” and couplets with gospel words, as well as clothing representing traditional Chinese culture, such as Tang suits or ethnic minority costumes.
- Honor but not Worship Ancestors
Christians can honor but not worship ancestors. We shall “respect and remember” our ancestors, but we shall not worship or offer sacrifices to them. Chinese people say that filial piety comes first among all virtues. The fifth of the Ten Commandments in the Bible, the first of of human ethic, is to honor one’s parents. The emphasis of Christian filial piety is not on funeral ceremonies, but on sharing the gospel with elders, caring for them, sharing housework, and expressing gratitude with practical actions when they are still alive. Christians can visit or sweep graves during traditional festivals to remember the good examples left by their ancestors and to appreciate all their efforts and hard work when they were alive. We do not kowtow, burn paper, or place offerings, but we can humbly visit graves, offer flowers, and sing hymns. When visiting graves, we do not pray for or to the dead. We pray to God and ask for joy and peace for the living. This not only glorifies the Lord’s name but also bears witness to the world.
- “I once belonged to animal, but now I belong to Christ”
The Chinese zodiac is the twelve Chinese zodiac signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The twelve animals correspond to the twelve hours of a year or day. For Christians, the zodiac is just a symbol and has no actual meaning.
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, this year is the Year of the Snake. Christians have a special view on the symbol of the snake. The Book of Genesis says that the first ancestor Adam was tempted by the snake and ate the forbidden fruit and fell into sin. We believe that the snake itself is not a devil, but the snake has become a tool used by Satan to tempt people to sin. In the Year of the Snake, if Christians think more about preaching the gospel and bearing witness for the Lord, I believe God is also pleased. Sister Anita gave a beautiful testimony for the Lord on the stage of the 2024 Arkansas Chinese Association New Year Gala. She said: “This year is the Year of the Dragon, but we declare that this year will be the year of Christ. May Christ gain all Chinese!” We also claim: “This year is the Year of the Snake, but we declare that this year will be the year of Christ. May Christ gain all Chinese!”
Talking about your zodiac sign can start a conversation about evangelism. Sometimes Chinese people will ask you what your zodiac sign is. In the past, you answered, “I belong to a sheep, or a horse, or a snake, etc.” Today, you can say, “I once belonged to a sheep/other zodiac sign, but now I belong to Christ.” As Paul said, “But whatever gains I had, I now counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8).
- Eat and Drink in Moderation
During the New Year, Chinese people will cook a lot of dishes and enjoy the reunion with their families. It is better for a Christian to avoid smoke. Smoking is harmful to health. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. People should not harm the bodies of others or their own bodies (including health). If we have the habit of smoking, we need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the addiction and bear victorious witness for the Lord. For example: My grandmother and my American mother had both experienced the testimony of quitting smoking. They had smoked for decades, but they quit smoking through the power of the Lord. At the same time, Christians “should not be drunk on wine” (Ephesians 5:18). Those who are drunk will easily lose control. Christians should strive to rely on the Holy Spirit and live a sanctified life. It is best not to do anything that can easily cause others to fall. The sanctified life is not only based on not committing sins, but on the highest goal of pursuing God’s will.
- Seize Every Opportunity to Share the Gospel
We should always preach the gospel in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). When wishing our relatives or friends a happy new year, we can share the gospel with them. When meeting people at celebrations, we can share the gospel with them and invite them to church. If someone objects, we do not need to force them but should do our best to maintain a good relationship with them.
May the Lord bless us in the new year with more strength, more glory, and more joy! May the Lord’s grace overflow and the cup of blessing overflow. May peace roll like a river and blessings flow like the ocean! In the name of Christ, Amen!