Thursday, September 07, 2006
Meetings, Meetings, Meetings
So, so, so many meetings yesterday--the Committee for Religious Affairs, the Committee for External Party Relations, the Evangelical Church North, Foreign Affairs officers. It's like that movie Ground Hog Day. The past weeks--meetings are all the same:
Vietnamese: Hello and Welcome. You are nice people. Please be nice to us.
Americans: Thank you - You are nice people, too. Please be nice to us.
Vietnamese: How has your experience been here? Have you been taken care of?
Americans: The food is good, the people are good, and our experience has been good.
Vietnamese: We see much improvement and want to take that message back home.
Americans: Good. We must constantly work on changing perceptions.
Vietnamese: Let me give you an overview and then you can ask questions.
Americans: OK, question 1 . . . (this is where it varies).
Vietnamese: Option #1 Short succinct answer (praise God!).
Vietnamese: Option #2 Long answer with the philosophy, history, massive details, family genealogy, flossing habits, (help us Jesus--we're dying!).
Americans: 30 minutes later, we're trying to stay awake and look interested. Our government handler has fallen asleep along with everyone else, but me. One man even drops his pen and, startled out of his deep sleep, hits the person beside him in a sleep flinch! I'm awake--though difficult. Now, I'm trying not to laugh. One man has been threatening me with blackmail over being "culturally sensitive." Now that he's been sleeping—well, bring it on baby!!!!
OK, you pastors out there, here are some lessons for those of you who want to engage society and deal with diplomats:
-Stay awake and look interested--even if it's like listening to the sermon from hell!
-Start with a warm diplomat get scalded--start cold warm up--get somewhere. It is the job of a good diplomat to put you at ease. Coming from Texas, when someone smiles at us and winks, we think they're our buddy! When they say they remember the Alamo, well, they're outright special! (You should realize they probably had a meeting with a Mexican delegation only a few minutes earlier trying to figure out ways to get Texas "governmented" by Mexico City not DC!!!! I've learned it's easier to read people who are reserved. Find their boundaries fast, then you can begin to explore. The warmer they are at first, and the louder they are, the more you could wind up a sucker.
-Stay quiet--let them do the talking. Respond only to what they say. Let them initiate. If there is something you need to initiate, do it up front, briefly, and non-confrontational.
-Compliment them. You can find something good to say about almost anyone. Even if it's as innocuous as, "Your mother-in-law isn't as fat as mine!!!!"
-Stay on time - they'll appreciate it.
OK, you believers out there, let's talk about God just a minute. Always go one step beyond your end goal. Instead of evangelism, it's transformation because for transformation to take place evangelism becomes a given that must be expected of everyone, and, in addition, you impact society. Instead of proclamation, think engagement. When you engage, proclamation will not only be important but will form the corpus of what you proclaim that leads to mobilization. Instead of church, think society. I've discovered that often I've had up the wrong scoreboard. What I was counting was fine, but what God was counting was something all together different. Pray for us. Two days of academic lectures from sun-up to sun-down. Life is difficult!
Vietnamese: Hello and Welcome. You are nice people. Please be nice to us.
Americans: Thank you - You are nice people, too. Please be nice to us.
Vietnamese: How has your experience been here? Have you been taken care of?
Americans: The food is good, the people are good, and our experience has been good.
Vietnamese: We see much improvement and want to take that message back home.
Americans: Good. We must constantly work on changing perceptions.
Vietnamese: Let me give you an overview and then you can ask questions.
Americans: OK, question 1 . . . (this is where it varies).
Vietnamese: Option #1 Short succinct answer (praise God!).
Vietnamese: Option #2 Long answer with the philosophy, history, massive details, family genealogy, flossing habits, (help us Jesus--we're dying!).
Americans: 30 minutes later, we're trying to stay awake and look interested. Our government handler has fallen asleep along with everyone else, but me. One man even drops his pen and, startled out of his deep sleep, hits the person beside him in a sleep flinch! I'm awake--though difficult. Now, I'm trying not to laugh. One man has been threatening me with blackmail over being "culturally sensitive." Now that he's been sleeping—well, bring it on baby!!!!
OK, you pastors out there, here are some lessons for those of you who want to engage society and deal with diplomats:
-Stay awake and look interested--even if it's like listening to the sermon from hell!
-Start with a warm diplomat get scalded--start cold warm up--get somewhere. It is the job of a good diplomat to put you at ease. Coming from Texas, when someone smiles at us and winks, we think they're our buddy! When they say they remember the Alamo, well, they're outright special! (You should realize they probably had a meeting with a Mexican delegation only a few minutes earlier trying to figure out ways to get Texas "governmented" by Mexico City not DC!!!! I've learned it's easier to read people who are reserved. Find their boundaries fast, then you can begin to explore. The warmer they are at first, and the louder they are, the more you could wind up a sucker.
-Stay quiet--let them do the talking. Respond only to what they say. Let them initiate. If there is something you need to initiate, do it up front, briefly, and non-confrontational.
-Compliment them. You can find something good to say about almost anyone. Even if it's as innocuous as, "Your mother-in-law isn't as fat as mine!!!!"
-Stay on time - they'll appreciate it.
OK, you believers out there, let's talk about God just a minute. Always go one step beyond your end goal. Instead of evangelism, it's transformation because for transformation to take place evangelism becomes a given that must be expected of everyone, and, in addition, you impact society. Instead of proclamation, think engagement. When you engage, proclamation will not only be important but will form the corpus of what you proclaim that leads to mobilization. Instead of church, think society. I've discovered that often I've had up the wrong scoreboard. What I was counting was fine, but what God was counting was something all together different. Pray for us. Two days of academic lectures from sun-up to sun-down. Life is difficult!
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