Developing the Capacity to Understand Others

In the context of missional leadership, being experientially-transformed requires a willingness to exhibit open-minded consideration—demonstrating a readiness to listen to, think about, consider and accept new ideas, while evaluating them in light of the scripture. This characteristic is essential for leaders who seek to advance the redemptive and reconciling mission of God in the world. This essay explores five approaches to relating a biblical view of God’s mission to being transformed through open-minded consideration, providing biblical illustrations and practical applications for each approach.

 

1. Intercultural Bridge Building

Intercultural bridge building involves intentionally stepping outside one’s cultural comfort zone to understand and appreciate different perspectives. This approach recognizes that God’s mission transcends cultural boundaries and requires leaders to develop cross-cultural competence through openness to unfamiliar ideas, practices, and worldviews.

Biblical Illustration: Peter’s Vision at Joppa (Acts 10)

In the first century CE, Jewish and Gentile communities lived in profound separation due to religious, cultural, and social barriers. Jews considered Gentiles ritually unclean, avoiding close contact with them and certainly not sharing meals together. The early Christian movement initially comprised primarily Jewish believers who maintained these cultural separations.

In this historical context, Peter—a devout Jewish follower of Jesus with deeply ingrained cultural biases—experienced a transformative vision while staying in Joppa. As he prayed on a rooftop, God showed him a sheet descending from heaven filled with animals considered “unclean” by Jewish dietary laws. When commanded to “kill and eat,” Peter initially refused, demonstrating his cultural conditioning. God responded: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15).

This vision prepared Peter for an uncomfortable cross-cultural encounter with Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Despite his initial hesitation, Peter demonstrated open-minded consideration by entering Cornelius’s home—an action that violated Jewish cultural norms. His willingness to reconsider his cultural assumptions led to a profound realization: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34-35).

Peter’s open-minded consideration of new ideas—particularly that Gentiles could be included in God’s covenant without first becoming culturally Jewish—led to a watershed moment in the early church where God’s mission was understood to transcend cultural boundaries.

Applications for Everyday Life

Dinner Table Diplomacy

Invite people from different cultural, religious, or socioeconomic backgrounds to share meals in your home. Create intentional spaces for listening to their stories, perspectives, and beliefs without judgment. Practice asking thoughtful questions rather than making assumptions, and allow your guests’ unique experiences to broaden your understanding of God’s work in diverse contexts.

Reverse Mentoring

Seek out mentoring relationships with individuals who come from backgrounds different from your own—particularly those who are younger or from minority cultures. Position yourself as a learner rather than an expert, allowing their perspectives to challenge your assumptions and expand your understanding of how God’s mission unfolds in various contexts.

 

2. Theological Humility

Theological humility acknowledges that our understanding of God and His mission is always incomplete and influenced by our limited perspective. This approach maintains firm commitment to core biblical truths while remaining humble about peripheral theological positions, recognizing that God’s ways transcend human understanding.

Biblical Illustration: Paul’s Approach at the Areopagus (Acts 17:16-34)

In first-century Athens, philosophical inquiry was central to cultural life. The Areopagus served as a council where new ideas were evaluated, and the city teemed with various religious traditions—evidenced by numerous temples and altars. Epicurean and Stoic philosophers dominated the intellectual landscape, promoting rationalistic approaches to understanding reality.

When Paul entered this pluralistic setting, he demonstrated remarkable theological humility while maintaining his core convictions. Rather than denouncing Athenian religiosity, he acknowledged their spiritual seeking: “I see that in every way you are very religious” (Acts 17:22). He even quoted their own poets, finding common ground through references to Epimenides and Aratus: “For in him we live and move and have our being” and “We are his offspring” (Acts 17:28).

Paul demonstrated theological humility by using the Athenians’ “altar to an unknown god” as a bridge to share about the God of Israel. Instead of dismissing their philosophical tradition outright, he engaged with it respectfully while still proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus—a concept that challenged their worldview. His approach demonstrated how open-minded consideration doesn’t require abandoning core beliefs but rather involves thoughtful engagement with different perspectives.

Applications for Everyday Life

Dialogue Circles

Organize regular discussion groups where Christians from different theological traditions can engage in respectful dialogue about areas of disagreement. Establish ground rules that emphasize listening to understand rather than to refute. Practice articulating others’ positions charitably before offering your own perspective, acknowledging that your theological understanding remains incomplete.

Perspective Journals

Maintain a journal where you regularly interact with theological ideas different from your own. When encountering a perspective that challenges your understanding, document it without immediate judgment. Research the perspective’s historical and biblical foundations, then reflect on how it might enrich or challenge your understanding of God’s mission.

 

3. Contextual Integration

Contextual integration involves adapting biblical principles to different cultural contexts without compromising the core gospel message. This approach recognizes that God’s mission takes different forms in various cultural settings and requires sensitivity to local contexts when communicating eternal truths.

Biblical Illustration: Paul’s Ministry Adaptability (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

In the first-century Mediterranean world, social identity was primarily defined by ethnic, religious, and social boundaries. Judaism maintained strict separation from Gentile practices, while Greco-Roman society operated with complex social hierarchies. Paul ministered across these diverse contexts—from synagogues to marketplaces, from Jewish communities to Gentile households.

Paul’s famous words in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 reflect his contextual integration approach: “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews… To those not having the law I became like one not having the law… I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”

This statement emerged from concrete experiences. When ministering among Jews, Paul observed Jewish customs—even having Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3) to avoid creating unnecessary barriers. When among Gentiles, he set aside certain Jewish practices while maintaining core moral convictions. In Athens, he quoted Greek poets; in Jerusalem, he participated in temple purification rituals.

Paul’s contextual integration wasn’t syncretism or compromise but strategic adaptation that demonstrated deep respect for cultural differences while maintaining gospel integrity. His approach shows how open-minded consideration allows leaders to discern between unchanging biblical principles and flexible cultural expressions.

Applications for Everyday Life

Cultural Immersion Experiences

Intentionally place yourself in unfamiliar cultural settings—whether international mission trips, urban ministry contexts, or rural communities different from your own. Approach these experiences as a learner rather than an expert, asking questions about how local Christians express their faith. Identify ways that their contextual expressions of faith might enrich your own understanding of God’s mission.

Adaptable Communication

Develop skill in communicating biblical truth using language and frameworks that resonate with different audiences. When sharing your faith, practice identifying the unique worldview of your listener and adapting your communication style—not to water down the message but to make it accessible. For example, use different approaches when discussing faith with secular academics versus working-class neighbors.

 

4. Discernment Through Dialogue

Discernment through dialogue recognizes that understanding God’s mission often emerges from communal conversation rather than individual insight. This approach values diverse perspectives within the body of Christ and seeks wisdom through intentional, respectful dialogue across differences.

Biblical Illustration: The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)

The Jerusalem Council took place around 49 CE, addressing one of the early church’s most significant controversies: whether Gentile converts needed to observe Jewish practices (particularly circumcision) to be authentic followers of Jesus. This dispute emerged from the rapid growth of the church among Gentiles in Antioch and elsewhere.

The council proceedings demonstrated remarkable open-minded consideration. Acts 15:7 notes that “after much discussion,” Peter shared his experience with Cornelius’s household. Barnabas and Paul then recounted “the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them” (Acts 15:12). James, a respected Jewish Christian leader, cited Scripture from Amos to provide theological grounding.

The council’s final decision—to welcome Gentile believers without requiring circumcision while asking them to respect certain practices important to Jewish believers—emerged from this dialogical process that valued diverse experiences and perspectives. The letter communicating their decision begins with the remarkable phrase: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” (Acts 15:28), indicating their belief that God’s guidance came through their communal discernment.

This historical moment demonstrates how open-minded consideration within the community of faith can lead to new understandings of God’s mission that transcend individual perspectives.

Applications for Everyday Life

Decision Circles

When facing important ministry decisions, intentionally gather diverse perspectives before proceeding. Create structured opportunities for people with different backgrounds, theological orientations, and life experiences to share their insights. Practice “holding space” for minority viewpoints, recognizing that God often speaks through unexpected voices.

Listening Partnerships

Establish regular meetings with a trusted partner who differs from you in significant ways—perhaps in theological orientation, political perspective, or cultural background. Commit to discussing challenging topics with the goal of understanding rather than persuading. Document insights gained through these conversations that have expanded your understanding of God’s mission.

 

5. Experiential Transformation

Experiential transformation acknowledges that genuine growth in missional understanding often comes through direct engagement with unfamiliar contexts and ideas rather than merely theoretical learning. This approach requires leaders to place themselves in situations where their assumptions are challenged through concrete experience.

Biblical Illustration: The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)

On the Sunday following Jesus’ crucifixion, two disciples traveled the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a journey of about seven miles. These followers of Jesus were processing their dashed hopes following his death, having expected him to redeem Israel in politically liberating ways common to Jewish messianic expectations of the time.

In their cultural context, messianic expectations primarily focused on national restoration and freedom from Roman occupation. The concept of a suffering Messiah who would die and rise again, though present in Scripture, was not the dominant understanding.

As they walked, the risen Jesus joined them incognito and engaged them in conversation. Rather than immediately revealing himself, he asked questions that invited them to articulate their understanding and disappointment. Then, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).

The disciples’ transformation came through direct experience—walking alongside Jesus, engaging in dialogue, sharing a meal, and ultimately recognizing him. Their exclamation, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32), reflects the transformative power of experiential learning.

This encounter illustrates how open-minded consideration—their willingness to entertain new interpretations of Scripture and messianic expectations—led to a radical reframing of their understanding of God’s mission through direct experience rather than theoretical instruction alone.

Applications for Everyday Life

Immersive Learning Journeys

Plan intentional experiences that place you in unfamiliar contexts where your assumptions about God’s mission might be challenged. This could involve spending time in communities different from your own—perhaps among the urban poor, in rural settings, or in international contexts. Enter these experiences with specific learning questions but remain open to unexpected insights that might transform your understanding.

Theological Experiments

Identify a theological concept or missional practice that feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar, and commit to experimenting with it for a defined period. For example, if you come from a tradition that emphasizes verbal evangelism, experiment with service-oriented outreach for a month. Document your experiences, reflecting on how direct engagement with different approaches might expand your understanding of God’s mission.

 

Conclusion

Exhibiting open-minded consideration is essential for missional leaders seeking to advance God’s redemptive and reconciling work in the world. Through cross-cultural bridge building, theological humility, contextual integration, discernment through dialogue, and experiential transformation, leaders can develop the capacity to understand others within their cultural contexts, evaluate new ideas from a biblical worldview, and recognize that all communication occurs within cultural frameworks.

As demonstrated through biblical illustrations ranging from Peter’s vision at Joppa to the disciples’ experience on the Emmaus road, open-minded consideration has been central to God’s mission throughout history. By embracing these five approaches in everyday life—through practices like dinner table diplomacy, perspective journals, adaptable communication, listening partnerships, and immersive learning journeys—contemporary missional leaders can embody the experiential transformation necessary for effective participation in God’s mission today.

This understanding aligns with the experiential learning process outlined in the foundational concepts: observing (Observa), following the master teacher (Discipulus), and explaining what has been seen and heard (Testimonium). As missional leaders engage in these practices of open-minded consideration, they participate in the ongoing spiral of experiential learning that leads to genuine transformation and effective missional engagement.