presenting the unchanging gospel in forms ... - Global Interaction

Pictures: some of the
fashion styles of King
Bhumibol Adulyadej
of Thailand, and of
those who honour
him
AMAZING THAILAND
and implications for gospel sharing
Anna wrote, “Many Thai people have worn yellow
T-shirts, especially on Mondays, since 2006 when
they celebrated King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 60th
year on the throne. The king was born on a Monday,
and Thai people celebrated his 80th birthday in
2007. Late in November 2007, the King recovered
from a sickness and he wore a pink jacket when he
left the hospital to meet the crowd.
People believed that wearing pink may help the
King have good health and long life. Within a few
days, all the pink T-shirts in the market were sold
out. People needed to put in an order before they
could purchase one. While people were still waiting
for their pink shirts to be made, people saw their
King wearing a green jacket. Some people started
looking for green T-shirts. For a while, on Mondays
people wore yellow, Tuesdays pink and Fridays blue
(blue is the colour for the Queen as she was born
on Friday.) This is amazing Thailand!”
Jonathan Head, BBC News, Bangkok, wrote on 5
December: “Bhumibol Adulyadej is accorded an
almost divine reverence, with titles like Phra Chao
Yu Hua (Lord Upon our Heads) or Chao Chiwit (Lord
of Life). People prostrate themselves on the ground
in his presence. Yet there is genuine affection too,
and it goes both ways.”
Jocelyne Gecker of Associated Press wrote on 30
November, 2007, “Bhumibol, the world’s longestserving
monarch, enjoys a reverence seldom seen
in modern times. Regarded by some as semi-divine,
he is known for his lifelong dedication to helping
the country’s needy. Bhumibol is a constitutional
king with no formal political role, but has repeatedly
brought calm in times of turbulence and is
considered the country’s moral authority.”
It was predicted that there may be political unrest in
Thailand following elections held in December. May
the King be able to continue to exert an infl uence for
peace in coming months.
It is possible that the message of Jesus Christ as
King and his establishment of the Kingdom of God
would resonate with Thai people, given their great
respect for and love of King Bhumibol and the
infl uence he and the queen have on Thai people.
There are many diverse aspects of Thai life, religion
and culture which the Global Interaction team there
needs to consider. The team needs our prayers as
they try to fi nd the keys which God will use to open
Thai people’s hearts and minds to Jesus.
What about other countries?
How do we present the message of Christ as
King and his reign over the Kingdom of God in
countries where different political structures
prevail? What would these concepts mean in China
under communist rule? What would they mean in
Zimbabwe, where President Mugabe rules? How
would groups of Indigenous Australians understand
“king” and “kingdom” given their traditions of
a strong attachment to their home lands, but a
nomadic lifestyle? How would the various tribal
groups in Papua New Guinea and Papua (Indonesia)
understand these terms?
In fact, a serious question for Australian believers
is how concepts such as king and kingdom can
be presented in broader Australian society, or to
the children in our churches. While we still have
a monarchy, quite a number of people in the
community think it is time we did not. And, while
Queen Elizabeth II has proved to be a good person
and has fulfi lled her role with great dignity, the
monarchy has little impact on our daily lives.
These are some examples of what Global
Interaction team members need to look at when
trying to share the gospel with people of varying
cultures and situation. They are also helpful to us in
Australia as we try to share the gospel with people
who do not know Jesus.
10 FEBRUARY 2008 | VISION | GLOBAL INTERACTION