I tell myself stories. They are usually harmless assumptions about why people do, say, or believe certain things which are confusing or cause me distress. The stories can be positive or negative. When telling myself a story I usually try to make it a good one. I recognize my storytelling arises out of uncertainty, my desire for connection, and to feel safe in the world. Isn\u2019t that where most of our delusional thinking originates? It\u2019s challenging to tell myself good stories when bombarded with news highlighting the numerous global crises and injustices occurring around the world.<\/p>\n
I struggle to believe that the world is getting better when war, violent crime, corruption, genocide, poverty, racial injustices, human trafficking, and disrespect for human life still exist. It\u2019s overwhelming. After reading, Why We\u2019re Wrong About Nearly Everything<\/em>, by Bobby Duffy, I was encouraged by the hope he offered that most social realities are improving. Duffy writes, \u201cThe reality of how the world is now and how it has changed are both better than we think.\u201d[1]<\/a> This statement doesn\u2019t mean that the above atrocities don\u2019t require attention. However, assuming that most things are improving is possibly a more accurate and helpful view of the world. Duffy warns, \u201c\u2026too pessimistic a view of how things are changing can cause extreme reactions, where we rip up what\u2019s been achieved because we are blind to the progress we have made.\u201d[2]<\/a> Hope is an essential foundational truth as I engage with a world caught in the tension between good and evil. Hebrew 10:23 states, \u201cLet us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.\u201d Faith doesn\u2019t deny the harsh realities of life – it moves me toward them with hope. A more positive outlook frees me to engage. I also have hope because of the real-life stories of transformation I have encountered amid traumatic and complex social circumstances.<\/p>\n My NPO addresses the needs of ministry leaders in Southeast Asia as they face the demanding spiritual and social challenges across the region. Many of the atrocities mentioned above impact these leaders in diverse and profound ways. As I was researching this week, I came across some encouraging statistics that not only bolstered my hope but provided reliable statistical information. In 1970 there were 51 million Christians in Southeast Asia. As of 2020 that number rose to 153 million. Christianity in this region has increased more rapidly than any other religion over the last half century at a rate of 2.2% each year.[3]<\/a> That is hopeful information. I am thankful for these facts as I no longer need to guess. The reality is that this growth came during a time of great social, political, and economic upheaval. For Example, it is estimated that 1.5 – 2.5 million Cambodians died by the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot Regime. Christianity was effectively wiped out between 1975-1979.[4]<\/a> Today 3% of the Cambodian population is Christian[5]<\/a> and the Cambodian Church has become a catalyst for the healing of the nation.[6]<\/a> Some things have changed for the better. The good news stories and the bad news stories exist together.<\/p>\n By design, we humans are constantly making connections and searching for meaning. I can easily make poor connections and jump to wrong conclusions. As Duffy says, \u201cWe naturally look for patterns and bestow them with meaning when there may well be none.\u201d[7]<\/a> I did this more often than I care to admit when I lived in Southeast Asia. Taking the perspective that I didn\u2019t know how things worked (I really didn\u2019t) and admitting when I was wrong was both freeing and humbling. It was uncomfortable to have my \u201cwrongness\u201d pointed out because it didn\u2019t match the cultural norms. As I engage with my project I must take the same stance, let go of my own stories, and challenge my delusions.<\/p>\n The Misperceptions Index was insightful and instructive.[8]<\/a> The chart shows the difference between the average guess and reality among 13 nations. The US came in at a whopping 90% wrong! It reminds me of something Simon Walker touched on about leaders needing to \u201ctread lightly\u201d when expressing opinions.[9]<\/a> In my multicultural context, a strong opinion wields a lot of power and should be used with caution, if at all. With regards to my NPO, I am an outsider with an insider perspective. I will never be Indonesian, Singaporean, Cambodian, or Vietnamese. Though I have shared experiences with my dear friends in Southeast Asia, their realities and perceptions are different than mine. I am aware of the personal cost and sacrifices these ministry leaders have made over the last few decades. I want to listen to understand and hold the experiences of these ministry leaders as safely and as accurately as I can. I am not the expert, they are! My guesses are likely to be 90% wrong! I am responsible to sort out the facts, check my own biases, and engage diverse perspectives.<\/p>\n Bobby Duffy states, \u201cAn appreciation of how different other people are, and how misguided we can be about ourselves, is important in forming a more accurate view of the world.\u201d[10]<\/a> I cannot assume that my experiences and what I perceive in any given situation is all I need to make sense of the world. I\u2019m grateful to have spent so many years living among people who think, feel, and respond differently than me. That experience has broadened my perspective and proven just how wrong I can be. I think that\u2019s a good thing!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Bobby Duffy, Why We\u2019re Wrong About Nearly Everything.<\/em> (New York, NY: Basic Books, 2018), 21.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Bobby Duffy, Why We\u2019re Wrong About Nearly Everything,<\/em> 231.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Kenneth R. Ross, Francis D. Alvarez, and Todd M. Johnson, ed. Christianity in East and Southeast Asia.<\/em> (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2020), 13.<\/p>\n [4]<\/a> Kim-Kiok Kwa and Samuel Ka-Chieng Law, Eds., Missions in Southeast Asia: Diversity and Unity in God\u2019s Design.<\/em> (Carlisle, Cambria, UK: Langham Global Library, 2022), 16.<\/p>\n [5]<\/a> Kenneth R. Ross, Francis D. Alvarez, and Todd M. Johnson, eds. Christianity in East and Southeast Asia, <\/em>12.<\/p>\n [6]<\/a> Kim-Kiok Kwa and Samuel Ka-Chieng Law, Eds., Missions in Southeast Asia: Diversity and Unity in God\u2019s Design,<\/em> 18.<\/p>\n [7]<\/a> Bobby Duffy, Why We\u2019re Wrong About Nearly Everything,<\/em> 210.<\/p>\n [8]<\/a> Ibid., 209.<\/p>\n