How to be a cultural idiot

I distinctly remember the first time I met Rod, who would later become one of my very good friends.

I was a first year student at Talbot Seminary, in attendance at a new students' reception.  During the evening's presentation, one of the Biola international missions students performed an Indonesian candle dance.

If you don't know what it looks like, I found an example on Youtube:



In the soft darkness of the evening reception, the warm glow of the candles, together with the dance were quite beautiful and graceful.  The woman wore the traditional costume of  a candle dancer.  Something similar to this:

What should have been enjoyed for its cultural beauty was sadly unappreciated by a twenty-three year old seminary student.  Me.

After the evening program, I was introduced to Rod by a mutual friend.  Being two of very few Asian Americans in the room, I connected pretty immediately with Rod.  One of the things I distinctly remember was asking him, "Hey, dude!  Did you see that woman do that dance?"  And in the crowded reception room, as people were picking up refreshments and conversing, I proceeded to mimic the gestures, holding two imaginary candles in my hands and twirling them around my head and under my arms.  

Rod looked stricken!  He murmured, "Umm. Umm.  That woman is right behind you."

Omigosh!  Either you bond with someone at that moment of embarrassment or else you decide that you should never have anything to do with that guy again.  ha ha!  Thankfully, as mentioned, we became seminary and ministry friends and colleagues.  

Who would have imagined that years later, God would use me, a culturally insensitive buffoon to work in, of all things, cross-cultural ministries.  

Thought I'd share that.  The lesson is 1) don't make fun of the candle dance, and 2) we always have room to learn and grow.