Liba Hopeson
Can we shape culture? Culture is dynamic; no culture is ever completely pure or permanently fixed. While it is right to preserve what is good in our traditions, we should avoid the prideful assumption that our culture is superior to others. Instead, we can humbly learn from and embrace elements of different cultures, recognizing that no culture is perfect. History clearly shows that cultures are constantly shaped and reshaped through interaction, adaptation, and human choice.
For example, drinking tea was not originally part of Indian culture, yet today it is deeply embedded in everyday life. In Japan, tempura was influenced by Portuguese cooking, yet it is now considered a distinctly Japanese dish. In the United States, foods like pizza and hamburgers, originally from Europe, have become cultural staples. In South Korea, Western fashion and music have blended with local traditions to create global phenomena like K-pop. Likewise, the United Kingdom has embraced foods like curry, which is now a beloved part of British cuisine.
History gives even stronger examples. The spread of Buddhism from India transformed the cultures of China, Korea, and Japan, influencing their art, philosophy, and social values. The Renaissance in Europe reshaped Western culture by reviving learning, art, and scientific thinking after the Middle Ages. The Industrial Revolution completely changed how people lived, worked, and thought—introducing urban life, new economic systems, and modern education. Even the printing press, when it was invented, reshaped culture by making knowledge accessible to ordinary people.
These examples show that culture is not only shaped slowly but can also be transformed powerfully when new ideas are introduced and accepted. Therefore, rather than merely inheriting culture, we actively participate in shaping and forming it—choosing, refining, and introducing practices that can become the norms of tomorrow.
Knowingly or unknowingly, we adopt certain practices, and over time they become part of our culture. For instance, it was not originally part of our tribal culture to live in brick buildings, eat fast food, or drive cars, yet today these have become normal aspects of our daily lives. In the same way, it was not our culture to brush our teeth with toothpaste, but now we do it regularly. Likewise, wearing coat and suit was not part of our traditional culture, yet today many of us use them, especially on formal occasions.
Certain changes are inevitably brought about by time and exposure to new influences. This is also true in the life of the church. For example, conducting Vacation Bible School (VBS) was not part of our earlier church culture, but now many churches practice it. Similarly, youth camps, leadership training programs, and retreats were not common before, yet today they have become widely accepted and practiced. In the same way, Bible study was not traditionally a strong part of our church culture. However, some churches have gradually begun to emphasize it, and over time, it may become a common and established practice among many churches. This shows that culture is not static—it is constantly shaped and reshaped by what we repeatedly practice and adopt.
In recent years, digital culture has also reshaped our lives—online worship, digital giving, and social media ministry have become normal practices in many churches. What was once unfamiliar has now become accepted practice. This again proves that repeated practice creates culture. So, culture can be shaped and reshaped. In order to bring change in our society, we need to think deeply and intentionally introduce practices that will benefit our people. Culture does not change by accident; it changes through repeated actions, intentional leadership, and shared values over time.
One culture we can introduce in our context is to value ideas and knowledge, which are significant and invaluable but often neglected. It is an irrefutable fact that money is often valued more than ideas and knowledge. For instance, in many events or programs, people do not pay much attention to the content and delivery of a speech if the speaker donates a large amount of money. If he or she donates generously, we consider the speaker to be important or effective. If not, we fail to appreciate them. That is the reason why, even after spending a large amount of money organizing events, we often return home mentally empty.
History again teaches us something important: societies that value ideas tend to progress faster. Ancient Greece produced great philosophers like Socrates and Plato because they cultivated a culture of thinking, questioning, and discussion. In more recent history, nations such as Japan after World War II and South Korea in recent decades transformed themselves into strong economies within a relatively short time by investing heavily in education, research, and innovation. Their progress did not begin with wealth alone, but with ideas, discipline, and a commitment to learning. In the same way, countries like the United States and China continue to dominate the world stage largely because they invest billions of dollars in education, research, and technology. This shows that long-term national strength is built not merely on resources, but on the priority given to knowledge and intellectual growth.
We are yet to realize that wealth itself is generated through ideas. Unless we begin to properly value ideas and knowledge, our society will not progress. In discussions and decision-making, we often lack the culture of seeking expert opinions and thoughtful guidance. Everyone seems to know everything. In many village meetings and community discussions, even those with little knowledge sometimes speak as though they know more than those who are truly informed, and there is often little respect or consideration given to those with deeper understanding or expertise. Even among our own people, there are capable individuals who have done serious study or possess deep insight, yet we do not have the habit of consulting them. Instead, we often carry a “know-it-all” attitude. This is a culture that needs to change. A growing society listens, learns, and improves; a stagnant society assumes it already knows everything.
Another proof that we do not value ideas and knowledge is that we do not pay school teachers well. Many of them are underpaid. I have raised this concern in my speaking and writing before. If we consider their salary and the number of working days in a month, many of them earn below Rs. 500 per day, which is very low. Recently, iron-welding workers worked for our church, and their charge was Rs. 2500 per day. I was told that this was even a discounted rate; otherwise, their professional charge would be higher. Many other laborers earn Rs. 500 or more per day, sometimes more than our teachers. I am not arguing that other laborers should not be paid well. My point is that, considering the importance of building a progressive society, we need to respect and value the service of teachers. One practical way to do that is to pay them well.
Countries like Finland and Singapore are often cited for their strong education systems, where teachers are respected, well-trained, and reasonably paid. As a result, their students perform well, and their societies benefit in the long run. This shows a direct connection between how we treat teachers and how our future develops. If teachers are paid well, their performance improves. And if teachers teach well, who benefits? We all benefit. This is a crucial issue that must be addressed.
Similarly, we need to promote professionalism in every field. It is true that today we are required to know many things, but for the development of our land and society, we need trained professionals in every area. It is difficult to be excellent in many fields, but we should aim to be good at least in one. One problem in our society is that we do not know how to value each other’s professions. Community life is good in many ways—we help one another and contribute to society. However, we must also recognize that this communal mindset can, in some cases, limit growth. It can suppress talent, skills, and professionalism. The idea that people should not charge money for their work but should do it freely may be helpful in some situations, but it can also destroy professionalism. Many times, local chicken is costly, but local people are undervalued—this reflects a serious problem in our society. We do not value and promote our own people. When professionalism is not valued, excellence declines. But when skill, discipline, and expertise are rewarded, people strive to improve. This is how strong societies are built—by encouraging people to develop their talents and use them responsibly.
I have cited a few examples above, but we can come up with many more ideas through which we can introduce good practices that can eventually become the culture of our society. One problem with our education system is that we treat it mainly as a tool for getting jobs and surviving. Education should be designed so that students are encouraged to think creatively, solve real problems, and bring positive change to society. Great cultural change often begins in education. If we train students only to pass exams, we produce followers. But if we train them to think, question, and create, we produce leaders who can shape society.
Can we shape and form cultures—cultures that are good and meaningful? Yes, we can, and we must. History proves that every strong culture we see today was once intentionally shaped by people who dared to think differently and act boldly. Let us think more, act wisely, and take responsibility for shaping a better culture for the future.
