LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Submitted to Dr. Harper
In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the completeion of
GLST 220-001
Global Communications
By
Emma Kratz
November 21, 2019
Introduction
Cultural intelligence is key to effective communication. When dealing with my stranger
of a college roommate who debates my faith, it is essential to execute the four categories of
cultural intelligence to avoid major conflict and personal threat. My random college roommate,
Caroline is from upstate New York where it is not just the weather that makes it cold. The way
Caroline was raised by a single mother to be self and accomplishment focused, her cultural
orientations were formed. Her orientation must be considered and studied before interactions to
communicate, collaborate, give her feedback, and negotiate with her without knowledge gaps
and offenses. With correct cultural intelligence, I can build a trusting relationship with Caroline
and present the Gospel to her in a powerful and compelling way.
Communication Elements
Verbal Elements
Topics
Verbal communication is an essential component to effectively communicating. I have to
adjust the topics I discuss by talking about things that are relevant for my roommate and
avoiding my own personal beliefs and convictions. I talk to her about her interests and passions
in order to bridge the gap between our different lifestyles. This allows her to find comfort in
talking to me and allows her to be more receptive to what I have to say because I listen to her.
When she debates me I will hold to my own my own beliefs and convictions to show her what I
believe but do it in a way that Christ would, with grace and truth. By respecting her opinions I
can disagree with her in a way that does not offend her.
Requests
Caroline is task oriented and communicates directly. She handles requests in a direct
way. However, to gain her trust and solace in me, I would present requests kindly. I would not
assume a position of authority over her but rather present request of me being in a place of need
not accuse her of being wrong. This would allow me to show Christ’s undeserving love He has
towards us. If I make my requests gently as Christ would, she may begin to open her heart to the
Holy Spirit and allow Him in.
Compliments
Caroline does not give compliments because she believes that she gains no personal
benefit from giving them. I proceed in complimenting my roommate to build friendship and
closeness with her. I take caution not to over-compliment or do it in a way that is over-personal. I
compliment her on qualities I see in her that are valuable to God. Such as patience, kindness,
wisdom, servanthood, or whatever else could be used to build the kingdom.
Non-verbal Elements
Distance
It is important to keep a healthy distance from Caroline based on the psychological
reasoning behind her priorities and personality traits. Relationship building is not a priority for
her and therefore does not feel loved and love people with physical touch. She is cold and is not
open towards affectionate physical touch. When I respect her personal space, she respects me in
return. When she respects me, she holds more value to the words I speak. When she debates on
Christianity I do not invade her physical personal space or her emotional personal space. I do not
debate in her a way that disrupts her emotions and causes stress on our relationship.
Eye Contact
Eye contact shows intentionality. If I am intentional with my roommate she knows that I
care deeply for her and her salvation. This is something she is not comfortable with and not
accustomed to. I will show the genuinity of my words through my eye contact. It is possible that
in her home growing up, she did not use eye contact with her friends or family. I show her that
by simple eye contact I can be intimate with conversation through showing her that she is valued.
Cultural Value Orientations
Individualism/Collectivism
Caroline comes from an individualistic culture where her performance and selfimprovement is the priority. Her success in her accomplishments are the source of her hope,
satisfaction, and security. Working collectively does not make sense to her as she does not see
why helping other people would benefit her. From her past with a single mother, she was taught
principles of individualism. Her mother did not have a partner to collaborate with but rather she
made decisions independently and Caroline was taught to do the same. God’s story demonstrates
the opposite message. The Bible emphasizes service as a commandment from God. The Bible
says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom
you have received from God? You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV) Keeping her
individualistic culture orientation in mind, I take caution when presenting these ideas. First I
share the lavishing, overwhelming love God has for us, and through discipleship, I can explain
that God calls us to serve, not be served.
Competitiveness/Cooperativeness
Competitiveness is second-nature to Caroline. From the way she was raised by her single
mother she was taught that you must compete individually to survive. Caroline’s mother took on
an identity of a purely independent woman and taught Caroline to do the same. The Bible
emphasizes the opposite for the body of Christ. The Bible teaches how to fully be dependent on
the powerful Father God is. The Gospel teaches to not rely on our own accomplishments but on
the ultimate accomplishment performed by Christ. When God’s apostles were teaching on the
church of Christ in First Corinthians they emphasized a cooperative value orientation saying,
“There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same
with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It
didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the
same Spirit to drink. So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.” (1
Corinthains 12:12-14 NIV) These verses portray that the church of Christ is designed to operate
cooperatively with every member’s different skills and talents without competition. After the
Gospel is shared and salvation is reached, the people of Christ teach how to share the good news
through the church. I attempt to help Caroline recognize the danger in her competitive spirit and
through discipleship show her the power of the cooperative body of Christ.
Direct/Indirect Communication
Caroline is a truth seeker and finds truth by communicating directly. Her self-focus and
accomplishment-based orientations compel her to demand direct communication from others.
She is an atheist because she was never exposed to the truth of the Gospel and needed a direct
answer to the presence of god. Caroline feels like she if she does not see the direct truth of a
situation she will not continue to pursue it. This is why she has decided to be a self-proclaimed
atheist. She debates Christians on the fact that she has not found tangible proof of Jesus Christ.
When her and I have debates she proclaims her points directly. When presenting God’s story to
her, I present it directly, emphasizing truth. It is helpful to incorporate some apologetics to
highlight that Jesus is a proven savior who is on her side. Her truth seeking nature can be very
useful in God’s kingdom, when proclaiming the righteousness of God and correcting those in the
church to strengthen them.
Neutral/Affective
Caroline has a neutral cultural orientation. This is due to her self-focus and
accomplishment obsession. She strives to present a perfect version of herself at all times.
Caroline believes that sharing her emotions and feelings would present a week version of herself
so she suppressed them. This orientation was taught by her mother who had to present a strong
version of herself at all times. Caroline is unable to see the benefits of sharing her emotions. She
prioritizes accomplishments over finding healing for her hardships. When communicating with
her I would keep this in mind, and not push her. When debating she keeps a put-together
composure and does not expose her weakness. Sharing the Gospel with someone typically elicits
an opposite, emotion-filled response, filled with confessing personal sin. My prayer is to allow
Jesus to soften her heart and set her free from her self-built image to allow her to share her
emotions. I would keep this in mind when communicating with her and take caution not to push
her out of her comfort zone.
Monochronic/Polychronic Time
Caroline operates on monochronic time to accomplish tasks. She lives off of her rigid
schedule and experiences anxiety when she feels out of control. She values her punctuality and
ability to complete tasks over building relationships and forming bonds with friends. From her
upbringing with a single mother, she was taught that relationships are fleeting and success in
found in accomplishments. When communicating with Caroline, it is important to keep in mind
this orientation. Avoiding interruption is a key tool to building a relationship with someone
operating in monochronic time. By emphasizing the accomplishment and end results of what
you are discussing, Caroline can see purpose in the conversation. The Bible teaches not to put
our worth in accomplishments however, the communicator of the Gospel should recognize
which orientation the non-believer functions in to have a powerful conversation. I recognize and
communicate to Caroline that God does bless our hard work and does not bless our laziness.
High/Low Uncertainty Avoidance
Rigid plans, rules, structure, guidelines, and predictability are a lifestyle for Caroline
ensure control over her life and completion of her tasks, flawlessly. These are characteristics of a
high uncertainty avoidance orientation. This is important to consider in communication because
she would be receptive to communication that aligns with this orientation. If communication is
done with Caroline with low-uncertainty avoidance she could feel uncomfortable and experience
anxiety. The power of Christ’s grace sets people free from stress of guidelines and rigid practices
but when presenting the gospel to a non-believer, one must align the presentation to the nonbeliever’s orientation to interact effectively.
Universalism/Particularism
Universalism emphasizes the same standard for all people when it comes to
achievements. Caroline is competitively-oriented and universally-oriented and therefore
competes with all people at the same standard. She does not consider special situations or
obligations to people she is in relationship with. This orientation can be beneficial when
explaining the universalism of Christ’s love. She would have an understanding of how God’s
grace covers all people regardless of who they are and what they have done. Considering this in
communication is important because the message must apply to all people and not specialize
some.
God’s Story
Creation
I begin Caroline’s question of what Jesus is about by telling her God’s Story. I would
convey to her that all the Bible is completely true and every word is divinely inspired but God
himself speaking through chosen people. God’s story begins with creation reading, “In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty,
darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”
(Genesis 1:1-2 NIV) In seven days, God creates the earth. On the six day, He wonderfully and
fearfully created man in His image. Then taking one of his ribs, he creates woman because it was
not good for man to be alone.
Fall
Adam and Eve had authority from God to eat from any tree in the garden, besides the tree
of knowledge of good and evil. Everything is perfect in the garden and they dwell in the presence
of God. God gives man free will so they can choose to love God, giving meaning to the
relationship with Him. When the serpent approached Eve in the garden, he manipulates her to
doubt God. Adam and Eve both eat from the tree, turning away from the perfect relationship with
God in obedience to Him, bringing sin into the Earth. The woman said, “The serpent deceived
me, and I did.” So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are
you” (Genesis 3:13-14 NIV) Sin takes over the Earth after the fall. This begins God’s rescue
mission to save His children from sin. God makes a covenant that He would send a Messiah.
Covenants that a savior was coming are told through prophets, people that spoke the
authoritative word of God. It is historical proven that hundreds of years before Jesus was born
the prophet Isaiah proclaims, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will
conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14 NIV) God creates a
promise with His chosen people saying, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then
out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.” (Exodus 19:5 NIV) The temple is the
place where the Lord dwelled before Jesus. It is built and kings and judges rule religiously. Some
were righteous and some were not. This causes division in the kingdom. A period of silence from
God begins and there is no temple because of religious corruption as a result of sin.
Redemption
As God promised, “‘The virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall
call His name Immanuel’ which means ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23 NIV) Jesus was God’s
only son and held the spirit of God. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
(John 1:14 NIV) He was fully man and fully God. Through Jesus’ life, He shows people God’s
graceful, loving, and righteous nature. He lived radically and did not conform to the world. He
performed miracles and healed the sick. Jesus brings the Kingdom of God back to Earth. Jesus is
betrayed by one of his disciples and crucified by the people who hated the truth Jesus brought
that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 NIV) He lives a perfect
life but dies a tragic death on the cross. Through this death He took on every sin. Sin is a
condition of the heart when we doubt God and believe we can be our own savior. Sin can look
like putting our hope in accomplishments and performance and believing these things satisfy us.
Sin separates us from God and life feels like death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NIV) As Jesus died on the cross, He
says “It is finished” (John 30:19). Jesus pays for every sin ever committed and every sin that
would ever be committed, if we have faith and repentance. We can live in His freedom and have
eternal joy. When Jesus died, darkness fell over the land. Jesus was buried in a tomb. Three days
later Jesus proved that He defeats death and resurrects from the dead. When people went to the
tomb Marks says, “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who
was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:6 NIV)
Redemption
Jesus makes a mandate to His disciples that he was leaving them with a helper, Holy
Spirit to dwell in their hearts. “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into
heaven and he sat at the right hand of God” (Mark 16-19 NIV) After Jesus ascends, His presence
dwells in the Church through His people. Jesus gives people incomparable and abundant hope,
joy, and peace unconditionally. Jesus is the new covenant. He promises eternal life to all who
accept Him. God makes us a promise in Revelation that Jesus is coming back to the earth “So
Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal
with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrew 9:28 NIV) to restore it in
it’s full to the perfection of heaven. Jesus will “rule the nations” (Revelation 2:27 NIV). Access
to the tree of life will be regained shown in Revelation, “ was there the tree of life, which bare
twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the
healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2) and the perfection of the Garden of Eden will be
reconciled.
Conclusion
Without cultural intelligence awareness, a trusting relationship can not be made between
strangers of different cultures. In the absence of a trusting relationship, the Gospel can not be
conveyed effectively. In the situation with Caroline, my drive to pursue cultural intelligence was
to effectively present Christ to her. I studied her background, motives, and culture to gain
knowledge. I used strategy and planning to craft a powerful way to present God’s story. Action is
taken as she asks in debate who Jesus was and I have the opportunity to present the Gospel.
Cultural intelligence can be the gap between sin and salvation leading to desipclesip. It is crucial
that everyone understands and utilizes it to expand God’s kingdom.
Bibliography
Livermore, David. Leading with Cultural Intelligence: the Real Secret to Success. 2nd ed. New
York: AMACOM, 2015.