Curious Christian

I’ve been reflecting on the practice of contextualising the gospel when communicating cross-culturally. How contextualisation is misunderstood by some Christians as a form of compromise; as a “watering down” of the Christian message. But contextualisation is really the opposite of that. It’s not about diluting Christ’s distinctiveness, but about finding ways to reveal it more clearly.

When we talk about contextualising, it’s not about blurring lines or softening the edges of the gospel message. It’s about speaking the language of the people we’re engaging with, meeting them where they are so that they can grasp who Jesus really is. The goal isn’t to make the message less challenging or more palatable; it’s to make it more accessible, even if it still challenges or even disrupts. In fact, by situating the gospel message within the context of a particular culture or experience, we often bring out nuances and depths that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Think about the way Jesus himself communicated. He used parables drawn from everyday life—stories of seeds, sheep, lost coins—so that his audience could better understand God’s Kingdom. He didn’t dilute his message but translated profound truths into images his listeners could connect with. And yet, He always held to the core of who He was and what He came to reveal.

So for me, contextualisation is an invitation to do the same: to translate the gospel, not transform it, and to present Christ’s distinctiveness in ways that resonate deeply without losing any of its truth.