ICS102 Contextualization Frederick Paulo Tomacder (paulo.tomacder@igsl.

asia)

Bean 13- Quechua Woman

1. Each of these virtues for the good Quechua woman is Biblical. The motivating ideal that underlies
most of these virtues is respect for one's fellow man. Out of respect for others, a woman will hold her
tongue, greet people, share what is hers, keep control of her anger, care for drunks etc. (p. 10)

2. It is often easy to notice the ways in which a culture different from our own fails to meet up to our
standards. However, each culture has its own set of standards… Most importantly, the virtuous
Quechua woman must have close reign over her tongue, carefully guarding what comes out. It is also
important for her to properly greet people as well as be generous with her possessions, food and time.
She is to exhibit self-control over her temper and anger, not letting them sneak out nor burst out in
inappropriate actions or words. And finally, the virtuous Quechua woman is to be a good worker, not
lazy. (p 10)

3. As I thought about a good woman, I was really impressed with how essential it is for us to know
what is important according to the people we live with. We might think that we are being good
according to our own standards, and thereby reflecting Christ while actually inadvertently sending the
opposite message to the people we want to be a light to. (p. 1)
It is crucial to fully understand the values esteemed by the people we serve so that we can better
reflect Jesus to them. In the case of the Quechua women, they value reigning over one’s tongue in
their desire to preserve relationships in their community. Failing to understand this, missionaries may
inadvertently lose the people’s respect when they do not closely watch their speech. In the same
breath, when we desire to reach out to a certain people group, knowing their values builds bridges
that allow us to effectively win their trust. When they see us projecting their ideals, our lives will
testify to the truth of the Gospel. Reaching this point requires keen observation, interaction and a
willingness to move out of our cultural norms to adapt to theirs. Perhaps this is one way of “being all
things to all people” (1 Cor 9:22) especially when the values are explicitly Biblical. Of course, it’s a
different dynamic when the values contradict Scripture. But when they affirm God’s Word and are
valued by their culture, adjusting is crucial to be able to connect with our focus audience better.
The simplest example I can think of in the Philippines is the value of “pakikipag-kapwa” or
“neighborliness.” If one wants to minister to Filipinos, it is crucial that they think in terms of “we”
and community instead of “I” and individual. This entails knowing and building relationship with
one’s neighbors and the community. It can begin with a simple greeting of “Hi” and “Hello” or
through volunteerism in civic affairs. Basically, anyone who wants to gain our people’s trust must
become part of the community. When this happens, it becomes easier to speak the truth of the Gospel
and even correct false beliefs as one is no longer seen as an outsider in the community.
4. Let me stress here that when people talk about others, these sins of the tongue are what are most
talked about. It seems that these sins are one of the principal causes of broken or damaged
relationships. While from our cultural background we might rank something like marital infidelity or
sexual impurity close to the top of a list of sins for a woman, I would say that in Margos these sins of
the tongue rank as the worst. (p. 3)
5. Essential values for a Quechua woman include guarding her tongue, greeting people properly, being
generous, exhibiting self-control and being a good worker. Besides these being Quechua values, they
are also Biblical values. Though we might agree with these values, in our own lives we may not rank
them as highly as our Quechua neighbors. It is interesting to look at the topics the typical "Godly
Woman" books in our own culture cover to see “the values most in focus for ‘gringas.’ In the States,
women are concerned with things like being attractive and dressing properly with colors coordinated,
preparing a good meal, for entertaining, communicating with her husband, and setting a positive
atmosphere for her home. As we endeavor to live as witnesses of Jesus in the Quechua community,
how the Quechuas themselves rank values becomes important. (pp. 6-7)