Foreign to Familiar; A Guide to Understanding Hot- and Cold- Climate Cultures by Sarah Lanier is a great resource for folks who desire to love their neighbor well…in the context where their neighbor lives or is from. This book really helped articulate some things I have felt or observed when visiting other countries as well as working side by side with teammates who have come from other places. I have so much to learn! I’m so grateful for the grace of God in drawing my attention to ways that I can love my neighbors well with the goal of sharing the gospel. This book also reminded me that I CANNOT wait to travel again. The pandemic has severely cut down on my love of visiting other countries, meeting new people, and learning new things!
I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…
- Cultural differences among us provide both the richest color to our lives and the harshest wounding. Location: 84
- …the population of the entire world can roughly be divided into two parts. The two groups represented are “hot-climate” (relationship-based) cultures and “cold-climate” (task-oriented) cultures. Location: 110
- When we understand each other, we can make the necessary adjustments. Location: 200
- Because everyone shared, we were not aware of the “haves and the have-nots.” They were covered by the community. The inclusion value of hot-climate cultures means that no one is left out, no one is lonely. Location: 410
- Can you imagine peace in the Middle East ever happening without the various people first having an understanding of the vast differences in each other’s culture? Location: 576