GLOBALISATION

GLOBALISATION

Globalisation arouses strong emotions. The word refers to the ongoing process of economic, social, cultural and political integration across the globe. Diverse regions, countries, societies and cultures are being drawn together in an unprecedented way, giving rise to a new form of culture that knows no boundaries and is spreading globally through multi-directional interconnectedness.

Some people associate globalisation with global connectivity. News of a terrorist attack, an earthquake or a calamity in one corner of the world is immediately broadcast all over the world. Music, fashion and sensational news items reach us whether we are in Bangalore, New York or London.

For others, globalisation is associated more with the emergence of a new global economic order based on free trade. Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan goods are now available in the USA, and India is able to spread its IT influence worldwide. However, this economic globalisation has brought drastic changes in production and distribution processes all over the world and has disrupted the lives of many workers.

The rise of international commerce has also gone hand in hand with increasing consumerism, which has led to increasing exploitation of the world’s resources and increasing pollution and environmental devastation. All these forces have, in turn, contributed to the climate change that threatens human, plant and animal life around the world.

Whether we like it or not, globalisation is here to stay. The rise of advanced information and communications and social networks has shrunk the world into a large neighbourhood. We are all interconnected and our lives affect each other.

How should Christians respond to globalisation? A good starting point for our response is to recognise that globalisation has been in the heart of God ever since the beginning of creation! We believe in a God, who according to the Apostles’ Creed is “Creator of heaven and earth”. Paul writes “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth ... all things have been created through him and for him ... in him all things hold together.” And through him God planned “to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Col 1:16-20). So even God’s redemptive plans through Jesus Christ have global dimensions.

The church too must have a global vision. The Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good” (Prov 15:3). When Jesus commanded his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” he was reminding them of this vision. Our concern should not merely be for our immediate location; we should be working to bring in God’s kingdom around the world.

Globalisation is good to the extent that it makes us aware of the rest of the world. The communication tools that contribute to the spread of globalisation can also be used to spread the gospel.

However, not everything about globalisation is good. Although globalisation has benefitted developing countries by lifting their economies through interaction with richer nations, these benefits are not well distributed. The rich (both individuals and nations) are becoming more and more powerful, while the livelihoods of the poorest communities are at risk.

There is also deep concern about the effects of globalisation on culture. The media are playing a major role in spreading superficial forms of mainly Western culture in a process that is sometimes referred to as the “McDonaldisation” of culture. When local or indigenous cultural values come into conflict with the powerful global forces, the results can be damaging. Thus the rise of the “global village” also fuels increasing tension between the emerging global system and the traditional forces of culture and community.

The culture and traditions of a community have always been passed on through its education system, whether formal or informal.

But education too is changing as knowledge spreads more widely. The increased ease of access to information has enabled Western institutions to extend their influence all over the world. On-line learning means that students in India can take courses from Oxford and students in China can take courses from Harvard. One can understand the eagerness with which students embrace what is taught by these iconic Western institutions. But what the students may not note is that much of what is taught in such courses is slanted to meeting the economic demands of the West. There is little sensitivity to local contexts.

The shortcomings of globalised education have been pointed out by anti-capitalistic and anti-globalisation groups. Education, they say, is being commercialised, privatised and capitalised. The traditional foundations rooted in social, cultural and religious studies, fine arts and other humane activities are now being ignored, and all that is offered in their place are the demands of the market. Education is the foundation for development, and if commercial value replaces lifebuilding values humanity faces a major crisis.

Yet despite this criticism, globalisation is proving to be a mutually enriching process overall, opening the world to experiences that are bringing humanity together as never before. The interaction of cultures, lifestyles, beliefs and values is making people far more open to international integration and is reducing fragmentation. Moreover, when ideas get to their new destination, they are often not imbibed whole but are adapted to fit the local situation. Thus rather than eliminating cultural differences, globalisation can accommodate localisation.

As countries begin to enjoy independence with their economic growth, globalisation reminds us of our interdependence. This is in a way a parallel to the biblical teaching of the church as the body of Christ worldwide. We depend on each other spiritually, socially, economically and in many other ways. Globalisation has brought us close to each other as the community of God’s people living in God’s created world.

Provided we put in adequate controls to moderate the adverse impacts of globalisation, the process could be beneficial to the church in God’s world.

Ken Gnanakan