We have to learn set aside our inhibitions and talk about the real stuff. Tania and I have learned to do that while in Indonesia. There are certain topics that are taboo in some cultures and certain topics that aren’t. But the problem is like our concepts of sin (see Bible Gem 340, 341, 346 & 353) taboos vary from culture to culture. Some things that are never talked about in one culture are talked about freely in another. We would meet strangers in the supermarket when we first arrived in Indonesia who would ask us what family planning methods we used. Our initial reaction was to hide behind our taboos but we soon learned to just come right and tell them. Because family planning was a hot topic here and because we had two girls who were older and no boy, it was obvious to them that we used family planning methods. So strangers just came right out and asked. Just like Paul, I learned to play with words. More in the next Gem.
