Jesus and His Cross-Cultural Shift

Tourists and expats understand the meaning of culture shock or cross-cultural problems. In his transfiguration, Jesus portends a cross-cultural shift, one that will rock the world.

"I put a dollar in a change machine. Nothing changed."

Comedian George Carlin's famous quip is rather prophetic. Change isn't easy, especially when it means assimilating into a new culture.

Tourists do it when they land in a foreign country and learn the language and customs of a new place.


Kids have to do it when they start a new school.


A newly married husband and wife have to make some big changes when they begin life together.

The changes we make might not be permanent, but change itself is a constant part of life. It would be great if it only cost a dollar!

Perhaps the hardest change, however, is moving or transforming an existing culture toward a new one. This is the kind of stuff that happens in organizations all the time and it's always a challenge. An organization gets used to doing things a certain way over time, and then a crisis develops — whether it's an unexpected circumstance, a shift in market conditions or even the arrival of a new leader.

Turning an old organization...