As Americans, we have some customs that seem very peculiar to the rest of the world. Ashely Lez of autoguide.com wrote an article detailing some of our idiosyncrasies.1 For instance, we smile at strangers. Why do we do that? Do we know them? Will we ever see them again? No. But, in America, we do this and on the typical American street, we can usually expect someone to smile back at us – except for maybe in New York City. Those from other nations are weirded out by this, especially when we are traveling abroad. Note to self: if traveling in other countries, don’t smile at the natives. They might think we’re up to something.
Another quirk we possess is that we expect everyone else in the world to speak English. Why? Why should we expect this of other people? If we are in France, they should speak French. If we are in Israel, they should speak Hebrew. If we are in Italy, they should speak Italian. Learn how to work Google translator and get over this need for others to speak like us.
When it comes to food, we also have some strange habits. We will purchase a drink with more ice than fluid. We eat mega-sized meals. We are infatuated with ranch dressing. And we expect free refills. These are things people from other countries don’t understand.
There are many other things we do as Americans that are fine in our own country but shouldn’t be foisted upon those in other countries. The thumbs up gesture or the O-kay symbol is good in America but may be a vulgar insult in others.
We need variety in – everything. 
We tip, ride in the back of a taxi, host baby showers, take leftovers home from a restaurant, use the imperial system for measuring, wear socks with sandals, wear Hawaiian shirts when not in Hawaii (guilty as charged!), and where clothing designed with the American flag.
All of this normal to Americans but seems very odd to the rest of the world. If Americans seem odd to the world, how much more do Christians seem odd to the world? Think about the things we do that might seem strange to others.
- We bow our heads in prayer before eating, even at restaurants. A lot of us take this to the next level as we hold hands in prayer.
- When asked to make decisions, we will often say, “I need to pray about this first.”
- We go to church each week, give a portion of our income, sing songs, and listen to a preacher preach. Many of us do this three times a week!
- We react oddly to things. While others may be angrily ranting or cursing, we say, “Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. God is so good. He has everything in His control.”
- We talk about God – a He shows up in all of our conversations. We’re concerned about what God has to say about different things. We go to our Bibles for answers.
What we find normal, the world finds to be strange. Peter talked about this in 1 Peter 4:3-4. “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: (4) Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.”
If the world views us as strange, that is one of the best compliments we could ever be given! They just don’t realize that they are complimenting us. And one of the worst indictments against a believer is if the lost world can’t see a difference.
Can the world see a difference in us? Do they think we are strange? Peculiar? Hallelujah if they do!! 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
1https://news.autoguide.com/en/never-world-understand-rest-americans?ly=native_one
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