I’ve read a few books lately that debate the existence of universal global core values. Okay, debate is the wrong word, because I might be the only readers of these books, but it is an interesting issue to think about as our world continues to globalize, especially as a Christian. As we globalize our cultures, what will be the common denominator or glue that holds us together. What happens when you mix a culture of Canadian-Chinese-Indonesian-South African-(insert 200 other country names here) people together? What emerges on the other side?
As a Christian, I believe that core values exist in who God is, but I doubt our human ability to ever interpret or articulate those values in a succinct way. I wonder if the debate over those universal values will lead to a divergence of opinion and possible disputes, maybe even wars, over them. It seems human society is historically consistent in its ability to disagree. Will our 21st Century attempt at global harmony be any different?
We seem to take the evolution towards a global society as being inevitable. Is it inevitable? Is it a good thing for our world? Is it a good thing for us? Most writers on globalization avoid these questions and imply an acceptance of the inevitable. They write from the perspective of “now that we are globalizing, here’s how to become a global leader that can lead anywhere in the globe.”
I’m not saying globalization is not going to happen, but I do wonder if it will change our lives for better or for worse. We hear so much about globalization but I hear very few voices wondering aloud if it going to be good for us as humans. I also wonder if we will inevitably splinter apart one day, and be right back where we started from. Our fallible human race doesn’t give me much faith. I also wonder what God’s got in mind for us over the next few decades / centuries.
Dr. Tim Vanderpyl 
Have you read Kellers “Reason for God”? I’ll lend it to you. He talks about the polarization between secular pluralism and religious conservatism… Regardless of culture, can there be true global values given these (very) seemingly opposed ‘kingdoms’?
I’ve been hearing good things about Keller lately, but I haven’t read any of his stuff. I would be interested in reading more.
I guess in a sinful world, “utopia” will never exist. Inevitably our sinful nature will lead the human race to further conflict. I’m just really interested to see where the trend of globalization goes in the near future? So many organizations (including church organizations) transcend across the globe. They have to adjust to the varied cultures, but yet still offer some consistency in the services they offer. That consistency is really intriguing, because it implies that some things trump local cultures, and need to be in place regardless of the culture. It is also interesting to compare the consistencies across organizations to see if there are truly “global” universal aspects of organizations.
Mostly I’m just thinking out loud though…