Tuesday, March 20, 2007

missions

I'm writing a paper on missionaries in Africa during colonial times. I found this awesome quotation. It's so amazing how the missionaries REALLY screwed up with their racism, but God fixed their mess (well, wounds clearly remain, but He did at least show them that the missionaries had been going about things improperly, and to not pass judgement on Him). This was South Africa's Albert Luthuli in 1952:
How far is it not tragically true that these churches have become distorted symbols? How far is it not tragically true that they stand for and ethic which the whites have brought, preached and refused to practice? How far do these churches represent something alien from the spirit of Christ, a sort of patronizing social service? Do no many Christian ministers talk down to us instead of coming down among us as Christ did and does? White paternalistic Christianity – as though whites invented Christian faith – enstranges (sic) my people from Christ (p41, Power, Poverty & Prayer, by Ogbu u. Kalu).
God is good!

1 comment:

Rainbow Choi =) said...

wowsy, make sure you send me this paper when you're done!!!!!!!! im writing my paper now... on peace education in uganda. writing now the section on teaching values. it's not going in the paper but baaaaasically jesus is the answer.

je t'aime!

rainrain