Things Fall Apart

The year ended with reading an incredible book, "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. It is very inciteful both anthropologically and missiologically. The story is set in Ibo, a small village in Nigeria, around the time of colonialism. The majority takes place prior to colonialism's impact on Ibo and its people, but it does not take long for that impact to settle deeply into the lives of the people of Ibo.
From an anthropological perspective, Achebe gives a great depth of incite into the culture of the Ibo people. Anthropologists--as well as many missionaries--spend a lifetime to get insider information on a society that explains rituals, relationships, and the basic worldview pattern of the people. In the book, one can see how something like assoicative magic is inextricably linked with nearly all of the explanations their world view offers. The Ibo people are deeply aware of the middle realm of reality--the realm of the spirits and ancestors. Missionaries do well to look at these things as well.
Missiologically speaking, the anthropological insights offer a treasure of knowledge that would help missionaries in such a situation know how to make disciples without falling into either syncretism or a colonial form of missions like the Reverend James Smith did in the book. The sotry shows the tragic consequences of what happened all over the world when colonialism and missions were tied to one another.
In thinking back on my college classes, I am reminded of many discussions on the topic of colonialism and missions. I think that we now have the privilege of being able to look back at this particular section of history and learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before us. I have learned that we must first define Christianity according to the Bible. This means that those who are Christians are primarily citizens of the Kingdom of God; this citizenship comes over and above that of the country or culture to which we belong. While we cannot separate ourselves from our culture--and we would be foolish to think that is entirely possible--we can look critically at ourselves and our culture and determine which parts are biblical and which are not. We can see that when missionaries go to another country, it is not to establish a new government, but to bring people into relationship with God through Christ so that they will then be able to follow God's law (not ours). We can see that churches are not built to replicate a white American church but to enable the new disciples to worship God in the language of their hearts. That not only requires their language, but even their traditions, their music, their images. As we make disciples, we help them to evaluate all that they do according to the Word of God. That means helping them to evaluate their traditions, music, and images according to God's word to avoid syncretism but also to allow for authenticity.
Now that I have begun this rant, I better stop before I run out of space. With all of this to say, I would encourage you to check out a copy of the book at the library and look at it in light of your Christian worldview as well as in light of the Ibo worldview. You might find that things do not always have to fall apart.