Back in October 2012 I wrote a little bit about it and said that one day I should explain some of what led us to this point of even talking about the topic.....well here is a quick overview......
Through a variety of extremely difficult circumstances and an abundance of daily life experiences while living here in Botswana, God graciously led us along a path a few years ago, that began to open up our eyes to the cultural issues surrounding these two words.
Although there is a smattering of literature around which refers to the Asian and Muslim world as "Honour/Shame based", there is almost nothing that includes sub-Saharan (non-Muslim) Africa in this category. Yet as we began to learn more of what an 'honour/shame' culture is, we also began to recognise more and more of the same dynamics at work in the society around us. But we still couldn't find very much at all in the literature that could help us understand the Africa situation or give us better ministry strategies or materials for this context we 'discovered' we were in.
So alongside doing a LOT of talking to people to get feedback on what we were learning, and in the process having our discoveries confirmed over and over again, we began writing a brochure/tract that told the gospel story right from Creation, but incorporating more clear definitions of subject matter such as SIN, and GOD, and also bringing in the biblical perspective on Shame and Honour and how it relates to our sin and the great salvation we have in Christ.
As we trialled this brochure 'in the field' we got some amazing feedback and we certainly knew we were on the right track! We were able to refine it even further.....and eventually print it professionally.
The more we read and talked and researched and discussed and jotted down some of what we were learning, the more we realised that this was not some little sideline of ministry, this needed to be a dedicated ministry focus. God was making it very clear that the myriad of events and difficult circumstances and varied ministry contexts we had been involved in since arriving in Botswana, were definitely not random events but His careful directing far and above any evil schemes of the Devil. We came to see that without realising it, God had us in the first stage of the 'data gathering' of this research for the previous 10 years or so!
As the research continues, now alongside some African co-workers, and with an international team of cultural and theological consultants, we have had requests for the brochure to be translated into Setswana and other languages. The Setswana translation process is now complete with an audio version of both the English and Setswana also complete. A printed version of the Setswana is just awaiting someone with time and skill to do some desk-top publishing!
In addition to this we have seen a huge need to produce some materials that not only alert missionaries to Africa of the need to understand this dynamic if effective evangelism and discipleship is to take place, but also produce materials to awaken Africans (especially the Christians) to this dynamic (as like anyone in their own culture, we are normally unaware of our own cultural dynamics and its driving worldviews), as well as provide discipleship materials that address Christian growth in the context of the cultural pressures of excessive honour and shame in both its bold and subtle forms. All this so that God may be truly glorified among the nations, especially in those who have such a strong honour/shame basis.
So we press on, with a very strong sense that we are constrained by the Lord to enable the eyes of the hearts of African's to be opened to the truth of God's word that can penetrate into areas of their daily life that they had no idea it could....but at the same time will bring a new sense of liberty in Christ, where before there was only cultural bondage.
As a Christian Nigerian lecturer at the local University recently said after talking with us on this whole topic for the first time....."This hasn't been an eye-opener, this has been a mind opener"
No comments:
Post a Comment