Christian Missions - Christian Witness or Culture Subjugation?

'Then you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.' John 8:32

Kent Nerburn's book “Chief Joseph and the Flight of the Nez Perce” is a story of a band of Red Indians, 800 men, women and children, who were relentlessly pursued by the US Army. In 1877, they were illegally forced from their homeland in Oregon. In an attempt to break free from the reservation where they were quartered, this band led by a series of chiefs conducted a 1,500 miles retreat to try and reach sanctuary in British Canada. They outmaneuvered five US armies but finally about 40 miles from the Canadian border and freedom, the tired Nez Perce, surrounded by US forces and laden with wounded and sick, surrendered. They could have escaped if they left their wounded, their sick, their women and children behind. 

Their remaining Chief, Joseph or Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekht or Thunder Rising in the Mountains negotiated a settlement to repatriate to their homeland in high Willowa Valley in the mountains of eastern Oregon. But the US government recapitulated on its promises and sent them under harsh and privation conditions to the Indian Reservation Territory in Oklahoma. Many members of the tribe died during the repatriation especially the elderly and children (Ref 1).

What is rather concerning for the Christian community is a side and obscure story about the effect early Christian missions had on the Indian tribes. While some missionaries are kind, others are exploitative. Along with the preaching of the good news, came the inevitable subjugation of a proud Indian culture. When Jesus said “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” he was meaning freedom from sin and the bondage attached to the sinful nature. It was not an intention to replace a perceived inferior culture with a superior one. The Gospel message has become adulterated by way of life of the missionary, an unwelcomed superiority complex. When the unconverted Nez Perce rejected this subjugation, they were seen as unrepentant savages.

The US government thinking that the church would probably be benevolent to these communities appointed Indian Reservation Agents from the Christian community, the Quakers and Presbyterians. However, these so called Christian agents were corrupt, withheld and pilfered the already meager privileges and supplies consigned to the Indians.

The betrayal was eloquently uttered in these words of the Chief Joseph, “Good words do not last long unless they amount to something. Words do not pay for my dead people. They do not pay for my country, now overrun by white men. They do not protect my father’s grave. They do not pay for all my horses and cattle. Good words cannot give me back my children. Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying. Good words will not get my people a home where they can live in peace and take care of themselves. I am tired of talk that comes to nothing. It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and all the broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right to talk.”

The disgraceful behavior of Christians are contrasted with the honourable behaviour of the Indians, the non-Christians. The Book of Jonah also showed this disgraceful contrast. Twice the prophet Jonah encountered people who were racially and religiously different from him, once on board ship in a storm and again in the evangelistic crusade in Nineveh. Jonah's behaviour towards these pagans (an unfortunate derogatory term to describe non-Christians) were dismissive whereas the pagans acted admirably. Timothy Keller (Ref 2) wrote that one of the main messages of the Book of Jonah is that 'God cares how we believers (Christians) relate to and treat people who are deeply different from us. God wants us to treat people of different races and faiths in a way that is respectful, loving, generous and just. 

We continue to face the same error in modern missions, where well intended Christians and churches use their superior spending power in the interest of social concerns to secure conversions of poor and unreached people groups. There was no regard for preserving what is good and acceptable in the indigenous culture and conditions of these people. We cannot replace genuine Christian love by just the showering of gifts. 

The quotation of Chief Joseph is an indictment whenever the Living Word becomes replaced by hollow words. Are we evangelizing with the Living Word or has 'there been too much talking by men who had no right to talk.' 

Timothy Keller pointed out that two lessons from the Book of Jonah can help Christian missions from committing the same pitfalls.

• Seek the Common Good. Like Jonah and the sailors, believers and nonbelievers are in the same boat of this crooked world. God is the God of all people and we need to see ourselves as part of the whole human community and not only as members of the faith community.

• Recognise the Common Grace. God bestows gifts of wisdom, moral insights, goodness and beauty across humanity, regardless of race or religious beliefs. Christians are to respect and learn from the wisdom God gives to others who are non-believers.

This is a perennial challenge for Christian Missions. 'I Love to Tell the Story' but let us to so with grace, mercy and truth.

I love to tell the story

Of unseen things above

Of Jesus and his glory

Of Jesus and his love

I love to tell the story

Because I know 'tis true

It satisfies my longings

As nothing else can do

I love to tell the story

'Twill be my theme in glory

To tell the old, old story

Of Jesus and his love

I love to tell the story

For those who know it best

Seem hungering and thirsting

To hear it like the rest

And when, in scenes of glory

I sing the new, new song

'Twill be the old, old story

That I have loved so long

I love to tell the story

'Twill be my theme in glory

To tell the old, old story

Of Jesus and his love

To tell the old, old story

Of Jesus and his love

Lionel

Ref 1: http://nativeamericanrhymes.com/chiefs/joseph.htm

Ref 2: Timothy Keller, The Prodigal Prophet, Jonah and the Mystery of God's Mercy. Hodder and Stoughton, 2018

Updated, article first published 13 Apr 2007