Matthew
10:16
Holman
Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among
wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.
In the 1960s I was a missionary in a recently independent
country of Africa. I quickly found out that the term missionary was regarded as
derogatory. Missionaries were considered to be spies who would report any
deviation from colonially established norms to the authorities. This could mean
that the offender might be meted out punishment for deviating.
The country was doing its best to establish its own values
and divest itself from those imposed on it from abroad. Since most colonial
powers regarded themselves as Christian, so-called Christian standards were
considered superior to heathen standards. Any practice that appeared in local
life that was not western in nature was branded as heathen and hence
undesirable in Christian living. Thus Christians were regarded as weak citizens
who supported the colonial power.
On the coast of Kenya is a massive fort that was used during
the slave trade era. It was built by early Portuguese invaders and was known as
Fort Jesus. Many political prisoners during the colonial era were kept in the
deep dungeons of this fort. After independence some of these political
prisoners became popular leaders. I heard many a political speech that included
a statement, “What did Christianity bring Africa? Fort Jesus!”
Instead of calling myself a Christian missionary, I started
identifying myself as a Maths Teacher at an Adventist high school. Did it make
any difference? Probably not, although when I talked with government officials,
they did seem to accept me warmly and immediately. Another reason was that I
always tried to speak to them in a local language, no matter how poorly I spoke
it. I think it showed that I accepted their values.
Dear Lord, help me to always
accept people inYyour love.
