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Loose them N Let them Go! Prophetic ponderings in times of Crisis

As N’djamena smoldered in civil unrest and as Nairobi burnt in tribal strife, some well meaning Missionaries and believers sent me 'interesting emails;'  Some claimed that the chaos were the result of the 'eschatological and escapist gospel of salvation and not the transformational gospel of the kingdom). Others lamented our poor Kenya's lack of discipleship that was evidenced by the post election violence. They all wondered what’s was wrong with Africans either in western condescension or global south hopelessness of inferiority?  Etc…

I started pondering…
  • An outreach team of well-meaning Europe ‘trained’ students wanted to play games with kids because teaching the local church on 'Gods Character and Nature' was not ministry’.
  • A westerner that recently graduated from our Bible School confessed he didn’t feel he could release his ministry to locals because;
a) They would mess up and lose it's Christian aspect.
b) He wouldn’t know what to do with himself if they took over 'his vision.' (To his credit, he had already lost a prior project and the natives were ‘ruining it’, as it had became secular and it wasn’t 'Christian' anymore.

I don’t believe in liberation theology nor do I agree in nationalizing / nationalism in the Church and in the Kingdom of God. However, I am left wondering whether being literate and western educated (knowing how to pull stuff off the internet/ books)(read plagiarize) is enough qualification to determine that natives can not DO IT.

Whatever happened to old fashion scripture application that turned the primitive churches world upside down and brought about the reformation?

From a prophetic aspect;

· Are we a Joshua generation? Too busy conquistador-ing to pass on the legacy? (Think Judges)
· Are we a Saul generation too egocentric to release our goatherds / ‘illiterates’? (read David’s)?
· Are we Eli’s generation that recognize our failures and that the word of the Lord has become rare to us But use our past experience to position infantile youths? (read Samuels)
· Are we Barnabas generation ready/willing to be overshadowed by reckless new blood? (read Saul/Paul)

What do we stand to lose if we become truly incarnational?
Would the loss be worth it? ...

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