The Great Commission
Before Christ ascended into heaven, He commanded His disciples, “go
therefore and make disciples of all nations (ethnos), baptizing them in the
name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that
I have commanded you…” (Matt 28: 19-20). The Great Commission,
as it is known, has been at the core of Christian mission since its inception.
By integrating the use of story (teaching), symbol and ritual (baptism) and
cross-cultural communication (all nations), it draws our attention to the
strategic role that the visual and the symbolic must play in the evangelism
and discipleship process.
Understanding the nature and purpose of the arts is vital for evangelism and missions, because of the strategic role they play in every culture. Every people group reinforces and passes on its story through the arts. Generation after generation, people find themselves through the artistic legacy of story. Art has its own unique way of “speaking”, and “meaning.” It does not function well when we try to make it into something it is not. To put it directly, art is not a good preacher—it is by nature allusive, indirect. The arts should therefore not attempt to evangelize per se, but they can “bare witness” to truth. For example, stories, contemporary parables and allegories are very creative, art-friendly and meaningful ways to engage the imagination, highlight the human condition and allow the Holy Spirit to “point” people toward transcendent realities.
• “Toymaker & Son” is an allegory of the gospel
set within a world of toys (the Toymaker sends his son as a toy into Toyland
to fix the broken toys, and restore them back to how he had originally created
them). Using a nonverbal fusion of drama, dance, mime, colourful costumes
and original music, this theatrical production has been able to cross national
and cultural barriers around the globe for over twenty-five years.
Multiplied millions of people in over 60 nations, and on every continent,
have seen “Toymaker & Son.” It has been part of the official
cultural programs at World Cup Soccer, Olympic and Commonwealth Game events.
From street performances in inner-city ghettos to world-class theatres and
on national television around the world, this contemporary parable has struck
a chord with young and old. The Holy Spirit has used it to touch lives and
point many people to Christ.
When considering mission and culture, it is important to note that change can happen in two ways. The gospel can change a culture, and the culture can change the gospel. No culture remains entirely static. To be an agent of cultural change need not be the same as cultural domination. What is interesting about Christianity in this regard is that as a faith, it is not tied to any culture. It has gone beyond both the religion and the language of its founder, affirming that the eternal truths of God may be conveyed in everyday speech no matter what the cultural context. When it comes to culture changing the gospel, we encounter again the problem of syncretism where the essence of the gospel is changed by a culture and so takes on different meaning. The important question to discern is whether the gospel of Christ has been compromised in its adaptation to culture.
Heart language
Indigenous arts are expressive, intrinsic communication forms that are integrated
within and across the structures of society, where they define and sustain
cultural norms and values. We must come to see that becoming acquainted with
the artistic expressions of diverse cultures is as important as attending
language school in preparation for mission work. The arts provide a window
to the language of the heart. Such a language is able to bypass obstacles
that keep us from relating to one another. It takes time to do the research
that will unravel the meanings of indigenous art, and weave well the threads
and patterns of indigenous Christianity, so that the gospel can be poured
into indigenous forms.
• There are some Christ-followers in various parts of India who have been judiciously taking cultural forms from the Indian religious context and explicitly “pouring” new meaning (biblical truth) into those symbolic elements. The purpose is to gain a more widespread hearing among Hindus and to achieve greater understanding of the Gospel message. This is done in the context of the Hindu satsang form (from the Hindi “sang,” meaning fellowship, and “sat,” meaning truth—a fellowship centered on the truth). During the satsang, the “acharya” (teacher) leads the group that is gathered.
The home of a professional Hindu artist (also a seeker), the roof of another Hindu family’s house, and the home of an expat university professor were the settings for three satsangs that took place in Delhi recently. The following are some of the common elements of these gatherings: the singing of bhajans (typical Hindu-style devotional songs, involving leading and mimicking, as well as unison singing); the giving of a pravachan (message) which often focuses on the words in the bhajans, prayer for specific needs; the presence/explanation of symbolic objects (incense, flowers, oil lamps, etc.); and personal counseling for those who request it. The acharya will sometimes end this time of worship by breaking a coconut, explaining how it symbolizes the “pouring out” of Christ’s blood and the “breaking” of his body for the forgiveness of our sins.
Contextualization
Missionaries and the church need to champion the value of arts done by the
local people in their own style, rhythm and language, allowing them to express
their praise to God. Art and music shaped by western society is present everywhere
in the world. Instead of allowing this to erode interest and respect for the
traditional indigenous culture, a strong church will accept the healthy challenge
to worship freely with both contemporary and indigenous music styles. Though
the approach is changing, there are still groups of missionaries insisting
on western art forms for indigenous churches. Because of teaching they have
received, many non-western churches have adopted this practice, making it
a challenging task for local leadership to reclaim their traditional cultural
practices. A college dance professor in Ghana observes:
• In Africa the performing arts are not just for the stage. They are part of the life of the people—a language that is seen in every day activity. It is therefore sad that Christianity has not explored using much of the arts as they already exist in Africa. Songs that came with the faith are foreign. Our many traditional musical instruments were all rejected. So even though our people embraced the Christian faith, it is still seen today as the Europeans’ religion. This is why it is necessary to initiate moves that will lead to the Christians in Africa incorporating their dances, drumming and singing into the expression of their faith for upcoming generations to see the Christianity as their own.
Every people group has its own unique cultural traditions, artistic expressions and festivals that are woven into their daily life. The redemptive process must involve indigenous Christian leaders of the culture in the restoration and sanctification of these symbols, ceremonies and art forms where possible—redirecting them towards Christ. The fear of syncretism, justified as it is, should not immobilize the redemptive process from moving forward, depriving people of the opportunity to worship and celebrate in their own heart language. Only then will they see the gospel as their own, as this Zambian believer indicates:
• Many of the illustrated Sunday school materials, children’s bibles and images that we have grown up with are of a foreign nature. In 2003 a group of five artists in our congregation began a banner-making group. The initial projects were planned around the liturgical calendar: Christmas and Easter. We designed the banners of the wise men, Jesus and the multitudes at the crucifixion scene with chocolate complexion. The response when each was unveiled was one of identifying with and seeing ourselves in Christ’s story. There is a resurgence of traditional song and dance in Zambia both in the church and in society as a whole. Church choirs in city churches that have traditionally used non-indigenous instruments have now begun to use those that are part of our own culture. Many did not sing in the Zambian language, now they do. Some churches have harnessed this resurgence to incorporate many traditional forms of music in the church.
An exciting development is happening in the Philippines. The two waves of evangelization in the 16th and 19th centuries not only Christianized but also westernized more than 90% of the people. In fact, successful Christianization was almost equated with the destruction of indigenous heritage as zealous missionaries demonized native arts, especially music and dance. However, in the last decade, an artistic group known as Kaloob has embarked on a mission to "decolonize" Christianity in the areas of theology, liturgy, music, dance and other formal expressions. They propagate the use of indigenous music and musical instruments, dances, rituals and costume tradition in worship and celebration.
•Our method includes painstaking research on existing indigenous folk dance and musical traditions. Researched materials are analyzed and filtered through Scripture to decide which arts forms, or parts of such art forms, may or may not be used in Christian worship and practice. Forms or symbols whose meanings do not offend biblical principles are considered "redeemable." These art forms are then formally offered to the Lord by way of a performance we call a “prayformance.” Instruction and propagation follows, in which we teach these renewed music and dance forms that are then interpreted by leaders for use in local church worship and other events.
In the past ten years, more than 100 distinct dances and rituals and their accompanying music have been “redeemed” and are now used by believers. Kaloob has also steadily risen to become of the country's top five folk dance companies, and in the last few years we have been featured by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in its annual Festival of the Arts. More notable is the change that has taken place in the Philippine Christian church. For example, our home church, which features a rich tapestry of indigenous music and dances, has grown from a congregation of 200 in 1994 to more than 7,000 today. Many Filipino Christians no longer demonize their cultural and artistic heritage, but aspire to share that same, albeit redeemed artistic heritage to the world and for the further enrichment of the body of Christ.
The power of analogy
Indigenous Christian leaders, along with others in the faith community, need
to consider not just which art forms are appropriate for the church, but also
what ceremonies, symbols and rituals are to be retained in daily family, village,
and city life, so that they will keep hold of their root culture. With this
focus, Christians remain accessible to their non-Christian neighbors and the
Christian faith will be winsome and reach deeply into the culture. One key
is to look for an analogy to Christ in the stories or songs of the culture
that show how God was already at work before the missionaries came, showing
that Christianity is not “white man’s religion.”
• An analogy to Christ can be found in the ancient story of an “eagle-man.” He gave up his wings and his high loft in the cliff and became an Eskimo, so he could teach a lost family how to survive on the cold tundra. He saves their lives in order to “begin a new kind of people” on the earth. One cold winter, missionary couple Gene and Marylou wrote a script and several songs that told this story and related it to what Christ did for mankind. They worked with seven Eskimo (Inuit) Christian young people who then performed the story to churches in four or five surrounding villages. Many tears were shed to see an all-Eskimo “gospel team.” Late nights were spent listening to how God had touched these indigenous people through one of their own stories and its analogy to Christ.
Cultural exchange
The arts can break through language and cultural barriers and are able to
speak deeply to those who experience them. We must be careful to equip artists
and directors who are sensitive and interested in building relationships with
other cultures. We should create work that raises questions, incarnates aspects
of a biblical worldview and has a quality of craftsmanship to it that compels
those witnessing it. A “cultural exchange” model is often more
appropriate in this context than an “outreach” model.
• International Festival of the Arts has held arts festivals in Russia, Bulgaria and China. Hundreds of Christians from around the world involved in different aspects of the arts participated in these large-scale cultural exchanges. As each nation offered their best gifts through performance, exhibition and teaching, the cultural and political barriers melted away and friendship and trust was built. As a result, long-term relationships and opportunities for the kingdom were established.
• During a cultural exchange with Russia in 1991, a military leader offered a radio transmitter that had been used to send propaganda into Czechoslovakia. Now that the communists were gone it was no longer needed. The equipment was purchased. Local believers were trained. The appropriate licenses were granted, and Radio “Teos” was launched. A decade later, the station was honored with the Golden Microphone Award—Russia’s premiere recognition for excellence in radio broadcasting. A transmitter once used to spread communist propaganda was now spreading the gospel, with excellence.
• The historic performance of Handel’s Messiah by a Chinese orchestra that had never played it to an audience who had never heard it was one of the highlights of an arts festival held in Yunnan Province. The words of the Messiah, sung by visiting believers, were translated into Chinese and “scrolled” for the audience to read on two electronic screens during the performance. Next day, the provincial newspaper wrote an article headlined “Messiah Touches Hearts” and asked those who had been moved by the performance to write about their experience. Many did and their responses were published. What could not be “spoken” was enthusiastically received through an artistic performance.
OBSTACLES
Cultural and cross-cultural engagement, evangelism, discipleship and transformation
through the ministry of the church is limited by:
• Lack of culture-sensitive ways for the church to engage the marketplace
• Ethno-centric, mono-cultural perspectives that do not value other
cultural frameworks
• Inadequate theologies that limit the scope of redemption
• A de-materialized view of spirituality that does not value earthly
reality
• A “ghetto” or “siege” mentality that sees
the church as a survivor, not a transformer
• A belief that cultural involvement and the kingdom of God are mutually
exclusive
• A misunderstanding of the biblical mandate to be a culture former,
not a culture escaper
STRATEGIES
The following strategies will further enable what God is already doing
in cultural arena and through the indigenous peoples of the world, to reflect
His creational intention.
1. Repent and ask forgiveness for a mono-cultural perspective on missions that has denied indigenous people the right to celebrate faith in Christ with their own creative forms and within their own cultural framework.
2. Encourage the renewal and redirection of cultural practices towards Christ that are free from western Christian forms that hinder the celebration of indigenous creativity.
3. Study the artistic expressions of diverse people groups during mission and evangelistic training to better understand their issues, heart language and worldview.
4. Research indigenous cultural forms and practices to see if they can be used as a “container” for the expression of biblical truth in evangelistic or mission settings.
5. Teach, train and disciple believers to have a clear biblical understanding of the cultural mandate, and its implications for cultural engagement and cultural transformation.
6. Use a variety of creative forms to express analogies, parables and allegories that resonate with specific people groups and open them up to perceive spiritual truth.
7. Hold cultural exchange “festivals” with local and international ethnic groups to facilitate relationship building, dialogue, understanding and mutual artistic expression.
TO: Scene 3 Act 3