One of the misconceptions that I grew up with was that Western Christianity had all the answers and it was our job to share this with the world. My perspective has changed...dramatically. The song "Open My Eyes Lord" is now bringing truth to the matter. God is working all over this world. My narrow view of how God works has been widened through the years. God may work one way in America and in a very different way in Africa. Same God, same message of Jesus, same "substance" but different "forms" and "styles" that the Holy Spirit uses to speak the Truth.
A problem arises when we think that "form/style" is as sacred as the "substance". It is easy to apply American, Western "forms" to Africa. We want African Christians to act and speak like American Christians. We judge that someone doesn't have a valid faith because they don't express themselves the way we do.
I have learned a lot in our 16 months in Rwanda. I have learned to open my eyes and see God working in His Kingdom in ways that I had trouble seeing. I have learned to appreciate the many "styles" and "forms" that faith comes..all the while seeing that the substance of Jesus is constant. When we step aside and begin to see God and all that He is doing around us the world becomes a much more exciting place! Maybe our role as evangelists is just that...to help people see God working in this world! How irresistible is Jesus when we are able to see Him working all around us?
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