Christ Redeeming Culture & Some Cultural Practices

A friend of a friend was ranting about the pagan origins of many things about Christmas.I said to to my exasperated friend You need to explain something to this person that I learned the hard way. He thinks we need to avoid all things in Christmas that come from a pagan (Nonchristian) background. But here is what we missionaries are taught to ask. Can Christ redeem cultural practices? Like in India some of the traditional ceremonies that were once done for ancestors, have been taken over and given new meaning in Christ. The Ceremony once had questionable things in it. However, it has been redeemed by Christians and made into a celebration of Christ as meanings are changed. It is now done with new meaning and a new mindset. Christ redeems not just people, but culture too. But his redemption is said to effect creation and the universe also.

So my point is this; So what if pagans once used Christmas trees in pagan ceremonies. Christians took the tree, claimed it as their own, gave it new meaning, and new beauty and redeemed it for Christ. Is a tree important to Christmas NO. Is there any Spiritual or biblical significance to it- no. But what was once used in pagan worship. Now has been redeemed an made good. Its beauty and art now. Its pretty, we have no pagan worship in it, and it does not cross anyone mind. And what is more we put an Angel or a star on top to remind us of the birth of Christ. The Christmas tree concept of a once pagan culture was taken redeemed and made good. On the mission field some cultural things can't be redeemed. Other can still be practiced but with a new understanding. Just like the African names for God. We ask ourselves as African theologians, do we have to ask Agni people to through out their Languages name for God.

Well their idea of God may be wrong in may ways. But some concepts are right. So rather than say "Nyamie" is a false God, worship Our God. We say Look Nyamie is God, what you believe about God here is right(And Nyamie is the creator of the universe) But I have some more insight to tell you about Nyamie. So what we do is redeem the word "Nyamie" that simply means God to them. And Fill in all the blanks and take out all the inconstancies their concept may have. In the end They see Nyamie as Still God. And They now understand the true God. There Nyamie is not a false God. The Word in Agni simply means God. The problem is their view of God. We can change that without insisting on a new word.

Like a heard a sermon by a popular preacher who said Muslims serve a false God called Allah. And he did not say any more. But the Word Allah means "God" in hundreds of Dialects in North and west Africa. It's their languages word for God. The Jula bible and Bambara Bible translations (and others) all use the word Allah as the word for God. You have to use it as that is the word of God in their language. But you discuss the triune nature of God (Muslims deny). You discuss him sending Jesus etc. Anyway, Christ can and has redeemed the word Nyamie and Allah with a proper understanding.

Anyway, I could write on this for hours. But it is something we in the west are not accustom to.

We just analyze everything by our standards, culture and experience. When in reality a lot of things in other cultures may have some wrong elements. But they can be redeemed and used to glorify Christ.

Andy Rayner 2002