I read this first post on the Amahoro Africa Gathering in Kampala Uganda with much interest and delight. Thanks Aryantungyisa Otiti for the summaries.
Here are some sentences which pulled me in 🙂 I’ll throw in some unrefined Malaysian appropriations in italics.
“… Edward said – we may not all be able to write books, but we can talk and presence ministers and speaks to us. Presence is worth 10,000 words in Africa as a picture is worth 1,000 in the West.”
This reminded me of the importance of face to face conversations, and the presence of one another (even though there are times we have no opportunity to talk yet). My mind traveled back to the Friends in Conversation event in March, 2007 which I thought was a good beginning for some of us. What I liked about Edward’s statement is the fact that yes indeed many won’t be able to write books, or articles or blog, and we need to have a “humble perspective” on it’s value (recognizing it’s usefulness and yet not overstating it’s importance). Words are important but when we only live in the realm of words we might actually forget the reality of the world right before our eyes.
” … Kenzo was frustrated with Christianity until he started reading Postcolonial theology and realized there is a different way to being Christian. “
I think for some of us the frustration is with either traditional Christianity which seems locked in the past uncritically or popular Christianity marketed consciously or unconsciously to us (and we very often are guilty of swallowing the whole thing) until we’ve lost energy to be creative and constructive. While I haven’t read postcolonial theology in depth, my personal journey has been reading self-critical mission theology and contextual theology (e.g. Lesslie Newbigin, Vincent Donovan, Andrew Walls, David Bosch, Stephen Bevans, Robert Schreiter, Hwa Yung, Albert Walters, etc) which wets my appetite for something more … and of course, I do hope to participate in its creative process both theologically and in praxis.
“He noted that the church in Africa is at the crossroads poised to become a major player but will only do so if we have the courage to be different.
… The world is becoming a global village and reason has entered its postmodern era. Post modernity is here in Africa too but is being lived under the guise of post colonialism, which is not a historical period but an attitude. Those whose history has been affected by colonialism cannot move forward until they have dealt with the demons of colonialism. There is a need to deal with colonialism even within the church, Kenzo asserted, “if we do not define ourselves, others will define us” he emphasized. Identity is created and not inherited and we are free to take from the sources and recreate ourselves. Kenzo can for example be both Congolese, an African, modern and a Christian. In Christ we are being recreated.
I wrote more .. but somehow, it got lost due to bad internet connection when I pressed save 😛
I remember the last line I typed ..
Time for RE- CREATION!