“Open Letter to the Western Christians”

The West was a pioneer to send missionaries around the world and to engage culture through hospitals, schools, orphanages, charity organizations, and various institutions that serve people.  The gospel became alive, not only heard, but also seen.  Somehow, the West fell into complacency, compromise, affluence, prosperity gospel, political theology, that plunged Western Christians into syncretism; and the faithful ones fell into isolationism. The gospel message got diluted, became ineffective, and theology turned into theories, a dead letter law. Meanwhile Majority World Countries, being desperate for God, developed their own theology contextualized; theology was revitalized and took the power of life through an inculturated Christology and Pneumatology.  Majority World Churches redefined their theology by engaging culture.  It is amazing how Africans formulated a Christology from below by seeing Jesus as the Ancestor of Africa, the Mediator between the Supreme Being and men, or the Healer, or the Liberator, or the Initiator.  How Latin Americans saw in Jesus not only the Savior, but the Healer, who healed them from diseases and dealt with inner wounds, and who lifted them from their poverty and social stigma. How Muslims received Christ, the Word and Spirit of God, from the Qur’an and confirmed by visions and dreams, in mighty signs. In every culture, God has left His imprints for people to know Him and relate to Him in many ways, so that people are without excuse.

I encourage you to rethink your theology by getting a cross exposure on how Majority World Countries (Latin America, Africa, Asia, Middle East) have contextualized their theology;  how they related features, images, symbols, customs, myths, and social patterns to find God and not only the simple Oneness but the Trinitarian God.  Many good books on contextualized theology are available and would open your horizons such as Tennent’s Theology in the Context of World Christianity or Flemming’s Contextualization in the New Testament. Also get in touch with Majority World believers.  I even encourage you to actually take a trip to such Majority World Churches.  It is worthwhile because you will see the tremendous work of God in Majority World Churches and the Holy Spirit will reshape your theology giving it the power of life.