Imagine you grew up in a certain African village. Imagine you were part of this people group. You’ve never been out to the city and all your family lives right around you, so this life and this culture is truly all you know. If you grew up in this village…
… you would believe that having several wives is not only normal and acceptable but even desirable.
… you would consider greeting someone older with due respect as one of the most important characteristics of a good person.
…you would be seriously scared of being poisoned by anyone who might hold a grudge against you or your family.
…you would see witchcraft and dark magic as a normal part of life that is to be greatly feared but also used for your advantage.
…you would be scared to leave your clothes hanging outside overnight or go to the barbershop to get a haircut because personal items like clothes or hair can be used to put a curse on you.
…you would experience jealousy as one of the driving emotions in life and society, causing people to use the physical and spiritual world to thwart their neighbours’ success or hinder their advancement in life.
… you would regularly witness demon possession in people around you.
…you would not walk underneath Baobab trees because you would believe that jinns (a type of spirit) live in its branches and can possess you if you get too close.
… you would fast from all food and drink during the month of Ramadhan to earn God’s forgiveness and favour.
… you would be deathly afraid of chameleons because they can suck out your skin colour.
… you would believe that you, like every other person, have your own star in the universe, which determines your fate.
…you would see many sicknesses and incidents as caused by curses and dark magic performed against you.
What if you had grown up in that environment? Exactly. You would shake your head at the weird white people who explain everything with science, are surprised at seeing demon possession, and are crazy enough to touch chameleons. We are all products of our cultures. Living and working in Africa has stretched our understanding of the world and our theology in ways we never expected, especially in the areas of spiritual warfare and the connection of the physical and spiritual world, which we Westerners usually like to keep neatly separated. As Christians, it is our job to discern between what is cultural and what is biblical. May the Lord grant us all wisdom and guidance as we navigate the sometimes rocky waters of shaping our worldview to reflect HIS view of the world.
Edited and reprinted from Anyan’s Newsletter February 2024 with permission from Asmara Anyan.