Being a Bible teacher in West Africa has exciting, energizing possibilities. There is a coming together of social and spiritual currents that make Bible teaching fertile ground for sowing the good seed. Africans are generally more open to Bible teaching than Westerners. Westerners tend to be so preoccupied with laying-up and protecting their treasures on earth that they have scant interest in spiritual and eternal concerns. Westerners are also so secure in their intellectual/scientific institutions that there is little need to seek anything beyond the tangible here and now.
Most Africans, on the other hand, have little hope or opportunity for prosperity and material security and therefore find it easier to be drawn by the spiritual, the next life possibilities and things eternal. This is why Jesus said the poor are blessed; the Kingdom of God is easily theirs, unencumbered and unabetted with materialistic goals.
Also whetting the appetite of Africans for solid Bible teaching are the aberrations of church so prevalent which have diminished the stature of church to such an extent that generally most churches are assumed to be a front for enterprising businessmen. To be called ‘pastor’ in West Africa has turned into a joke. This makes Africans all the more eager for the ‘real thing’.
Into this context I have recently begun helping Bible students explore the topic: Redemptive violence vs. Redemptive grace. I give this as an example of why Bible teaching in Africa is such a delight. The interest in this topic, new to most of them, is very high.
The Myth of Redemptive Violence is the notion that violence is necessary to bring order out of chaos. It is the belief that violence is necessary to hold back evil, that war brings peace and that it is necessary to sacrifice a few lives to save the many. Redemptive violence is a given worldwide; it has been in all cultures and from the beginning of time. This belief (a lie) is stated succinctly in the words of Caiaphas in John 11:50, “…it is better for you that one man [Jesus] should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” Then the writer of John goes on to tell his readers how Jesus turned this myth on its head.
The Genesis creation story does not support the myth of redemptive violence. It shows us that a good God created a good creation. The chaos before creation did not resist God’s order. His good creation was corrupted by mankind’s freedom to choose rebellion. Rebellion brought violence which, God’s gracious intervention with a Messiah, through his death and glorious resurrection, brought an end to the cycle of violence and offers us the choice to reclaim God’s good intentions for our own lives and all His creation.
Because Jesus willingly offered himself to violence, the myth of redemptive violence was confirmed as a lie; through his resurrection, Jesus defeated the power of that lie. (See Col. 2:15). Moreover, those who would be his disciples are expected to make the same declaration by dying to self and sin as we participate in his victory. (See John 12: 24-26).
Most, but not all Africans, receive this teaching with joy once it is explained and understood. They see in it the potential for peace and hope in their communities and families where violence is the accepted norm. Everyone is happy about God’s grace in relation to their personal salvation; it takes a bit of nudging to help people see redemptive grace as the norm for all other relationships. People who find this teaching difficult usually have a secondary agenda they are not ready to give up.
As I teach and interact with Africans I find that when one raises the teachings and example of Christ to the central focus of our faith and life together, everything else comes together in unity and peace. And conversely, when Christ does not occupy that space, there is no end of confusion, aberrations and division. And for whatever reason, that teaching/learning journey seems quite a bit easier here in Africa than in the West.
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