| At our most recent jumuia (family gathering), the
people asked us if Dominicans are missionaries. We said that we are not exactly
that, although there is presently a call out among Dominicans for volunteers for China. We
do that sort of work, but we feel that the church is already well established in Kenya,
and we see ourselves bringing the Dominican traditions to be a part of this church. But
the people insisted, "So then, you are missionaries!" "Well, …
yes." Then the mood changed perceptibly in the room. There was a silence. And after a
bit, one of the men in a most serious voice said, "You know, the missionaries
educated everyone in this room. They gave us all that we have." In a lifetime of church work, I have never received such a heartfelt and warm thank you. I thought it should be passed on to the very people who made it happen … All of you! Family & Trinity: An African ExperienceThe big word in African theology these days is: INCULTURATION. I am sad to say that for some this just means drums and dancing at liturgies, and a heroic indifference to keeping schedules! Some expatriate folks now living in East Africa use the word as a cover for behaviors that they now enjoy but were afraid to try in the more restricted church climates of their native countries. You can imagine my surprise and delight when recently I came across some serious thinking on the subject! It started in the kitchen where Fr. Martin Ndegwa, O.P., a friar who does not possess an unexpressed opinion, shouted for the entire world to hear, "A native African cannot teach philosophical metaphysics!" After the shouts of all the other brothers in disagreement subsided, I asked Martin why he held that opinion. He responded, "Because we think in wonderfully concrete terms!" To me, this was a clue to follow. Fr. Martin will not usually concede that anyone can perform in a manner that is superior to him ... AND he is usually right! A short time after this, I came across an interesting expression of native African theology. Rather than express the mystery of the Holy Trinity in the traditional abstractions of relational theology, some thinkers here are exploring the possibility of setting the mystery of the Trinity in the context of the family. This is a key African experience, and some rich possibilities can be derived from it. In lands where educational, political, and economic structures fail to provide a stable basis for daily life, people look to the family as the one stable structure around which they can make sense of their lives. To place the Trinity in a context other than relational philosophical concepts that have long since ceased to maintain contact with ordinary experience, or stay in touch with serious secular discourse, presents some interesting possibilities. The notion of the family can expand the approaches in which the mystery of God's inner life is encountered and held in prayerful attention. Instead of jargon, which is totally removed from daily experience, words derived directly from family life can open up our notion of God to an exceptional richness. As you explore the best memories of your family, words such as intimacy, unconditional acceptance, nurture, playfulness, celebration, forgiveness, love, hilarious laughter, and many more, may come to mind. The difficult categories of philosophy can yield such results, but only after long and arduous reflection. The immediacy and richness of family experience allows us to situate the mystery of God's being and inner life in terms that are both immediate and wonderfully rich. The experience of the family is at the heart of all of our love and understanding. One might ask what are some of the practical consequences of this approach? First, a natural intimacy with God may develop just as our family experiences are at the center of our identity. Secondly, a sense of mercy and forgiveness is presumed in just the manner that a child would depend on an effective and loving parent. Finally, that sense of belonging that one finds in the family may be projected upon other peoples and relationships. A doctrine such as the Mystical Body of Christ would find a rich field of acceptance here. Such a simple and immediate frame of reference could have wonderful consequences in our life of prayer, bringing new confidence and balance to our expressions of praise. In all of this our African sensibilities about the centrality and importance of family life can enrich our common experience of Christ's message and our reflections on the inner life of God. The African church is making a major contribution to the religious sensibilities and needs of people everywhere. As always, finding the answers to your own deepest needs can have beneficial consequences for everyone else! God Bless, |
