I want to tell you a story that illustrates exactly why Jill and I are taking the time to learn language and culture here in PNG, before jumping into Jesus and the cross. Yesterday afternoon, I left my house and walked down the dusty trail to Eric’s house.
When I arrived, I was greeted by Eric and 3 of his buddies who were sitting around a fire getting ready to drink koniak, a traditional strong drink in PNG. They were excited that I came just in time to experience a sacred part of their culture. Just as they were about to drink Eric said, “Let’s pray and thank God for this koniak.” So he prayed a prayer to God. Ok, now, immediately after they drank they all sprayed a huge mist of koniak over their shoulders. I think Eric saw the bewildered look on my face, so he explained–we are offering the koniak to our ancestors so they will be happy with us and bless us! Wow, wow, wow! Do you see what’s happened here? A missionary came in at some point and preached some type of message about Jesus, without studying their culture and without displacing their fundamental animistic beliefs! At the core of who they are, they still believe that their dead ancestors control everything–their gardens, material blessings, their health, everything! They simply added a little bit of Jesus to the mix to make sure they cover all their bases. This is what missionaries call syncretism.
This story illustrates much of what has happened in Papua New Guinea. We are learning that plenty of people here know the name of Jesus, but they are still completely lost, still believing that their dead ancestors are in control. This is why Jill and I not only trained for 4 years before moving here, but it’s also why we must learn their language and worldview, values, and beliefs.