Our ministry amongst the Kaxuyana is much like the passage in Matthew about the wise man’s house. In Matthew 7:24-28 Jesus speaks of two men who set about building a house. Both conclude their projects but one has done so in a wise manner while the other has done so in a foolish manner. The one built his house with its foundations upon the rock and when the wind, rain, and flood came it remained standing. The other built his house with its foundations on the sand and when the wind, rain, and flood came it fell, with a crash!
It is interesting to note that both men were successful in building their houses and no doubt both put a lot of effort into building their houses but the one stood and the other came down violently. Like foolish men, we too, could start building our “house” amongst the Kaxuyana. We could start the teaching today, and that is what they constantly ask us to do, but it would have to be done in Portuguese and not in their heart language. No doubt we would put a lot of time into it. We would labor diligently and to the best of our knowledge. We would teach with zeal and authority, anxious for the day when we could say that a “church” has been truly established amongst the Kaxuyana. But then what?
What would happen when the wind, rain, and floods came? How would our “house” stand against adversities. Would the foundation we laid be undermined by the shifting sands of world view (cultural) discrepancies? Would the walls withstand the violent winds of death? Would the roof begin to leak with the disputes and quarrels for authority within the church? Would the walls withstand the cracks of clan animosities? And what of the powerful flood of modernism and its deep pools and the lustfully murky waters of material wealth? What about the strong rains of other religious zealots? How would our house fair?
I’m afraid that it would come downwith a violent crash! And for that reason we remain steadfast in our language study.
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