However,
on the other hand, people of other faiths do not experience Christian mission
as an activity that concentrates on healing and wholeness of life, but as one
that creates a rival community, by offering a salvation to those who would come
into it, which was claimed to be superior and which was not available
elsewhere. Thus people of other faiths perceive the motive of Christian mission
as Stanley Samartha has aptly put it, ‘as the extension of the church and the
extinction of other faiths’.[1]
The
Christian preoccupation in the understanding of mission with the expansion of
the church, numbers of converts and the open attitude of measuring the success
of mission in terms of the numbers who have been won for Christ has been one of
the major problems of the Mara Church. In much of Christian mission this
approach of counting is seen as both desirable and necessary, leading to the
other problem the Mara Christians face in their practice of mission.
Finally,
ever since the emphasis in mission moved to the creation of a community, away
from the task of healing of the nations and from disciplining them to the reign
of God and teaching them all that Jesus had taught about what leads to the Life
and what does not, the Christian mission fell into the trap of creating yet
another religion. There is of course nothing wrong with being a religion. But
then we must accept that is what we are. In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on
the Mount, what fascinates me on the teaching on giving alms, praying or
fasting so that ‘others may see’ is Jesus comment that ‘they have received
their reward’. Of course one could give alms or pray or fast so that others may
see, and others would indeed be impressed, but insists that the matter ends
there.
Our
understanding of mission also needs to make choices. If the creation of a
religious community is our primary goal of mission, we have had our reward. And
that reward, since Christianity is not a reform movement within any existing
religions in India, but is brought from outside, can come only by breaking up
existing community and not by transforming it. Thus, Christian mission as we
understand and practice today is experienced by other religious communities as
that which disrupts communities, that which breaks up communities and set up a
rival community.[2]
The
lack of success points to the silent resistance to it during colonial days.
This is how the powerless deal with the powerful. Today, with the change in
power balance, resistance is also organized and unsurprisingly Christians face
resistance.
In
this context, the mission of the Mara Church should be re-oriented and should
not be understood only in terms of pastoral care. The mission of the church
must be understood in terms of witness to the world. The church is called to
render to do a loving service to humankind irrespective of culture and race,
rich and poor, men and women. Mission therefore, is sharing of the gospel of
Jesus Christ, the good news of the wholesomeness of life in its individual,
social and cosmic dimensions. Again, the mission of the Mara Church must be
concerned with all humanity, not only its members. It is the mission of the
church to go out and get involved in the struggle for human dignity, freedom to
break the fetters of various kinds of oppression and exploitation. In short,
the mission of the Mara Church of Maraland must be conceived as to be on the
side of the oppressed, to be involved in their struggle for justice, to be
identified with the poor in the light of the gospel.
The
author also convinced that the most urgent need in the mission of the Mara
Church of Maraland today is contextualization. Contextualization broadens the
understanding of culture to include social, political, and economic questions.
In this way, culture is understood in a more dynamic and flexible ways, and is
seen not as closed and self contained, but as open and able to be enriched by
an encounter with other cultures and movements. Unless the church presents the
gospel locally in ways that connect to people’s language, culture and
worldview, the Mara Church of East & West Maraland will not succeed in her
missionary endeavours.
1.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, when we look back the analytical study of the mission of Mara
Church of Maraland, it can be said that the impact of western theology was so
great that it captured the whole theological norms of the Mara Christians. Even
shifts in the theological thinking in other parts of the world have no effect
on Mara Christian theology. The influences of western theology upon Mara
Christians can be stated as follows.
Firstly,
the imported western theology that dominated the Mara Christian theology is the
pietistic evangelical paradigm, an exclusive theology which ignores the Mara
world view, religious and traditional culture. As
the Mara religio-cultural was neglected, it not only created alienation but
also gave a superiority complex to the Christians. Christianity is the only
right religion and all other religions are false religions and the adherents of
other religions will go to hell as they are the idolaters. They respect neither
Hinduism nor Buddhism or any other religions except Christianity. This spirit
or mentality is cultivated in the Mara Christianity. Theologically speaking,
dialogue between Christianity and other religions is seen as unchristian and
totally rejected. Further, the strategies of Mara mission remain converting and
saving souls and church planting. Other forms of mission like development
projects and social works are not regarded as real mission at all. The Mara
Christians inherited a western conservative evangelical theology which totally
neglected the values of the Mara traditional religion, customs and cultural
practices. As a result almost all the values of the Mara culture and traditions
were marginalised as secular and pagan. Therefore, Christianity inevitably
takes the form of a western image.
Secondly,
from the analytical study of the Mara mission, one can conclude that the
existing Mara theology of mission interprets salvation in terms of ‘salvation
of souls. In fact, this dichotomized or dualistic view of salvation separates
human beings as having body and soul separately. According to the Mara
traditional concept, human possess soul and body. Soul and body are
interdependent and inseparable. If they were separated, the person would feel
sick or ill or even die. The Mara traditional view integrates body and soul and
in the light of this view, the existing Mara theology of mission about the
salvation must be corrected. They must interpret salvation in terms of not only
salvation of souls, but with the body and all creation. This is very much in
agreement with the biblical concept of salvation which will bring social
transformation in the society.
Biblical salvation,
therefore, is not for souls but for persons, for the natural world (Rom.
8:19-23), and the universe. The blessings of salvation encompass everything
that gives life, including but not limited to divine life, sanctifying grace,
or beatific vision. It is not narrowly limited to the private sphere of the
individual person but also has to do with the social, political, economic and
other dimensions of life.[3]
This
new view enriches Mara theology of mission and corrects the concept of
salvation to include the social, political, economic and other dimensions of
life for the transformation of the society here and now.
Thirdly,
from the above discussion, we may conclude that the Mara Christian
spiritualities tended to be exclusive. The more Mara Christians maintained this
exclusive position, the better Christian they became. For example, to be an
authentic Christian means excluding other religious adherents as pagan and
outside the revelation of God. In fact, this position does not encourage peace
and reconciliation in a religious pluralistic context like India and Myanmar
where the Mara Church is doing mission work. As Hindus and Buddhists are the
majority and Christians are the minority, there exist a religio-cultural
inequality and discrimination. The experiences of the Mara Christians in this
regard become theological issues and call for reflection. In this context, the
author suggests ‘dialogue’ as the best way to deal with people of other faiths.
The Mara church cannot be in mission without dialogue. Mara spirituality must
go beyond the existing exclusive theological position. A new understanding of
ecumenism, which unites all the religions through inter-faith dialogue,
co-operation and fellowship with the purpose of achieving love and creating
peace, social transformation, will generate deeper spirituality in the
inter-faith context. This new understanding, the new inclusive or pluralistic
religio-spirituality will bring a change in the existing Mara theology of
mission.
The
western evangelical exclusive theology which the Maras inherited from the
missionaries can not cope anymore with the present context with all its
problems. The time has come to develop Mara theology of mission that would
squarely address the present reality by taking into account the social,
economic and political problems for the transformation of the society.
[1]
S. Wesley Ariarajah,
‘Mission in the Context of religions and Cultures’, in Lalsangkima Pachuau,
ed., Ecumenical Missiology: Contemporary Trends, Issues and Themes,
(Bangalore: United Theological College, 2002), 193. Hereafter cited as
‘Ariarajah, Mission’.
[2] Ariarajah, Mission, 194.
[3] Carlos H. Abesamis, ‘Salvation’
in Virginia Fabella & R.S. Sugirtharajah, eds., The SCM Dictionary of
Third World Theologies (London: SCM Press, 2003), 181-182.
No comments:
Post a Comment