FREE ESSAY ON WALKING FORWARD INTO THE LIGHT

WALKING FORWARD INTO THE LIGHT

"My father, of course, was bringing the Word of God- 
which fortunately weighs nothing at all." (Kingsolver 19)
Missionaries from all faiths have traveled all over the world in attempts to show other
peoples their ways. Christian missionaries in particular have struggled in their efforts
to convert indigenous people. Simply bringing the Word of God, as Nathan Price does in
The Poisonwood Bible, was and is not possible. With a conversion of faith comes an
adoption of customs, morals, lifestyles, and even political views. Even though young Leah
Price says that the Word of God weighed nothing, it was actually the heaviest burden the
Price family carried with them on their journey. Every missionary who has brought the
Word of God to the Congo region has been faced with many more challenges than they could
have ever imagined.
The Poisonwood Bible provides a glimpse into each of the complex situations that are
created due to missionary work in the Congo. It is the turning point for religious work
in the nation and depicts the ongoing struggle between the Congo and the rest of the
world. However, to fully understand the impact of missionary work in the Congo, the
beginning as well as the future of this movement most also be examined. 
The Congolese are a people who are rich in culture, very bright, and extremely diverse.
For a long time, they were also regarded as being among the richest in natural resources
until other countries exploited them. Africans in general had no need for prejudice, even
when engaged in trade with other tribes or countries. Their practice of enslavement was
merely a way to win a war or conflict. They treated slaves humanely. However, there was a
great deal of misunderstanding from the very beginning between natives and the Europeans
that arrived on the continent. Even missionaries struggled to understand their completely
different way of life. 
The most challenging cultural idea was religion. Africa, including the people of the
Congo, is a monotheistic people. Most explorers and missionaries failed to understand
their belief in one creator. Generally, Europeans thought that the Congolese were an
ignorant and backwards people and certainly would not have any ideas about just "one
God." (Nkuzi) This superiority complex put a great deal of distance between the two
peoples. The lack of true communication and understanding between the natives and the
missionaries was the cause of the most devastation. Without a firm understanding of the
culture, the missionaries could make little headway in conversions or even simply helping
the communities.
Giving aide to the villages of the Congo was one of the more successful efforts on behalf
of the missionaries. Hospitals, clinics, improvements in transportation, and agriculture
were all helpful additions to the Congolese way of life. However, these new
establishments only made advances in places where the missionaries took an unassuming
role. As seen in the novel The Poisonwood Bible, the hospital in Leopoldville lacked the
prejudice and fervor of men like Nathan Price. It is obvious that the hospital helped
more people than Nathan ever does. Also seen in the novel is the French Catholic missions
led by religious women. In this scenario, the women wonder if what they are doing is
enough; however, they again make more advances to help the people because they did not
try to preach to anyone. Their ministry was one of healing, and Leah Price recognizes
this when she hides for protection in their mission.
Missionaries have been exploring the Congo region for over 100 years. European missions
led almost all of the earliest expeditions into this new, uncharted territory. These men
came not only with a sense of conversion, but domination. This mindset still causes
problems today between the two groups. The missionaries came with the words of the Gospel
of Mark: "go therefore, and make disciples of every nation. Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark16:15-16). To
save every person from sin seemed like the only Christian thing to do; however, this
immense task could not ever take a firm hold in a land where tradition and faith had been
practiced quite differently for thousands of years. As stated in the Congo Independent
State and Congo Missions put forth by the United Methodist Church, the only knowledge
they had of religious practices was witchcraft and simple idolatry. Rarely did the
missionaries take the time to fully understand the culture of the people they wished to
live with.
George Grenfell was an English missionary who anxiously worked to convert the people of
the Congo. He is sadly just one example of many who failed to understand the necessity
for true relationship in ministry. A Baptist not unlike the Prices, Grenfell traveled the
expanse of the Congo River and visited villages all along the route. He navigated his
steamboat, The Peace, to many places and saw what he believed to be gross injustices. His
journals reflect on many of the same experiences seen in The Poisonwood Bible: polygamy,
sacrifice, death practices, and relations with the chiefs of the villages. In all
instances, Grenfell saw the actions that were committed, but limited his thoughts on why
the Congolese chose to live this way. In all his accounts, he merely attributes their
violent expressions to ignorance. How can they be ignorant of something that was never
supposed to come to their land? Grenfell, as well as many other missionaries, seemed to
think that it was about time that someone brought the Gospel to these people who were
clearly living in darkness. The people of the Congo, however, had no idea that their
lifestyle and culture was not "right". This constant conflict led people like Grenfell to
preach and attempt to evangelize up until their death. Their calling had been so strong,
but many times, men like George Grenfell and Nathan Price were essentially eaten alive by
the land they tried to convert.
Today, mission work is done with a much more open mind and a kind heart. Focusing on the
need for relationship between the missionaries and the Congolese, religious and lay
ministers have a very different way of giving aide to the suffering country. Guided by
experience, the present missionaries confer baptism only on those who have been
well-instructed and well-tested. A great deal of emphasis is placed on the education of
the young, much like Anatole's school in Kikongo. The Catholic religious, both men and
women, have devoted themselves to this work. There are rural schools where the young
Congolese are taught agriculture. Orphans and abandoned children, who are very numerous
in the Congo, are also given help from the missions. Hospitals are among the best
achievements of the missionaries from all faiths. Both Protestant and Catholic missions
have established printing presses as well. To facilitate transportation, steamboats have
been reconstructed and have greatly helped in carrying medicine to those who need it in a
much more timely fashion. 
The situation is still not ideal. Missionaries still come to the Congo, now Zaire, to
preach the Gospel without first listening to the words of the people. Although the
efforts of the Baptist ministry have improved, certain ideas still do not take hold in
the Congolese. Family planning is still a foreign idea to a people who have had multiple
wives for centuries (International Ministries). Some efforts are in vain, while others,
like education, medicine, and agricultural technology are among the ideas that have
brought success. 
Missionaries might never have needed to go to the Congo if the first missions had never
been established there. Today, Catholics, Protestants, and many other faith groups are
desperately trying to undo what past generations have done to tear apart a land that was
once rich in resources. Each effort, however small, does contribute to the advancement of
the people. Even when missionaries are forced to evacuate to another part of Africa or
even back to the U.S. or Europe because of military conflicts, they still return and
continue their work. They keep their faith, even though the evacuations erase any
continuity they might have hoped for.
All of these successes would never have happened if a renewed focus on relationship
hadn't taken place. Instead of ignoring the people, the new missionaries become friends
with the people. They develop an understanding of each other and the differences that lie
within. Perhaps one of the best examples of this, although fictional, is the marriage of
Anatole and Leah in The Poisonwood Bible. Although they struggled, they made the most
noticeable contribution to the Congo. 
Nathan Price urged fervently and with abandon: "walk forward into the light" (Kingsolver
375). He, like many others before and after him, failed to realize that the Congo had
always been a bright nation on its own terms. Now, missionaries, not only in the Congo,
but everywhere, are faced with the challenge to "walk forward into the light" with the
people to which they are bringing the Word of God. 
Bibliography
Democratic Republic of the Congo Consular Information. US Department of the State, 
September 14, 1999. 
Kingsolver, Barbara. The Poisonwood Bible. Harper Collins, New York, NY: 1998.
Missionary House Bombed. Independent Catholic News, Vol 2. 9 June 1997.
Myers Harrison, Eugene. A Light In The Congo Darkness. Scripture Press, Fairfax, VA:
1954.
Presentation by Dr. Nkuzi Nnam, 31 October 2000.
The International Ministries Website. http://www.internationalministries.org
The New American Bible. Devore & Sons, Witchita, Kansas: 2000.