Renewing your mind (Part 5)

The lure of Idolatry - a meditation on true worship

To the onlooker, idolatry is very much part of the traditional African world, with the spirits of ancestors, spirit-beings and various deities recognised and included in festivals and rituals. This would be disputed by many from a traditional background, seeing spirits as merely mediators for access to the ‘Supreme Being’, who is their ultimate object of worship, but who is way beyond them and completely out of reach.



Likewise, to the onlooker, idolatry is a thing of the past in modern societies. There is no recognition of spiritual powers, and most consider the visible world to be all that really exists. Yet a fascination with the unseen still exists, along with a yearning for identity and meaning from beyond ourselves.

Perhaps a biblical view of idolatry is required for us to see what is going on.

The world of the bible is very like the traditional world of the African. Spiritual beings are real and powerful. They are either good or evil, and can influence the world and people around us. The key question about our interaction with these powers that arises from any serious study of the bible is around the nature of worship.

Worship, according to the bible story, is an inevitable part of the human make up. We were made to worship, although initially, this didn’t look like we imagine. In the garden, Adam and Eve delighted in being with God. There was a bond of love between them, and a sense of trust in the character and faithfulness of God that led to joyful submission and obedience. This is our first glimpse into what it means to worship.

Later in the story, Adam and Eve are confronted by a serpent like character, who proceeds to tell them a different story about the God that they worshipped. This was a story of God keeping what was good away from Adam and Eve, of him withholding and refusing to let them flourish. The choice they made was once again out of trust and submission, but this time it was to a created being, rather than the creator. And this choice brought disaster.

In the opening chapters of Romans, Paul wants to set the scene for the need of the gospel to be preached around the world. In chapter 1, he lists a downward spiral of humanity, going from knowing God (Rom 1:21) to being ‘filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity’ (Rom 1:29).

The first step in that downward spiral? ‘They neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him’ (Rom 1:21). Worship was the problem. Paul summarises his thoughts in Rom 1:25 ‘They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator’.



Paul explains the problem of the human condition in terms of worship. Humans desire to put themselves in the place of God and to define what is right and wrong for themselves. To do this, they put their trust in something created, rather than the creator.

This is the first step in the destruction of the world through sin. Sin is not the root issue, but rather the fruit of the refusal to worship God, and instead worship created things. All sin comes out of placing trust in things that are not God. In considering the story of Adam and Eve, we might say, their rebellion was not the root issue, but the fruit of trusting in and submitting to a created being rather than the creator.

When placed in these terms, we can see that idolatry is far more than simply bowing to a statue or sacrificing an animal in a ritual. Idolatry is putting yourself in the place of God, and placing your hope and trust in anything apart from God in order to achieve your aims.

Both western and African worldviews share a goal of the good life, however that might be expressed. Ultimately, each will use whatever power is at their disposal to gain for themselves and their family what is needed to fulfil their personal vision of the best that life has to offer. The Westerner often pursues financial power as the pathway to their goals of comfort, intimacy or experience. The traditional African often pursues the power of the spiritual realm to achieve their goals of harmony, community or status.

Yet both of these pursuits are idolatrous at heart. They put their trust in created things rather than the creator, and live in submission to their authority, rather than to God. Even the concept of a ‘good life’ lived outside of a relationship with God is idolatry.

The biblical call is to put God at the centre of your story, rather than yourself or your family clan as the centre. This of course requires something of a death. A death to our own wisdom, a death to our understanding of good and bad, to our own vision of the good life. In all true worship, there is an offering, a sacrifice. It’s not easy, and it’s not cheap. In fact, it will cost you everything. Jesus calls people to follow him, to lose their life for him so that they can truly find life. That is what you were made for.

In view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to the Lord, which is your spiritual worship. (Rom 12:1)

Questions for reflection

•  What is your idea of ‘the good life’?
•  What powers are you using to try to achieve this?
•  Consider ‘sin is the fruit of idolatry’. What implications does that have on how you deal with sin in yourself or others?
•  What sacrifices are you currently making in your worship of God?

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Renewing your mind (Part 4)

Good and Evil - a meditation on trust

‘So you think you can tell... Heaven from Hell?’

The provocative first lines from the Pink Floyd song ‘Wish you were here’. This is a jibe at the modern worldview, where we have set ourselves up as gods, able to define for ourselves what is right and wrong. Able to chose for ourselves what is good in our own eyes, to pursue heaven, and finding the results of our choices have so often led us and those around us to hell.

If the extreme individualism of the modern worldview has led us to these dark places, has the traditional African worldview brought us more success in creating a beautiful and just world? How is right and wrong defined in a traditional African culture? Ethics in a traditional African culture are formed out of the clan that you belong to. Any behaviour is judged as good or bad, depending on the impact it will have on your local community. Therefore those involved in government corruption are doing a good thing if the proceeds of the looting go towards the upliftment of their families. This idea of right and wrong has led to tribalism, violence and great suffering and hardship across the continent.

Once again, we turn to the bible, to see if a better story can be found.

In the first chapter of Genesis, we find that ‘God saw that it was good’. Not only was God at work separating out the chaos of an unformed and empty creation, he was also defining what was good in his eyes. Humanity is desperate for an outside view, an objective view, for someone who knows and understands the world in all its complexities, and to tell us what is good and what is not. Our world is filled with those who want to set themselves up, from their tiny point of view, shaped by their upbringing, their culture, their own baggage, and tell us what is good and what is not. Try as we might, we can never hope to see the world as it truly is, and have the wisdom to see what will make this planet right and just, hopeful and beautiful. We need God. We need the creator’s wisdom and viewpoint. We need his opinion of what is good and what is not.



This was the world that Adam and Eve were born into. A garden had been planted, and they were told to bring God’s rule to this part of the planet, and then to multiply out and extend God’s rule of order and beauty to fill the rest of the world. They knew their mission, but had just one prohibition, which was to abstain from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree was situated right in the middle of the garden, meaning their decision not to eat the fruit was made day after day.

Before we go on in the story, and it takes a turn for the worse, let’s just ponder what a beautiful scenario this is. Humanity are walking with God, enjoying their relationship with him and each other, rooted in the trust that God is good, that he loves them, and that he wants the best for them. What a joy to live in obedience to a God who decides what is right and wrong, knowing it is for their best, whether they always understand the reasons for God’s decisions or not.

The day came when their choice to refrain from eating from the tree was tested. A spiritual being in the form of a serpent began to challenge Eve’s trust in God’s goodness. ‘Did God really say that you couldn’t eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ Eve is wise to this provocation, insisting that they could eat from any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, because this would cause death. The following temptation of the serpent was that the humans could be like God, knowing (a better translation may be ‘discerning’) good and evil, if they chose to eat from this tree. Eve takes a good look at the fruit, and it certainly looked delicious, like the fruit of all the other trees that they ate day after day. She had the choice at that moment, of whether to trust in God, in his goodness, and his desire for a beautiful, just and peaceful world, or to trust the words of the serpent, that God was keeping them from achieving all that they could be, and no harm would come to them, but rather greatness. As she considered her choice, the fruit became very desirable for her, and together with Adam they took and ate the fruit.

From that moment on, the story takes a downward spiral, as generation after generation chose to do what is good in their own eyes, leading to selfishness, violence, oppression and murder. At key moments in the story, God calls his people to align themselves with him and his ways. Moses calls the people to obedience to YHWH and to choose life rather than death (Deut 30:19). Solomon exhorts his son to embrace wisdom as the tree of life (Prov 3:18) which begins as you hold God and his word in reverence (Prov 9:10). Jesus ended his greatest sermon by declaring that those who would listen and obey his words would live, while those who ignored his words would die (Matt 7:24-27).

Paul would later reflect on the message that he was sent to preach to the Gentiles as ‘the obedience that comes through faith’ (Rom 1:5). This is God inviting us again into a relationship of love and trust, in which we know that God is good, that he loves us, that he is the only one who can truly define what is right and wrong, what is good and bad. Out of this relationship, the natural thing is to joyfully obey everything he tells us to do.

Questions for reflection

•  When you consider where your sense of right and wrong come from, how much comes from your background as opposed to what God says?
•  Would you say that following Jesus is about works or grace? Explain your answer.
•  How do you find out what God wants you to do?

Case Study

Since John became a Christian, he has given up alcohol and cigarettes. He has also become quite upset by those Christians in the church that continue with their bad habits, and it makes him wonder why these people continue to sin if they are following Jesus. How would you advise him?

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Renewing your mind (Part 3)

The individual and the community - a meditation on the nature of God

Here is one of the most obvious and keenly felt differences in the worldviews of the modern western and traditional African.

For a modern western mind, the story is about me as an individual. I am independent of all others, carrying responsibility solely for myself. Each person must be able to look after themselves, provide for themselves, make decisions for the benefit of themselves and be allowed to live as authentically themselves. The family unit, which may consist of a mother and father, and perhaps some siblings, provides protection and resources which enable the individual to grow and become fully independent. The goal therefore, is the individual who can look after themself, and doesn’t have any concerns for any others, as these others are also individuals who can fully look after themselves.

The traditional African has a story about the family and clan that they belong to. This clan is the most important thing, and all behaviour is judged as to whether it is harmful or beneficial to the clan the person belongs to. The needs and desires of the individual is not considered to be important, as long as the clan is being served and strengthened.

The bible tells a different story where both of these views are valued but a bigger and better story is being told. It starts in the biblical view of God. The biblical view of God is as an individual and as a community.

As an individual, God has a character. His character is perfect, and flawless in every way. He is completely unified in his character, of what he loves and what he hates. He has a purpose and a plan. He is at work to bring about his purpose, which has stayed constant from the beginning. He will achieve his purposes and stay faithful to his plans. ‘The Lord our God is one’ (Deut 6:4).

However, God is also a community of Father, Son and Spirit. The opening chapter of Genesis gives us something of an insight into this threefold picture of God, as his Spirit is hovering over the waters and his word is the agent of his creative power. What the Old Testament gives us in veiled hints is gloriously unveiled in the New Testament. The ‘Word’ became ‘flesh’ and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus would send the ‘Comforter’, one like himself, to be with the disciples and lead them into all truth, the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). So we find that God is by nature three persons in one. This is why John can use the definition that ‘God is love’. How could God be love unless he has always existed in community, forever delighting in himself, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This is the grounding for how God views and deals with humanity in the biblical story. Adam is the first human, initially created on his own, without a partner. God sees that it is not good for Adam to be alone, and so makes a suitable partner for him from his side. Adam is delighted with his team mate, made to be his ‘ezer kenegdo’, (this Hebrew phrase is debated, but its literal meaning is something like ‘helper, one opposite from’). The climax of the story is the commentary that the two become one flesh. The individual and the community have somehow become the same thing in the eyes of God.

Later we see that God is constantly choosing the individual on behalf of the community. Think about Abraham. He was an individual, and not a very impressive individual at that. Yet God chose this one man, a childless wanderer, to bless all the nations of the world (Genesis 12:3). The biblical story is full of God’s plan to bless the world, but he is always working that out through individuals. Ultimately we see this in the person of Jesus, the one individual who carried all the promises and hopes of the people of Israel and the entire world. Indeed, his life, death and resurrection became representative for every individual who believes in him, and so they are joined in to his new community.

In God’s wisdom, each individual is of utmost importance, and each is given a dignity and calling to fulfil, as a blessing to the great community that God is building. This worldwide community is called to represent and demonstrate God to the rest of his creation. At a local level, these are known as churches. Here God’s value for the individual and the community can be drawn together in one visible group. The bible calls this group ‘the body of Christ’, a whole being that is made up of many different and vitally important members.

This unity and diversity on show, this individual and community reflect something of the nature of God himself, the three in one.

Questions for reflection

•  Do you find yourself more naturally holding a traditional African or a modern western worldview of the individual and community?
•  How has this impacted your life?
•  How does the biblical story of the individual inspire you to become everything that God has called you to be?
•  How does the biblical story of community inspire you to build friendships and engage in mission together?

Case Study

John (from our previous case study) has become a Christian and joined your congregation. However, he has not made any friends in your church, and seems content to come along for a Sunday morning service. Does this concern you? If so, how do you go about helping him to really connect with your church?

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Renewing your mind (Part 2)

Asking the right questions

Worldview is the name we give to the underlying story we grow up with, which gives meaning to the world around us. Worldviews differ between cultures, and are often the cause of many misunderstandings and conflicts, both globally and in individual relationships.

This blog series is attempting to answer the question ‘What is a biblical worldview?’, in order that we can renew our thinking to be in line with the biblical story, and can experience true transformation.

In this blog, we attempt to define a Western and a traditional African worldview through four simple questions, which we then use to consider what a biblical worldview might be.

Our aim is to begin to highlight how our patterns of thinking are so influenced by the culture we have been brought up in, and how the life that is being shaped by the story that God is telling is far more beautiful. Shifting from our original story to the biblical story is a fundamental key to living as a disciple of Jesus and helping others to do the same.
 

 

Questions for reflection

•  Are you aware of the worldview that you have been brought up with?
•  What aspects of your worldview have been challenged since you became a Christian?
•  What are the costs involved with someone from your background to be a disciple of Jesus?
•  How would you tell the biblical story?

Case Study

John is originally from East Africa, but now lives in London, UK. He wants to know how to become a Christian. How do you present the gospel to him?

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The renewing of your mind

An Introduction and a plea for help

This post is the first of a series that explores the topic of Christian discipleship in different cultures. It functions as an introduction to explain the thinking behind the series as a whole, and it also asks for your help. I know that you are a helpful sort, so please read on…

In 2021, an African pastor shared with me some concerns that he had about a number of men in his church that were engaging in extra marital affairs. I must admit, at the time I was greatly concerned about what he told me. It seemed to me that the very foundation of our faith was being undermined. What kind of message were we sharing with the world, when the outcome was that marriages were being disregarded, families torn apart, and men acting with complete disregard to the message of Jesus that they claimed to follow

Some time later in conversation with a young African lady who had joined a western church. She bemoaned the lack of community in her church, the way she and others that she knew were marginalised, the way that the main members of the church seemed to ignore her, apparently uncaring of the difficult conditions that she faced. I was about to give my wry smile and a trite comment that this is how ‘we are’, when it struck me. There are some things that shock me in the church, and there are some things that I just accept, knowing that it’s not right. Some things that make me want to confront the ‘evil doers’ and some things I just explain away, even in myself.

We all have a worldview, a way of seeing the world, a way to make sense of what goes on, a way to decide what’s good and what’s bad, what’s right and what’s wrong. It is this worldview that shapes our behaviour at the most fundamental level.

So why this blog series? And why now?

During October 2024, we gathered a group of Christian leaders from different nations in Hilton, South Africa, with the aim of sharing together our understanding of different worldviews and in particular, how to make effective disciples of Jesus in a culture dominated by a traditional African worldview.

Our time together highlighted for me the huge differences between the traditional African and the modern western worldview, and the blind spots that exist when it comes to understanding other worldviews. Although I’ve lived in Africa for 10 years now, I found myself wondering if I’d ever really started to understand this world.

The implications of understanding different worldviews in Christian leadership are vast, both for the African and western church. The African church has been heavily influenced by the traditional worldview, as you would expect. However, it has also been influenced by the modern western worldview of the missionaries of the 18th and 19th centuries. Seeing and understanding these influences is crucial in helping people to be truly ‘biblical’ in following Jesus.

The western church has had numerous influences over the years, going all the way back to a Greek view of the world. However, in more recent times, as the impact of immigration has been seen in the church, Christian leaders are now required to understand and speak into many different worldviews, as they pastor their church community.

The premise of this series of blogs is that it is only when someone’s original worldview is replaced by a biblical worldview that we can see that person fully embracing what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. This was true for the original disciples of Jesus, just as it is for those who are now following Jesus as their Messiah, from all over the world. My goal is to begin to formulate what people from the East and the West can both call a ‘biblical worldview’.

It’s my intention to post each of these blogs as a way of starting a conversation. Often we only realise that we have a particular worldview when we encounter someone from a different worldview. We can only see our blindspots when someone from outside our culture explains how they perceive us. Perhaps we may even consider something to be biblical just because it has been our traditional practice in the church. Only in respectful conversation can we truly learn. I really hope that what I write will be received simply as my current view, which needs to be challenged, added to, endorsed or corrected. This is where you, dear reader, come in. I don’t want to do this on my own. As I consider the way different worldviews impact us, I need your voice to add to the conversation. So if you have a point of view, please share it for the benefit of the rest of us.

Ultimately, I hope that this series of blogs, along with the revisions that come out of the conversations that take place, will be made available as material for the pastors that I work alongside all over the world. So please don’t keep your comments and insights just to yourself, share them with the world!

In advance, thank you.

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