Syncretism: the combination of different forms of belief or practice.
I first learned about syncretism in a Latin American literature class (el sincretismo). It was/is prevalent in Latin America from when Catholicism arrived and started blending with the native, indigenous religions. The word came back to mind here in Zambia through various conversations about witchcraft, which is still very much a part of society here, even though Zambia is a Christian nation. Their origins have blended with the beliefs they now profess.
We spoke about witchcraft in Bible study when it came up in Deuteronomy (18:9-13), and then one teammate prompted the group to repent for times they had sought access to the spiritual realm through witch doctors instead of the Holy Spirit. Zambian families have options for healthcare: local or well-known witchdoctor, hospital, prayer. I think it’s common, even for Christians, to consult multiple sources. We prayed with them in their repentance. It was a moment when I stepped back and remembered that “Whoa. Things are quite different here, that’s right.” Something we would have glazed over while reading in the States is a reason to stop and humbly evaluate how we live in Africa.
There is a clear disconnect here between this lifestyle and “Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you.” (Deut 6:13-14) The Lord is explicit that he wants to be the only one we worship. (Deut 6-8; 10, and essentially the whole Bible)
I think people get upset with Christianity sometimes because it asks you to worship something. It tells you to devote your whole self to the one, true God.
“How appalling that they would require me to acknowledge that something is worth giving my life, priorities, and praise to, and then do that.”
–something on those lines is the vibe I have gotten at times. The thing is, though, you’re already worshipping. I don’t know what, but I bet you do. Christianity just suggests you worship something else-the only One who is worthy, instead of whatever idol has stolen your worship thus far. Christ doesn’t suggest something new when he calls us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength (Deut 6:4-5). He suggests we turn our worship to the only God who will not fail us.
Idol worship is obvious in some of the places we’re going. I was offered a token of the god of the Zambezi river numerous times in Zambia. I visited a breath-taking World Heritage site last week devoted entirely to worship, but to thousands of untrue gods. It’s less obvious in the States, but it is just as present, as we explained to the women in the Bible Study that day.
As humans, we have a desperate desire to worship. I believe this now more than ever, having seen it in multiple continents. We all have it, and it shows up differently across cultures and time. The Lord loves this desire because it was meant to bring our hearts toward Him.
But too often this desire gets derailed, and our worship ends up elsewhere, even when, in general, we want to give our worship to the Lord! I see the syncretism in my life. There are areas of my life where I’ve let the truth of the Gospel mingle with Jenna’s Preferences for Living and the result is some mutant self-love masked in Christian jargon. This syncretism has to go. Praise God that Christ has paved a way for us to worship the Lord in Spirit and truth, and to be forgiven when we don’t. The path is clear, the burden is light, and the Lord is worthy.
I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Isaiah 44:6b
