Something interesting I’ve noticed while here in Soroti. When Julia and I were out doing our first morning of door-to-door evangelism (which was actually kind of unexpectedly pleasant), the church leader with us, Lazarus, was translating for us. Most people around the church speak Ateso, the local language, and very little English (mostly limited to “MZUNGU HOW ARE YOU,” especially if under the age of ten).
Anyways, we were speaking with a woman named Jennifer, and Julia asked if she knew Jesus. Lazarus translated, and responded back to us, “She believes, but she has not accepted Christ.” Huh. In my mind, the two are usually one and the same.
Lazarus was equally baffled, but when he asked her further, he received an explanation: “She is Protestant, so she has not confessed Christ as her Lord and Savior.”
This is common in Soroti. People are either Catholic, Protestant, or Christians. They are not interchangeable. As a Christian who was raised in a Protestant church, I take umbrage with this statement.
I expressed my frustrations with the rest of Sofia over dinner one night, and learned I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get it. And then Joe said something: “If you think about it, Protestantism and Catholicism were imported from the British. There’s not really a real connection.”
Aha. A valid point. If faith is imported, it doesn’t have any real-life significance. You could say this is the case in much of America as well. Lots of people are brought up in the church, but it’s the same effect. They’re Protestant, but they don’t know Jesus. Catholicism is notorious for this divide in most of America, and it’s happening with Protestantism as well.
However, that doesn’t mean that to distance denominational status from the person of Jesus is something to encourage. Let’s not forget that the entire reason Jesus came was to take God’s love to earth in human form, and then in the climax of the love story, die so that we wouldn’t have to live eternally separated from God. And he loved everyone. Prostitutes, tax collectors, children, even the Pharisees. On a side note, I bet that ticked them off. Nothing to really make you mad than to learn that the person you want to see dead has no interest whatsoever in fighting you.
No additional thoughts as of now. We spent yesterday afternoon with over 200 Compassion International kids, and I’m hoping to dig up some pictures of the songs, skits, and games of duck, duck, goose that filled the entire church.
Happy Valentine’s Day. Go hug someone.
