Clarifying the Frontiers Five Key Questions: What Hearers Always Want to Know as They Consider the Gospel by T. Wayne Dye and Danielle Zachariah

hen sharing the good news about , we often want to “get straight to the point.” Frequently, this can be ineffective since people have unarticulated questions and concerns that must be resolvedW before their hearts become open to hearing a new message. Although culturally relevant answers may vary, there are five key questions that are asked by individuals in every community: “How do I know what you say is true?”; “Why should I listen?”; “If I become a Christian, how will I live?”; “What is this message saying?”; and “What should I do to follow it?” Unless the first three questions are resolved to each individual’s satisfaction, the latter two questions won’t even be asked. It is only once these former questions have been adequately addressed that the individual will listen to the message of the truth of God.

Answers to the five questions do not have to come at the same time nor from the same person. In many cases, an answer might come from a person’s childhood experiences. Some hearers have some of these questions answered simply by the events of their lives or through their own observation of various , or in many other ways. How they find the answers doesn’t matter. What is important is that a Christian witness must take into account that all these questions need to be satisfactorily answered before someone comes to faith, no matter where those answers have come from.

T. Wayne Dye has been a missiology Question 1: How do I know what you say is true? consultant with SIL for over 50 years. Soon after earning a PhD at Fuller In John 5:31–40, Jesus called upon four witnesses to support his testimony Seminary School of Intercultural Studies, about himself: , the miracles he performed, God the Father, he became SIL’s first Scripture Engage- ment consultant. He and his wife Sally and the Scriptures. have trained missionaries in missiology in many countries. Wayne teaches at Although three of these make sense, Jesus’s inclusion of John the Baptist seems Dallas International University. strange. After all, what need has the Creator for a testimony from his creation?

Danielle Zachariah is a recently Why use the words of a mere man to support the claims of God Almighty? graduated ethnoartist with a back- John 5:34 provides the answer: “Not that I accept human testimony; but I ground in theatre, linguistics, and English education. mention it that you may be saved.” Jesus acknowledged that he had no need

International Journal of Frontier Missiology 35:4 Winter 2018•185 186 Five Key Questions: What Hearers Always Want to Know as They Consider the Gospel for a human witness; he had no need of With these principles in mind, let’s I asked them, “Why do you leave it man’s support. Rather, his use of John look at a few cultural apologetics that out here?” the Baptist as evidence is a kindness to signal “truth” to different communities. The man who had shown me the stone his listeners. Jesus recognized the kinds Genealogies responded: of evidence his listeners had been cul- Well, we didn’t used to have it out turally trained to accept and used that Many cultures have an oral tradition there. We used to have it in a special that establishes people’s position in evidence so that they might be saved. house, but a teenage boy in our vil- Cultural Apologetics the world. The genealogy of an ethnic lage had a dream that we should take group, clan, or village is often used it out into the open, so we did that. Each culture has its own markers of as proof to track family membership truth. Western cultures, founded on and inner-family hierarchies for the They had felt obligated to move the stone Greek philosophy and impacted by purposes of establishing land rights, that they believed created the world sim- modern science, tend to trust logical determining leaders, and forming ply because somebody had had a dream. conclusions drawn from “objective” facts. marriage alliances. Although biblical Consequently, Christian apologetics in While many dreams are clearly not from genealogies often seem theologically the West focuses on archaeological finds, God, he does sometimes speak to hu- insignificant to Western audiences, in historical facts, manuscript evidence, mans this way. Many people throughout those cultural groups they are crucial DNA structure, and abstract, logical the have experienced God commu- in establishing the validity of Jesus’s arguments. This methodology works nicating through dreams: Jacob, Joseph, well—so long as our audience remains claims about himself and our claims Samuel, Daniel, and Joseph, Mary’s Greek-influenced. A substantial increase husband, to name only a few. God did in the spread of globalization and tech- not limit his gift of dreams to his people, nology, though, makes this unlikely. Fur- though; Abimelech, Pharaoh, and Pilate’s thermore, as missionaries, we are almost wife were granted dreams as well. Nor guaranteed to work in a culture with did he limit this method to the past; Joel different markers of truth from our own. We must 3:28–29 prophesies that God will Not having been born in the commu- pour out my Spirit on all people [so that] supplement our message your sons and daughters will prophesy, nity or raised in its language and ways, with cultural markers your old men will dream dreams, your we are cultural outsiders among people young men will see visions. who know very little about us. Locals do of truth. not know our parents, grandparents, or Sally and I saw God use a dream to pave siblings. All they know is our lives and the way for our own work in Papua New the stereotypes attached to our gender, Guinea. Before we had arrived in the age, race, and nationality. They have little village to begin our work, a young man reason to trust that what we say is true. about the truth of Scripture. In the had a dream about a white person bring- As in our own cultures, we must words of an experienced Papua New ing a book that would have the answers supplement our message with cultural Guinean pastor: to their problems. Our coming there to translate the Bible was seen as the be- apologetics, or cultural markers of truth. I want to take this page of genealo- ginning of the fulfillment of that dream. In so doing, we do not trust in our own gies back to my village because there Workers in many other ethnic areas have apologetics to save—that is the Holy are people there who question the observed that dreams were instrumental Spirit’s job. We do not rely on “wise truth of the Bible. When they see this, in guiding believers from strong Muslim and persuasive words of wisdom but on they will no longer doubt. and folk religious backgrounds to Jesus. the Spirit’s power” since our goal is that For example, in I Dared to Call Him people’s “faith might not rest on human Dreams Father, Bilquis Sheikh writes of her wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Cor. In many cultures, dreams are thought conversion experience which involved a 2:4–5). The , however, actu- to be messages from God. For exam- dream of John the Baptist. ally uses the natural cultural apologetics ple, I was visiting a remote village in of the community. Therefore, we partner Papua New Guinea where the people We do not trust every dream as with the Spirit and what he has already showed me a round stone the size of coming from God, however. Some been doing to present the message in a volleyball and told me it had created dreams are in opposition to scriptural a way that signals the truth as true. In the world. It was lying on the ground truth. Since God does not change nor the end, though, our trust is not in our in the middle of the village. contradict himself, we can reject those apologetics but in our God. dreams. With other dreams, we must

International Journal of Frontier Missiology T. Wayne Dye and Danielle Zachariah 187 ask the Holy Spirit to guide us, talk with other mature believers, and listen ifferent genres communicate validity in to our consciences. In this way, what is different cultures—in the West, documentaries of him and what is not of him may be clearly seen. With those safeguards, we D and encyclopedias are genres considered true. can and should ask God to give people and others are unknowingly in bondage. As one old man said upon hearing the the right dreams at the right time, true Oftentimes, the shaman does his work recordings, “It is really true about Jesus dreams that will lead people to Jesus. out of a feeling of responsibility and a Christ!” (Elkins 1983, no. 5: 20). sincere desire to help his people. In some Power Encounters Some genres require a specific artist or cases, the shaman may even later become Power encounters are times of confron- creative process; others restrict the time one of the strongest converts. In Wagu tation between the power of God and and place where they are valid. Others Village, where I worked, the shaman was other spiritual powers. When Pharaoh are constrained to certain times or places. one of the first converts and became the dismissed the Almighty God, when leading Christian elder. Research is vital to accurately communi- Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal, cate within each specific genre’s con- when Sennacherib’s chief officer defied A second key point is that we must not straints. For instance, the Rendille people the Living God—each set the stage manufacture power encounters our- of the northern Kenya desert only believe for power encounters wherein God selves; God is not One to be manipu- a message is both true and of great showcased his authority and power. A lated. The missionaries in the above importance if it is first spoken quietly to modern example occurred in a rural story only initiated the power encoun- the elders when they are gathered in the area in northern India where the people ter after much prayer and the seeking shade of a tree near a waterhole. had an ongoing problem with cobras. of God’s will. Sometimes, though, God When a person had been bitten, he or himself will provide such an encounter. Bruce Olson, a missionary to the she would be taken to the local shaman When that happens, we must ask in Motilone of Venezuela, worked for for healing with mixed results. faith for God to show himself. If we several years with only one convert, choose not to pray due to fear that “Bobby.” Olson had expected Bobby to Some missionaries from southern India God will choose not to respond, we share the gospel with his friends and had been working there for several years dishonour his name since people will was frustrated by his continued silence. with only a few converts. Finally, after After praying, though, Olson felt the much prayer, the missionaries decided to see our fear and say, “That’s what we thought. This god has no power.” command to wait. One day, the entire tell the people to bring those bitten by community came together for a singing cobras to them instead of to the shaman Genres Deemed to Be True contest. During this event, one person for the next year. Ten people listened to Different cultures use different genres would challenge another person to sing the missionaries, and all ten lived. How- to communicate the validity of the infor- a story, periodically interrupting him ever, everyone who went to the shaman mation presented. For example, in the with sung questions and comments instead, died that year. There was not a West, documentaries and encyclopedia with the goal of exhausting the other large and immediate turning to faith, but articles are genres that are considered singer. The person who stopped first what God chose to do was the begin- to be factually true. Using genres that lost. This time, an older chief chal- ning of what eventually became a strong are already trusted as vehicles for truth lenged Bobby. For the next fourteen church there. Experiences like this have smooths the path to understanding the hours, Bobby sang the story of the been reliably reported from many parts message of Jesus. For instance, among gospel. When it was over, the entire of the world. Although power encoun- the Western Bukidnon Manobo in the community decided to follow Jesus. ters do not lead everyone to follow Jesus, Philippines, there is a traditional poetic they can be a significant step in convinc- The Character of Nearby Christians epic genre that is used to share impor- ing people that the message is true. tant truths. With this in mind, one of One of the most effective evidences It is important to note a few key points the local Christians, a talented singer of that the Christian message is worth regarding power encounters. First, power this epic genre, recorded several passages hearing is the character of the messen- encounters should not be framed as an in this style—including the beginning ger. Jesus said that others would know “us vs. them” showdown between God of Genesis, stories of Jesus, the Olivet we belong to him by our love and and humans. God is not pitting him- discourse, Jesus’s death and resurrection, would know that God sent Jesus by our self against the traditional shaman but and the final chapter of Revelation—and unity ( John 13:35; 17:23). Greg Pruett against the “powers of this dark world then sent the recordings with colpor- found this among the Yalunka in and . . . the spiritual forces of evil in the teurs on their travels to different villages. Guinea. In a study conducted among heavenly realms” to whom the shaman These recordings touched people’s hearts. the Muslims there, Pruett found that

35:4 Winter 2018 188 Five Key Questions: What Hearers Always Want to Know as They Consider the Gospel

84.9% of responders answered the fol- the United States, the felt need might our religion changing and the rest of our lowing question affirmatively: be for family or community, or the felt life staying essentially the same. In many If the lives of Christians were holier need might be the ability to relate better other communities, though, there is no than the lives of Muslims around them, with close friends, or it might be freedom sacred-secular distinction. As a technol- would that make Muslims want to be- from drug or alcohol addiction. In the ogy for life, religion provides a detailed come Christians? (Pruett 2014: 90) Philippines, some of those I interviewed framework for how to interact with the said, “Now I am able to live in a way that supernatural, with other people, and with As one Muslim background believer said: brings honour to my family instead of the physical environment. A change in The reason I followed Jesus [was] be- shame.” For some in Papua New Guinea, religion affects every area of life, and lis- cause I saw that everything they do is community peace, especially for enemies teners want to know if the new religious righteous . . . I followed Jesus because to become friends, is a strong felt need. technology of will solve the of the righteousness of his people. One time, we had a large gathering for same problems. Will the grain still grow? (Pruett 2014: 93) Christians in our Papua New Guin- Will the evil spirits be warded off? Will ean village where people continually people still be protected from tigers? Question 2: Why should I listen? remarked, “Here we are, five language After my lecture on this in a Youth groups. We’re all together. We would have The fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah is one of With A Mission course, one of the been scared to death to do this before.” the clearer Old Testament gospel mes- class members, a man from Nepal, ap- sages. It prophesies the coming Messiah This is not a new question for many proached me and said, “You know the in verses 4–5, calls for repentance and missiologists, and a clear method for big question everybody’s going to ask shows God’s response in verses 6–9, in Nepal? If I become a Christian, how affirms the efficacy of God’s word in do I drink water?” In his community, verses 10–11, and shows the fruit of each caste had separate drinking vessels. repentance, i.e., joy and peace, in verses As a member of the Brahmin caste, he 12–13. However, unlike many Western was not allowed to touch the vessels gospel presentations which start with The second question of other people. However, all of these man’s sin, in this chapter of Isaiah, God rules were tied to Hinduism; thus, new begins with man’s spiritual hunger. addresses the followers of Jesus needed to know how Come, all you who are thirsty, come to soul-deep felt needs to appropriately drink water. the waters; and you who have no mon- ey, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine of the community. Christians in every culture must engage and milk without money and without in the difficult process of learning how cost. Why spend money on what is not to successfully relive life as a Christian. bread, and your labour on what does Parsing out what aspects of culture not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat can be maintained and what aspects what is good, and you will delight in the determining felt needs is forthcoming must be removed or altered is a thorny richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; in a separate IJFM article by Sally Dye. task. It was one which Paul and many listen, that you may live. I will make an other apostles had to work through. The everlasting covenant with you, my faith- Therefore, this important question will not be described further here. epistles are filled with details regard- ful love promised to David. (Isa. 55:1—3) ing whether circumcision was required, This second question—why should I lis- Question 3: If I become a when to eat or avoid eating food ten—addresses that underlying spiritual Christian, how will I live? sacrificed to idols, whether to set aside hunger, the soul-deep felt needs of the a Sabbath day, how Christians should Hearers of the gospel message have dress and act, etc., all answering concerns community. These felt needs answer the strong reasons (both valid and invalid) of the new believers in those places. question, “What makes me think that to fear that their lives as followers this is worth doing?” Different commu- Practically, and in contextualized detail, of Jesus might become much worse. nities, subgroups within communities, This is a powerful motivation to find Christians need to know how to live. The and individuals will be concerned with satisfactory answers to the questions of process of discovering that will require different needs. Older people may differ trust and motive. much interaction and feedback, especially from teenagers, higher castes may differ from local Christians who will have from lower castes, men may differ from In the West, we differentiate between both the Holy Spirit and an intuitive women. Towns and villages are different the sacred and the secular, the “important understanding of their own culture. For from one another and the people within things in life” and the mundane. It is example, all over India, people want to those villages differ as well. For some in therefore easy for us to imagine, then, know how to make rice grow. Planting

International Journal of Frontier Missiology T. Wayne Dye and Danielle Zachariah 189 rice the “right way” often involves pray- ing to the rice gods and carrying out n Pruett’s study of the Yalunka, the most certain rituals. Such a method would not prominent barrier was that no one knew how do for Christians, but rice must be made to bury a Christian. to grow. Now pastors pray to God in the I fields before planting begins instead of look like music that only uses certain they did things, and we wanted them to get the dance dramas right. We following the old traditions. musical instruments. For others, worship thought the rehearsals were pretty Life Cycle Rituals might look like a communal dance. It funny because they didn’t know how is important not to judge other people’s Every community has certain very to do it, and they were doing awk- expressions of heart worship by our own ward stuff. So that was a good time important life cycle ceremonies, whether artistic standards. The artistry needs to to get in some laughs. those are birth rituals, initiation and feel worshipful to their hearts, not ours. coming-of-age ceremonies, burial rites, I asked, “Do they normally rehearse or others. Since many, if not all, ceremo- While in northern Australia for a work- their traditional dances?” nies have religious components, Chris- shop, I discussed the idea of local heart tians must decide how to perform these worship with some missionaries work- He said: life cycle ceremonies in ways that honor ing at Elcho Island. Earlier, I had visited No, come to think of it, they don’t God and seem good to them. Even if the an Aboriginal church service. It had met rehearse them at all; they just inter- ceremony itself is recognized as antitheti- at eleven o’clock in the morning, with rupt the traditional religious dances and stop from time to time to discuss cal to Scripture, avoidance alone is not the sun beaming down on a tin roof the next steps. the answer. If there is no Christian way and flies buzzing all over. I thought to forward, Christianity will seem empty myself, “It’s a struggle for me to worship I had already noticed this principle in that or even dangerous. For example, some in this context. I bet it is for them too.” other ceremony. The Aboriginal dancers burial rites include aspects that do not Later, I had the privilege of visiting an that I had observed also frequently inter- honor God. Nevertheless, the dead must Aboriginal traditional dance ceremony rupted their traditional dances to discuss be respectfully “sent off.” In Pruett’s study for the initiation of some young boys. the next steps, but they never rehearsed. of barriers and bridges to the gospel It was set at dusk in the outback, with among the Yalunka, the most prominent I asked: the sun painting an incredible sunset Do you think they thought the re- barrier was the fact that no one knew across the sky. The place was open and how to bury a Christian (Pruett 2014: hearsals were the worship and that big, with a small group of people—it the missionaries were laughing at 81). Therefore, either the old ritual must was hard not to sit in awe. There was a it? Is it possible that would have dis- be altered or a new one created. completely different ambience com- counted the worship in their eyes? Worship pared to the church service. “Yeah, that’s possible,” he said. People want to know how to worship, When I spoke with some of the especially if the culture values worship- Western missionaries about holding Five years after the workshop, I heard ping “correctly.” For those cultures, the church services in the evening, one of about a widespread revival across the issue of how to worship changes from the missionaries mentioned that they outback. The Aboriginals in Elcho important to imperative. For example, had tried to do just that. They had Island had started a revival, using in John 4, once the Samaritan woman even tried to encourage some Aborigi- their own money to travel across the recognized Jesus as a prophet, she im- nal interpretive dancing of Christian outback to evangelize people—even mediately wanted to know how to wor- teachings. However, in spite of initial people who were trying to attack them ship. For her, that was a vital question. success, support quickly fizzled out. for it. The reason they gave was that “we have discovered that God is the Many other people hold similar con- “Why didn’t it work?” I asked him. God of the Aboriginal and not just the cerns since (in their worldview) incorrect “I don’t know,” he responded. “It was white Australians.” They had resumed worship can incur the anger of the spir- the dance dramas, and through them, its. Local Christians need to understand strange. They kept up the rehearsals a little longer, but stopped the services quickly.” they had learned that God accepted the basic principles of Christian worship worship done in the Aboriginal way. and what God actually desires of them. “Rehearsals? They were rehearsing first?” With those underlying principles Dividing Culture and Sin understood, they can then worship God “Yeah,” he said. During the process of learning to live using artistic expressions valued by their We asked the people to rehearse the as followers of Christ within their own community. For some, worship might night before. We knew how casually context, Christians must learn to discern

35:4 Winter 2018 190 Five Key Questions: What Hearers Always Want to Know as They Consider the Gospel between culture and sin. Not all cultural because you support your family.” In spite advocate, and wrongdoer. Each meta- practices—even ones not explicitly ad- of following the teachings of Jesus rather phor is vastly different on the surface but dressed in Scripture—are sin, but neither than the practices of , this son was nevertheless reveals an important facet are all cultural practices acceptable on the seen as behaving honorably due to his of our relationship with God. basis of being “culture.” When discipling maintenance of family ties. Because there are multiple ways to new Christians, it is important that we, explain the same truths, a Christian as outsiders, do not impose restrictions Question 4: What is this witness is free to choose the metaphor that the Holy Spirit has not imposed or message saying? that will most clearly communicate teach applications that are based on our Once hearers are satisfied with the accurate biblical truth. Eventually, all own cultural understanding of a passage. answers to the first three questions, metaphors and facets should be intro- For example, the essence of morality for they are ready to hear the message, as duced and explained, but not all are many communities around the world is we more narrowly think of the message. equally good places to begin. We start to care for their immediate and extended Even then, however, the hearers’ under- with bridges, not barriers. family. If we encourage new Christians standing and values must be considered. Consider, for example, what Jesus said to oppose their family and comfort them Whenever two or more people commu- when Andrew and Philip brought with the idea that they have a “new fam- nicate, and especially when those people some Greek visitors before him in ily in Christ,” we present a mixed moral come from vastly different cultural John 12:20–26: message. We might be proud of the new backgrounds, the environment is ripe The hour has come for the Son of Man Christian for “taking a stand” but he or to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, un- she will often feel guilty. The new Chris- less a kernel of wheat falls to the ground tian’s conscience and community teach and dies, it remains only a single seed. that the morally right choice is to care But if it dies, it produces many seeds. for the family, but this “joining a new Anyone who loves their life will lose it, family in Christ” message teaches the while anyone who hates their life in this opposite. While there are times when Not all metaphors world will keep it for eternal life. Whoev- obedience to Christ must be placed er serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father above loyalty to the family, we must are equally good will honor the one who serves me. not neglect the Scriptures that encour- places to begin. age and command respect and care for Jesus began by looking towards his family members. Matthew 10:37 can be crucifixion and ended with an application appropriately applied to situations where to follow him. His key metaphor, though, the family joins together to worship false is about “a kernel of wheat.” According to gods, but we must not expand that verse E. M. Blaiklock, a renowned Bible schol- to encourage new Christians to break ar, the Greeks of that day had one main kinship ties with their families. for misunderstandings. The speaker as- annual ceremony which they believed was In some societies there is no way to begin sumes he or she is communicating one necessary for their crops to grow in the spring. At the core of this ceremony, the following Jesus without being perceived message while the listener understands a Greeks would say those exact words: by other family members as disloyal. different message. This is especially true Even in societies where people are driven when communicating biblical concepts; Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a out by their families, however, those we use one metaphor to communicate single seed. But if it dies, it produces Christians might be welcomed back into a certain message while our audience understands a different one. many seeds. the family through consistent acts of love and respect. Although this process might Herein lies the brilliance of the all- Jesus began the conversation with these take twenty years, the important fact is knowing God, though: Scripture is full visiting Greeks by quoting the core of that change often does occur. Once the of multiple explanations of the same their most important religious ceremony. family realizes that the loyalty remains in concept. Consider the different meta- He then expanded their understanding spite of the change in faith, their attitude phors used when discussing the relation- of this idea to apply it to himself and towards the Christian member, and his ship between God and us: father and ad- what would be required of those who or her God, begins to change as well. As opted children, shepherd and sheep, vine followed him. Jesus communicated the an older Muslim man told his Christian and branches, husband and bride, king same truth to the Greeks that he’d been son, “You know, as a Christian, you’re and subjects, master and slave, friend communicating to the Jews, but he be- the best Muslim amongst all my sons and friend, potter and clay, and judge, gan with what they already understood.

International Journal of Frontier Missiology T. Wayne Dye and Danielle Zachariah 191

It is important to note that we do not leave people with their original inac- edemptive analogies may be built into a curate beliefs indefinitely. However, community’s cultural understandings, but those inaccurate beliefs usually have creativity is necessary to draw those connections. an element of accuracy from which to R begin. When speaking to those visiting God has been working longer than we daughter was sleeping still tied under the tree, and there was an unblemished Greeks, Jesus used the kernel of truth have to build an understanding of who sheep lying on top of her. The sheep was in their beliefs to give them a newer, he is. Ask him to provide eyes to see the clearer understanding of divine truth not tied. As the father of the boy my son redemptive analogies he wants used and had killed came near, I said, “That’s not about himself and his work. wisdom to use them as he intends. normal sheep behavior. I think God is Biblical Analogies When Paul Robinson was gathering data telling us to sacrifice the sheep.” Since there are a variety of Biblical analo- for his PhD in ethnohistory, he travelled He said, “I agree with you. That’s the gies and metaphors used to explain God’s to northern Kenya to collect stories of a only explanation I can think of.” relationship with us, we can choose the pastoral people group. After he had been So, we sacrificed the sheep. appropriate one for each context. collecting these stories for a while, the elders approached him and said: When the man finished telling the For Papua New Guineans, the idea of You’ve asked us a lot of questions. story, he said, “We think God had more God as Father and Jesus as Elder Brother We have a question for you because to say; we just don’t understand what.” is immensely exciting. Kinship relation- there’s something we just don’t un- ships in that area center on brothers— derstand. Maybe you can help us. When God is working, we have no older brothers and younger brothers—so need to figure everything out ourselves; verses such as Romans 8:29, which states An elder then told him this story: rather, we work with the Holy Spirit that Jesus is “the firstborn among many Another clan and my clan were camped who has been at work for far longer. brothers,” speak to the heart. On the other at the same water hole. We were get- Explanations of Sin hand, for the Aboriginals, the idea of one- ting along really well together–usually ness with God is key. Thus, the metaphor clans don’t do that because we each While God’s relationship with us is the of the vine and the branches, wherein the have to defend our own territory–but most important aspect of the gospel two are so connected that it is impos- this time, we were getting along really message, an understanding of sin is also sible to tell where one ends and the other well. Their young men and our young important. People can only genuinely men were enjoying time together, and begins, is the “right” starting point. repent of the sins which they recog- their young girls enjoyed talking with nize themselves as sins. It is useless to ours. One day, though, the young men We still need the other metaphors attempt to convince people to repent because people must eventually be led to got into some horseplay that escalated into a fight, and before we knew it, of sins they do not yet believe are sins. understand the whole counsel of God. Instead, we must begin with those sins That is why we do Bible translation and my son had killed another man’s son from the other clan. Both of us were which their consciences already tell not just evangelistic presentations. How- just devastated because we knew them are wrong. In time, as converts ever, we start with the metaphor that that they would feel obligated to re- are taught and grow in maturity, they pierces the soul, the one easiest to under- taliate and we would feel obligated to will gain a more biblical understanding stand and most meaningful to know. defend. Our friendship was over. We of what is wrong with their actions. Redemptive Analogies from Their didn’t want to see that–more people Culture were going to die. Instead of feeling guilty of sinning, though, people may be feeling ashamed Cultures also have analogies that can In desperation, I said to the father of the boy my son had killed, “If we or unclean. Both ways to understand be used to explain Scriptural truths. killed one of ours, would you accept the results of sin are equally biblical. Through paying attention to what is it as payback and let it go?” In fact, there are more passages in the happening and seeking to understand Bible about sin leading to shame than He agreed. the underlying reasons, it is possible to there are about sin leading to guilt. find redemptive analogies built right into So, I took my daughter and we tied her a community’s cultural understandings to the tree since I was going to kill her Theological Stumbling Blocks and of the world. In many cases, however, in the morning. I came back the next Moral Quandaries creativity is an important component in morning with a heavy heart. I didn’t Other important aspects of the gospel drawing those connections. At all points, want to do this but there was no choice. message address a community’s world- we must seek God’s wisdom, and he Many more people were going to die view issues and theological stumbling will provide what is lacking. After all, if I didn’t. As I came to the tree, my blocks. These questions and confusions

35:4 Winter 2018 192 Five Key Questions: What Hearers Always Want to Know as They Consider the Gospel must be discussed before the rest of Conclusion people from the same language but a the message can be accepted. Where Evangelism is most effective when it goes different village arrived to visit their dis- people have a complex traditional beyond cultural relevance to personal rel- tant relatives. Trekking through tropical worldview, this can be a major is- evance, when it speaks to a person’s heart. forests is exhausting, so the visitors told sue. The Ifugao of northern Philip- Such an explanation involves answering their hosts that they would rather rest pines were just such a cultural area. the questions of trust, motivation, and than attend the meeting. Later, when the I watched a leading local evangelist outcome before the story itself will be hosts returned home from the presenta- named Ilat talk far into the night, pa- seriously heard. It involves explaining the tion of the story of Jesus’ , they told their guests what they had heard, tiently working through each concept gospel in a way that is easiest for people causing a quite a stir amongst the guests. that was keeping his hearer, a priest to understand. In many ways, it involves of their ancient rice religion, from meeting people where they are, just as Curious, the (host) villagers asked why coming to faith. I was finally overcome God meets us where we are. this was so amazing. with sleepiness, but they continued all Here is how God spoke to a certain night long. In the morning Ilat told The guests responded: people group in Indonesia. They believed me, “The word of God is stronger than You must not have seen it. All the time that birds were the source of supernatu- you were talking, there were birds–a our mouths; this man wants me to ral wisdom and understanding. Accord- huge flock of birds, white birds–flying baptize him today.” ing to their legend, this people previous- over the house where the meeting An almost endless range of questions ly had holy books like the Christians and was, circling and circling and circling. could, in one group or another, be When they heard this, the missionaries the hindrance to deal with. In some were as amazed as everyone else. They communities, the problem of evil and realized that God was making use of the suffering is a struggle; for others, fol- community’s starting point to begin ex- lowing only one God is a challenge. plaining the gospel. He cares about the Regardless of the issue, it must be The only hindrances salvation of peoples and the honor of appropriately addressed so that the his name. He knows the lenses through only hindrances that remain are the that remain should be which each person and community demands of the gospel itself. the demands of views the world, and he communicates through those lenses first. As we seek Question 5: What should I do the gospel itself. to be culturally and personally relevant to follow this new way? witnesses, then, we must seek him and ask for his help to learn the situation, At some point, hearers will be ready and his help to partner with what he is to become committed followers of already doing. To him alone belongs all Jesus. However, it is equally important wisdom and all power to change hearts Muslims on their island. Unfortunately, to explain what this loyalty excludes, and draw people to himself. IJFM i.e., what they are turning away from. when everyone had to cross a river, the God is a jealous god and those who people in this group had no clothing References follow him must understand exactly with which to wrap their books. For that reason, they had left their books behind Elkins, Richard E. what that undivided loyalty entails. 1983 “Cultural Stress and Conver- Furthermore, prospective Christians on the river bank, and the birds had sion: a study of response among must be encouraged to think about eaten the books that were lost. Therefore, the Western Bukidnon Manobo” how to publicly demonstrate their new this community listened to the birds Notes on Scripture in Use, no. 5, because the birds now had knowledge Summer Institute of Linguistics allegiance to Jesus. This display should serial publication. from the lost holy books. be done in such a way that it does not Pruett, Gregory John require the individual to break family Upon hearing about this belief, the 2014 “Barriers and Bridges for the ties. There is some cultural variation in Gospel among Yalunka Folk missionaries decided to first tell a set of Muslims in West Africa.” PhD the answers to this last question, but Bible stories focusing on birds, begin- Dissertation. Fuller Theologi- three elements are universal: turning ning with creation and culminating cal Seminary. Accessed Sep- from alternatives, whether false gods with Jesus’s baptism when the Spirit tember 2018, https://www. or science or self; turning to God in academia.edu/7580380/Barri- descended like a dove. On the day that ers_and_Bridges_for_the_Gos- trust and loyalty; and publicly demon- the missionaries were preparing to tell pel_among_Yalunka_Folk_Mus- strating the change. the story of Jesus’s baptism, a group of lims_in_West_Africa.

International Journal of Frontier Missiology