Towards an African Christian Job
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Date
1996-02-21
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
Since the third phase of Africa's systematic evangelization begun in the nineteenth century,a lot of
work has been done by missionaries and promoters of the African mission. However we must point
out that much emphasis was put on Sacramentalization other than in depth evangelization. And so
we have ended up with massts of nominal Christians baptised but not efficiently evangelised.
On the other hand,Africa is experiencing many and diverse problems,famine,drought,ethnic
conflicts,economic dependence,political turmoil,disease and solutions do not appear on the horizon.
Many of the Baptised Christians,having failed to find answers of their struggle and suffering,slide
back to their traditional beliefs which apparently seem to offer some help and consolation.
As a missionary,having grown up among my people,the Batagwenda,1 have shared in their
struggles of life in situations of suffering. In my theological training,' was amazed to discover that
Job of the Old Testament was as well struggling with his own suffering but does not seem to offer
us a meaningful answer. It is clear to me that many people in Africa can identify themselves with
Job of the Old Testament. As Job needed Christ to give him a meaningful answer to his
sufferings,my people also and indeed many Africans should look up to Jesus to give them
meaningful consolation in their sufferings.
As Missionaries,' started asking myself during my theological training what we could offer to the
majority of the people suffering in Africa. Which consolation do we give and how do we preach to
them? Many have been confused by the traditional beliefs and now how do we correct them and
how do we bring them back to the faith?.
This paper is a long reflection on the whole question of suffering. My conviction is that even
amidst suffering,we are able to remain faithfill to our faith. However this does not mean that we
passively suffer,but where possible we should denounce situations that bring suffering and always
actively promote life.
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Keywords
African Job, Christianity, Suffering among the Batagwenda, Job and the Batagwenda, God's Challenges to Job, The Suffering of the Innocent, Biblical Background for Job's Problem