What does it mean to take up the faith of those who have
raged war against your people, imprisoned you without trial, and slowly granted
you limited freedom as you began to take up their ways and culture? This is the
question posed to us by the life of Okuh Hatuh, Sun Dancer. A Cheyenne warrior
captured by US forces during the Red River War, imprisoned without trial in a
detention camp in Florida, and slowly granted freedoms as he conformed to
expectations of western culture and faith practice eventually becoming a Deacon in the Episcopal Church.
To honor the deeds of Okuh Hatuh and maintain our faith in God’s grace we can only assume that his is a life more in harmony with God’s grace than the christians that so horrendously butchered it. That God’s grace is something that can triumph over every horrendous act done in God’s name. Elsewise we are looking at little more than a case of Stockholm Syndrome.
To honor the deeds of Okuh Hatuh and maintain our faith in God’s grace we can only assume that his is a life more in harmony with God’s grace than the christians that so horrendously butchered it. That God’s grace is something that can triumph over every horrendous act done in God’s name. Elsewise we are looking at little more than a case of Stockholm Syndrome.
Looking at Christian missions to indigenous peoples
throughout the world we see two themes in action. One theme holds to right
action and thinking being crucial for our relationship with God. Those who hold
to this theme believe that western cultural norms and morality are an intrinsic
aspect of Christian life. For them to become civilized, to become Christian, is
to conform to western cultural norms. In the wake of these Christians we have,
again and again, the genocide of the cultures if not the peoples themselves.
The other theme is that of the enculturation of Christianity within the indigenous group. This group wonders what happens when the Gospel and the message of Jesus is introduced to a culture and the culture is allowed to accept or reject it within their own context. This group wants to know what happens when a culture learns to Proclaim Christ Crucified from within itself. This group is willing to be transformed by new revelations of the spirit and to place aside their cultural norms found to not be of Christ. From this theme we have some of the most beautiful moments of Grace in recent history.
When we as Christians engage others for the sake of joining our faith we always are presented with a choice of theme. Is our goal to enforce our expectations and understanding of what it means to be Christian and transform them while remaining the same? Or is our goal to enter into a relationship with another individual where they are allowed to find how to Proclaim Christ Crucified from within their context, and in so doing transform both themselves and us?
The other theme is that of the enculturation of Christianity within the indigenous group. This group wonders what happens when the Gospel and the message of Jesus is introduced to a culture and the culture is allowed to accept or reject it within their own context. This group wants to know what happens when a culture learns to Proclaim Christ Crucified from within itself. This group is willing to be transformed by new revelations of the spirit and to place aside their cultural norms found to not be of Christ. From this theme we have some of the most beautiful moments of Grace in recent history.
When we as Christians engage others for the sake of joining our faith we always are presented with a choice of theme. Is our goal to enforce our expectations and understanding of what it means to be Christian and transform them while remaining the same? Or is our goal to enter into a relationship with another individual where they are allowed to find how to Proclaim Christ Crucified from within their context, and in so doing transform both themselves and us?
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