A foolish prayer!

The Black Christ and his ancestors.

Reflecting on God and his Christ vis a vis his people without referring to history would be a futile effort of the mind. And when it comes to talk about the African people, whose bond with the land and their fathers is so intimate, the discourse becomes even more futile. The African religious background will help us understand better the possibilities and variations in black Christology, and uncovers the common life of African people which lays hidden under thick layers of lies, stereotyping and exploitation. By no means should one pretend that their exists a homogeneous tradition and development, Africa is an enormous continent. But there may be common features which for us Europeans (most of us beginners in the subject) will start opening a window over our brethren's relation with the same Christ. By no means is this short essay meant to be fully comprehensive.

It was in the 16th century, when the development of the mercantile system was to give birth to capitalism, that racism really took on new dimensions as a concept whereby one ethnic group (namely the Black Africans) were labelled genetically inferior on the basis of their different origins and skin colour. The black African was classified as subhuman, just above the animal, - "a tabula rasa" - devoid of intellect and soul, who therefore could be sold as chattel. The Christian Churches, forgetting their intimate bond with Africa already in the first centuries of Christianity, played their part in this dehumanising process. The colour of the African's skin was interpreted by religious authorities as living proof of his being cursed by God. To put a seal on the matter, neither the intellectual capacity nor the spiritual life (very rich indeed) of the African was recognized. As a consequence both the so-called superior race and the inferior one came to internalise such beliefs about themselves, designed by the white European ("The Verdun Proclamation"; New Directions...).

The encounter of the African with Jesus varied during the ages, and while there were times when this encounter seemed to be a healthy and growing experience, on other occasions the Christ presented to this continent was that of the oppressive slave trader. The African Synod (Ecclesia in Africa, 1994) distinguishes three eras in this encounter. Jesus was in Africa even before the rise of Christianity. After all, the Holy Family had to flee to Egypt. The Ethiopian in Acts 8 was presumably an African. We can trace back the beginnings of the Church in Egypt to St. Mark, of whom the Coptic patriarch called himself the successor. As a result of the work of two brothers who suffered shipwreck in the red sea, Frumentius and Aedesius of Tyre, Christianity gained a foothold in Ethiopia, later expanding to Nubia. The western part of North Africa gave Christianity great leaders and thinkers such as Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine. Christ in these early centuries was indeed a living reality. However with North Africa ceasing to be "Latin" it virtually ceased to be Christian, at least in the sense that no indigenous church remained in existence. The origination and expansion of Islam facilitated this disintegration.

New contact between Christianity and Africa came about at the time of the great commercial voyages first launched by the Portuguese. In 1490 we have the first missionary success in Congo, with the king and queen being baptised. But very soon slave trading became a real hindrance to Christian spreading. The real massive expansion of Christianity to the South of the Sahara took place after the beginning of the nineteenth century, a century sometimes called "the Age of Missions." Some historians distinguish between the missionaries before 1884 (Congress of Berlin: Africa divided between the great powers of Europe) who were usually learned persons and who carefully studied the language and customs of the countries they evangelised, and those after 1884 who as a rule lived further away from the Africans, following a western lifestyle, resided in "compounds", relied on interpreters and were strongly supported by colonial administrators.

In this milieu one can conclude that the "christ" presented to the African continent little appealed to their life and needs, and was more often then not part and parcel with the conquistadores. It is the descendants of the black slaves who were shipped from Africa to the Americas, who in recent decades in the United States became conscious of the extent to which the Jesus transmitted to them was, and is increasingly made "white". In opposition to this development they champion the "blackness" of Jesus. To counter the Christian faith which identifies God with the dominant white culture, black theology poses a God who identifies with the oppressed of every race and nation and is present in their suffering, humiliation and death. They speak of a black Messiah, of an oppressed and murdered God, who arose to give life and hope to all who are oppressed. He is the one who shines in the eyes of the poor and oppressed black people. His resurrection occurs in their rising to a new life, and the gospel really becomes the good news of liberation. This black Messiah, who is the same Christ we westerners know, presents himself differently as regards symbols and manifestation in the praxis of African life.

Some tend to be scandalised with certain symbols which this black Christ takes upon himself. We Westerners are so accustomed to see Christ enrobed in Western philosophy and symbols that we came to think that his dress is his skin. We must admit that the black Christ has a more complex process to go. He must first undress his western clothes in which he found himself in the African continent (or in the black gettos in America), and then he has to show that the African dress suits him well. The black Christ has already started to listen to the heart-beat of black life as reflected in the songs and speech of blacks. Jesus no longer remains a thought in their minds but becomes a saviour and friend. "Jesus, the past, present and future," is pregnant with meaning. Jesus' blackness is not simply the psychological disposition of black people but arises from the faithful examination of Christological sources. He is black because he was a Jew. The strong reverence to ancestral spirits, called the living dead, puts the historic Jesus close to their hearts. Jesus' divine willingness to suffer in order that humanity might be fully liberated can hardly escape their attention, who are continuosly waiting for liberation. His resurrection offers hope, and many times the only one among many shattered ideals.

But one may still ask in what way does this black Christ differ from the white Christ? It was only very recently that African concepts of Christology started to be identified. The source is very interesting. For an authentic African Christology it is not enough to search among African theologians who are deeply concerned with contextualization, because their theology remains remarkably controlled in language and methodology by Europe and the academic centres where they studied. Rather, one must refer to the theology of the African independent churches which developed a rich ritual life, and whose perception of Jesus' presence, though not always fully articulated, provides clues of a significant Christology. This is a theology not found in books or summas or definitions, but encountered in oral traditions, stories and songs. Some titles commonly attributed to Christ may help us understand better the African perspective.

Of high significance for the Africans are the "rites of passage": birth, initiation into adulthood, marriage, and death. These events are highlighted in the life of Jesus and are popular among the common folk. Thus Jesus becomes the complete human being who has undergone necessary rites of passage. However his resurrection distinguishes him, and presents him as "Victor". This constitutes the uniqueness of the gospel and identifies Christ as superior to other leaders.

Christ as the "Ancestor" is another title which places him very close to the heart of the people. This means that Christ has a real and enormous influence on the religious, political and social spheres of the people. God as Father becomes the ancestor through Christ, who is the incomparable brother ancestor to man.

Healing is not a minor issue in African spirituality. Thus Christ as the "Healer", very frequently encountered in gospel episodes, is a central characteristic. The traditional healer, so to speak. prepares the way for the "great healer", who has power over evil spirits, fear, and human sickness.

The black Christ is no rival to the white Christ or any other attributes we humans give to Christ. The black Christ comes in peace. He is the plea of an abused continent and an attempt to show all the world that being black is not degrading or lower at all. What is wrong in claiming that Christ himself loves being Black. Black people must feel that they are completely capable and fit to live their lives fully under God and in relation to all God's children. The black Christ, living among the people, is the strength needed to resist the forces that threaten their humanity and the attempt to reduce them to an inhuman status less than that of being child son of God. We must admit that He is a very young Christ in search of his identity, in search of a meaningful and close relationship with his human brethren. He needs space to grow and allowance for unventured paths. He needs the balance between the experience of a long standing Christian tradition and the freedom of responsibility of the likewise long standing experience of the African people.

A big prayer

Readings:

Ecclesia in Africa; Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican, 1995.

Cone J.H. & Wilmore G.S.; Black Theology: a documentary history Vol I & II; Orbis, NY 1993.

Tesfai Y. (ed.); The Scandal of a Crucified World: Perspectives on the cross and Suffering; Orbis, NY 1994.

Trompf G.W.; The Gospel Is Not Western: Black Theologies from the Southwest Pacific; Orbis, NY 1987.

Wessels A.; Images of Jesus: How Jesus is perceived and portrayed in Non-european Cultures; Eerdmans, USA 1990.