Church Globalization

Today we attended a more famous church in Gulu. It was founded by an American couple, which was blatantly obvious because their pictures were EVERYWHERE. This church was pretty bizarre—it was not a typical church service in Gulu. You see, the worship was just like ours in the States. While that might be pleasant for some, it was not pleasant for me. There was no crazy dancing or any songs that we’ve learned since we’ve been here. Actually, there wasn’t even an Acholi service. This church was as westernized as it could be. As we sang songs like Happy Day, I Could Sing of Your Love, etc., there was a lack of excitement that you would normally see in the people here. It reminded me of the worship of an uninterested junior high group. This is not the Uganda that I enjoy. I can’t help but think about what went wrong.

It has occurred to me that westerners can impose their preferences on people here. What we often don’t realize is that we can learn just as much from them as they can learn from us. Instead of walking alongside of the culture here, many westerners take charge and attempt to teach the people the way that we do things. I understand that it all comes down to preferences. I just hope that these cultural values, the ones that I love, aren’t drowned out by westernization.

All of this reminds me of a song by Jars of Clay, entitled “Light Gives Heat.” Here are the lyrics:

Catch the rain empty hands
Save the children from their lands
Wash the darkness from their skin
Heroes from the west
We don't know you, we know best
But this is not a test

You treat me like I'm blind
Setting fires around houses on the hill
But light gives heat
You segregate my mind
Burning crosses from your fears
The light gives heat

It's not the way to light their way
Boys in holes in empty fields
Oh, how good it feels
Lower-class, and understate
Empty promise, empty plate

You treat me like I'm blind
Setting fires around houses on the hill
Light gives heat
You segregate my mind
Burning crosses from your fears, your fears
But light gives heat, gives heat

You treat me like I'm blind
Setting fires around houses on the hill
Light gives heat
You segregate my mind
Burning crosses from your fears
But light gives heat

Will you teach us how to love?
To see the things you see
Walk the road you walked
Feel the pain that you feel
At your feet I kneel,
I want to see you shine
See your light not mine
'Cause light gives heat
Your light gives heat