Christianity in Africa

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Lions, and Tigers, and Christians OH MY!

Africa is actually the second continent where Christianity found a home somewhere around the end of the 1st Century when Jesus was still a child. It was established first in Egypt and soon after in Carthage. Some of the important figures in the early Church there are Tertullian, who was the son of a Roman Centurion, Cyprian, who was a Saint and the Bishop of Carthage, and Augustine of Hippo, who was also a Saint and the Bishop of Hippo in Algeria. Early on, the rise of the Islam religion drastically reduced the number of followers to just two Churches, one in Egypt and the other in the Horn or Africa. The Horn of Africa might be better known as the Somali Peninsula or the Northeast portion of the country. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church had its own unique customs, Bible, and architecture. It is the only group of believers in the Sub-Saharan that is not the result of the efforts of European Missionaries. There are a large number of religious groups spread throughout the country which is a testimonial of how God's word is reaching even the most remote corners of the globe. It is a wonderful thing to see how many people and cultures have embraced religion. Spreading the Message is a responsibility in which all of God's children are called to take part. In Acts 1:8 Jesus says, "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and tell people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." The Holy Spirit is upon (in) us all. That call wasn't just for the Disciples it was for all Christians. Part of my faith is that I am supposed to help bring others to Christ. I hope that by doing this website I can help fulfill my obligation.

Today the population of believers has grown from nine million in 1900 to around three hundred and eighty million in the year 2000. Although the Northern part remains primarily followers of Islam you can find followers of God there. The Sub-Saharan portion of the country is predominantly Christian. African Evangelism is responsible for most of the growth in recent years. Not having to count as much on Western Missionaries as in the past. A compilation of some of the most beautiful scenery contrasted by some of the most barren deserts on the planet make it a great location for the vacation of a lifetime. Even visiting the more modern areas you are bound to be able to find a worship service like none you have ever experienced. There are many diversified groups to choose from begining with ancient forms of Orthodox Christianity to the more conventional and modern denominations that we have here in the US. I have not been there personally, but if I have my way and God willing I will visit there someday. It is interesting to learn about a new culture. So let's take a trip into Africa and explore some of the great stories that come from this Cradle of Civilization.

While doing the research for my website I stumbled on some stories about religion and other things in Africa and I wanted to share them here. The first is a prayer simply called "An African Prayer". The author isn't listed but the thought is really beautiful and I wanted to include on here. It reads as follows: May you, Lord, be for us a moon of joy and happiness. Let the young become strong, and the grown man keep his strength. Let the pregnant woman be delivered, and the woman who has given birth suckle her child. Let the stranger reach the end of his journey, and those who remain home live safely in their houses. Let the flocks that travel to feed in the pasture return satisfied. May you, Lord, be a moon of harvest and calves. May you be a moon of restoration and of good health. Amen. This prayer is an example of exactly how God wants us to communicate with him. This is a simple and humble prayer that is just like having a chat with God. I sometimes wish my own prayers could be thought of with the fondness I have for this one. I have one more I would like to share with you it is a true story that I found and again the author is not mentioned. It is called "God is like a Baobab Tree". It is about an extraordinary encounter between a man in a broken down pick-up and a Muslim truck driver named Musa. I think it is a great example of how God wants us to love each other despite our religious differences. The story goes as follows: One day my pick-up truck broke down on the road from Maswa to Bariadi in Western Tanzania. After I had waited for half an hour, a big Coca-Cola truck came by and the driver, named Musa, kindly towed my vehicle to the next town. This was a not-uncommon occurrence of friendship and mutual help on our poor dirt roads. While we drove into town I sat in his big cab and we talked about, of all things, religion. Musa was a Muslim who belonged to the Nyamwezi ethnic group. In commenting on the tensions between Christians and Muslims in Tanzania, he said, �There is only one God. God is like a large Baobab tree with different branches that represent the different religions of Islam, Christianity, African religion, and so forth. These branches are part of the same family of God - so we should work together.� "Simply put, Musa taught me a wonderful African metaphor for world religions and interreligious dialogue." It is stories like this that remind me that even though we have serious religious differences there are also some similarities. God does want us to love each other and work together. And what a wonderful world it would be if we all did just that.

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