When Fray Diego de Landa, a Catholic missionary accompanying Spanish forces in the New World, discovered extensive Maya libraries, he knew what he would do. He burned them all, an event, he said, the Maya “regretted to an amazing degree, and which caused them much affliction.” The books, in his opinion, were all “superstition and lies of the devil.” And so, in 1562, the poetry, history, literature, mathematics and astronomy of an entire civilization went up in smoke. Only three documents survived de Landa’s misguided zeal.
This incident and many more show that missionaries have sometimes acted in a culture-destroying manner. Whether through misinterpreting the Great Commission, pride, culture shock or simple inability to comprehend the values of others, we have needlessly opposed customs we did not understand. Some, had we understood them, might have served as communication keys for the gospel.
When missionaries represent Jesus, they can have a positive influence on other cultures. But when the gospel gets lost amidst the glory of a missionary’s home culture, it can cause needless chaos. A man once shared a story in a mission convention about a so-called “Church of Pants” he discovered. He had traveled to a remote area, taking a cab on a dusty road from the small airport. Curious about the driver’s religious beliefs, he asked if he was a Christian. The driver responded negatively, stating that he knew all about Christians but that they wore pants. In contrast, the driver and most of his culture wore robes. According to him, the missionaries there perceived the robes as too feminine and skirt-like, leading them to convince converts to wear pants. Consequently, the Christians there became known as the “Church of Pants.”
The key distinction between Christian missionaries and Western missionaries lies in their approach to cultural engagement. Unlike Western missionaries who impose specific cultural standards, Christian missionaries adhere to a heavenly standard—Christ. This does not, however, negate their desire to positively influence cultures. In cases where cultures engage in harmful practices such as human sacrifice, widow burning and oppression, Christian missionaries may need to respectfully encourage change. Animists struggling under a burden of fear and spiritual oppression often beg for change! But not every aspect of every culture is evil and we need to respect the work God has already accomplished over the centuries.
“…and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews…”
(1 Corinthians 9:20)
“Paul had conducted himself in this way among all classes of people. He had done considerable preaching to the Jews, and his approach to them was from the point of view of one of themselves. Not only did Paul adapt his preaching to the Jews, but he also appeared to conform to their customs when no matter of principle was involved. The knowledge of Judaism was put to good use by Paul, both in his evangelizing efforts among his countrymen and in his own defense. He complied with their practices and prejudices as far as he could with a good conscience. He did not needlessly offend them but endeavored to use his familiarity with their beliefs and customs in a way that made it easier for him to present the gospel to them. His whole purpose in conforming to their philosophy of life as much as possible was to lead them to the Savior” (SDA Bible Commentary).
Does the presence of missionaries necessarily lead to the destruction of cultures? No! Certain aspects may need to be changed, the same way that doctors remove tumors and encourage lifestyle changes, but the goal is not to destroy cultures. It is to save people!
