Sudar sx
The establishment of Mongo Parish almost 4 years ago was a brave project of evangelisation in a quite large area of mostly Koranko tribe. Compared to other places like Limba tribe area, the few numbers of Catholic members in the parish after a long presence of missionaries in the area shows that Koranko people are not easy to be converted, especially from Islam religion. Even after some years as a Parish, there is no significant increase of number. Culturally and religiously, Mongo people seem to be influenced very much with Islam. This background seems to be the reason why people of Mongo are not easy to embrace Christianity. In this kind of situation, missionaries can be doubtful, questioning whether it is worthy enough spending time and energy for evangelisation in this place.
Evangelisation should not be always a matter of number of people converted to Catholic. In some places where there are only few people converted to Catholic, our presence is still needed. Unless there is personnel problem of missionaries, for example, it should not be necessary to withdraw our presence. It may even have become one of our priorities nowadays when the multicultural and religious phenomena is a reality in the society. There must be something to do for evangelisation. As evangelisation faces different challenges in different places and situation, it is a matter of how we response to the certain challenges of our mission and how we give the meaning of the evangelisation itself.
When the evangelisation faces cultural and religious challenges, such as the strong influence of Islam in the society, we are called to redefine the purpose of evangelisation in that particular situation, what the priority, the realistic project, the attitude or motivation or spirituality are needed. I think some insights from the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (EG) number 82 and 83 can help us to evaluate our evangelisation.
What is the meaning of evangelisation especially in place where there is strong religious and cultural background, such as Islam? In this situation, evangelisation or mission first of all is not a matter of being anxious about getting a lot of number. If this is the most important motivation, it means that we throw ourselves into unrealistic project (ref. EG 82). As a result, work becomes more tiring than necessary, even leading at times to illness. Far from a content and happy tiredness, this is a tense, burdensome, dissatisfying and, in the end, unbearable fatigue’. (ref. EG 82). Some missionaries maybe have had this kind of experience.
Instead, in this situation evangelisation is more being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The few numbers are not an obstacle of being missionary Church. We should be able to be satisfied to do what we reasonably can (ref. EG 82) by doing mission through our Christian witness of Gospel values and openness to dialogue with other religious members, especially in promoting human dignity through education and other ways of dialogue. In interfaith dialogue, the issue is not who is the best so that the other get converted, but to turn to God who is ‘a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (John 4:2). Of course, we will welcome and offer catechumenate classes to those who are ready and willing to become Catholic member, as we have been doing.
Doing mission in this kind of situation need patience to allow processes mature; we cannot want everything to fall from heaven (ref. EG 82). It means that we should be able to wait; we should not want to dominate the rhythm of life. Today’s obsession with immediate results make it hard for pastoral workers to tolerate anything that smack of disagreement, possible failure, criticism, the cross’(ref. EG 82).
Instead of being attached to a few projects or vain dream of success(ref. EG 82), we should have more real contract with people. We should not be more concerned with the road map than with the journey itself (ref. EG 82). Evangelisation is done in journeying together and dialogue with members of other religions and cultures. This will be possible if we also scale down our arrogance, prejudices, misinformation and superiority (ref. EG 256).
I think the impression that we are wasting time and energy in doing mission in difficult place like Mongo (just one place among many others) is not necessarily true. “The problem is not always an excess of activity, but rather activity undertaken badly, without adequate motivation, without a spirituality which would permeate it and make it pleasurable” (ref. EG 82).
My ten months presence and mission experience in Mongo is a very short period of time, but quite interesting and challenging, too. Some insights from Pope Francis in the Evangelii Gaudium number 82 and 83 can give me courage to continue working for evangelisation with ‘adequate motivation and spirituality’. My hope is just like what Pope Francis told the Church, ’let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of evangelization!’ (ref. EG 83).
The establishment of Mongo Parish almost 4 years ago was a brave project of evangelisation in a quite large area of mostly Koranko tribe. Compared to other places like Limba tribe area, the few numbers of Catholic members in the parish after a long presence of missionaries in the area shows that Koranko people are not easy to be converted, especially from Islam religion. Even after some years as a Parish, there is no significant increase of number. Culturally and religiously, Mongo people seem to be influenced very much with Islam. This background seems to be the reason why people of Mongo are not easy to embrace Christianity. In this kind of situation, missionaries can be doubtful, questioning whether it is worthy enough spending time and energy for evangelisation in this place.
Evangelisation should not be always a matter of number of people converted to Catholic. In some places where there are only few people converted to Catholic, our presence is still needed. Unless there is personnel problem of missionaries, for example, it should not be necessary to withdraw our presence. It may even have become one of our priorities nowadays when the multicultural and religious phenomena is a reality in the society. There must be something to do for evangelisation. As evangelisation faces different challenges in different places and situation, it is a matter of how we response to the certain challenges of our mission and how we give the meaning of the evangelisation itself.
When the evangelisation faces cultural and religious challenges, such as the strong influence of Islam in the society, we are called to redefine the purpose of evangelisation in that particular situation, what the priority, the realistic project, the attitude or motivation or spirituality are needed. I think some insights from the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (EG) number 82 and 83 can help us to evaluate our evangelisation.
What is the meaning of evangelisation especially in place where there is strong religious and cultural background, such as Islam? In this situation, evangelisation or mission first of all is not a matter of being anxious about getting a lot of number. If this is the most important motivation, it means that we throw ourselves into unrealistic project (ref. EG 82). As a result, work becomes more tiring than necessary, even leading at times to illness. Far from a content and happy tiredness, this is a tense, burdensome, dissatisfying and, in the end, unbearable fatigue’. (ref. EG 82). Some missionaries maybe have had this kind of experience.
Instead, in this situation evangelisation is more being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The few numbers are not an obstacle of being missionary Church. We should be able to be satisfied to do what we reasonably can (ref. EG 82) by doing mission through our Christian witness of Gospel values and openness to dialogue with other religious members, especially in promoting human dignity through education and other ways of dialogue. In interfaith dialogue, the issue is not who is the best so that the other get converted, but to turn to God who is ‘a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (John 4:2). Of course, we will welcome and offer catechumenate classes to those who are ready and willing to become Catholic member, as we have been doing.
Doing mission in this kind of situation need patience to allow processes mature; we cannot want everything to fall from heaven (ref. EG 82). It means that we should be able to wait; we should not want to dominate the rhythm of life. Today’s obsession with immediate results make it hard for pastoral workers to tolerate anything that smack of disagreement, possible failure, criticism, the cross’(ref. EG 82).
Instead of being attached to a few projects or vain dream of success(ref. EG 82), we should have more real contract with people. We should not be more concerned with the road map than with the journey itself (ref. EG 82). Evangelisation is done in journeying together and dialogue with members of other religions and cultures. This will be possible if we also scale down our arrogance, prejudices, misinformation and superiority (ref. EG 256).
I think the impression that we are wasting time and energy in doing mission in difficult place like Mongo (just one place among many others) is not necessarily true. “The problem is not always an excess of activity, but rather activity undertaken badly, without adequate motivation, without a spirituality which would permeate it and make it pleasurable” (ref. EG 82).
My ten months presence and mission experience in Mongo is a very short period of time, but quite interesting and challenging, too. Some insights from Pope Francis in the Evangelii Gaudium number 82 and 83 can give me courage to continue working for evangelisation with ‘adequate motivation and spirituality’. My hope is just like what Pope Francis told the Church, ’let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of evangelization!’ (ref. EG 83).