God in Africa (Part Two)

The Xhosa girl (see previous post) explained to me that before Africa became colonised and received the Gospel, all that the people had to believe in was that the elders who had looked after them on here earth would do the same from heaven. They always believed that there was a “Greater Power”, as that was the only explanation for all of Creation, but they did not know what this Power was called, as they had never heard about God before.

A friend of mine asked her why the African belief in ancestors is so exclusive, as they don’t believe that Westerners have ancestors looking after them, whereas Christianity is inclusive for everyone everywhere – Jesus died and rose again to save people of all races. Surely if something is true, it is absolutely true - true for all people? Yet, her people have adopted Christianity in addition to their ancestral beliefs, thus asserting that the Gospel is true for them as well as everyone else, but do not belief that any other people have ancestors who watch over them.