AFRICAN (IGBO) TRADITION AS EXPRESSION OF DIVINE WILL: INTERPRETING MATT 6:10 FROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Over the years, there have been concerted efforts by Christian missionaries and scholars of various fields to make the Christian message relevant to the continent of Africa. This is borne out of the conviction that for Christianity to respond to the needs of its adherents in every culture, it must speak the language this particular culture understands. These varied efforts have been termed inculturation. However, it seems that no matter the attempts at inculturating the Christian message, it has failed, in many respects, to take root in the continent of Africa. We feel, however, that these failed attempts to inculturate Christianity are based on a false premise of the foreign character of Christianity. Most of these attempts have been geared towards the inculturation of outward aspects of the Christian message or the grafting of outward aspects of traditional African culture to the external elements of Christianity. This can only lead to frustration and a diversion of the message of Christ whose aim is to purify the internal being of his followers. But we attempt to see the convergence of traditional culture and the Christian message through the lens of the Lord’s Prayer as given in Matthew 6:9b-13. The focus, however, will be on Matthew 6:10. The article argues that the African culture, as it is, bears enough witness of the presence of divine will in it. Thus, the prayer of Jesus was already answered in the African cultural milicu before the commencement of Christian missionary work in Africa. We shall explore some aspects of the African culture that manifest...