The White man’s Gospel

After reading The White man’s Gospel for the second time, I find myself inspecting my own attitude and actions towards other Cultures and People groups around me. The book compelled me to look deeper into the reasons why people may or may not be able to identify with Christ and a “Christian” lifestyle. Being that I spent a year in India working with a different type of Indians, but a different culture none-the-less I am finding that the view that most of the world takes and sticks to, is the idea that Jesus was a white man. This book opened my eyes to why these groups of people believe this and also why they are using it to their advantage to basically discount the Gospel because of the “whiteness” that bleeds through it. Although the gospel itself does not give any offering to the fact that Jesus is white or the Gospel was meant for just the white people. I believe that Christ is a multi-cultural God and that He connects to and loves each and every generation and race out in the world today.


The book got me thinking about my opinions of the world around me. The ideas that form in my mind once a name, religion, or place is mentioned is frightening. I begin to judge and correct, become cynical and critical, and yet I know nothing about these people. I need to be beamed in the head by the culture face on before I can actually form the opinion of who these people are and what they believe. My desire for them to know Christ has to be just that, a desire for them to know God. Not, my self concocted Christ. Not my Church’s Christ. Not my cultures Christ. Just plain Christ.

While reading this book I began to get more and more depressed and upset at what WE as Christians have done to the Indians (and other people as well) in the past. And were not talking very long ago past, we are talking in the last 20 years past. My heart ached for the hurt and misunderstanding shown towards these people. Can we be that messed up in our Missional thinking? Seriously, I need to start checking myself before I blatantly force or even convey my opinions to the world around me, especially when it comes to Christ.

I am forced to apologize for those in the past and those who will most likely come in the future and mess Christ up for these people. There is hope however. I am capable of befriending and pursuing relationships with these people. I can show Christ’s love and will through my actions and not my theology or traditions. And I am willing to do so. I am willing to spend time to apologize for the sins I myself have committed to these people by my lack of understanding of their culture and beliefs.

I am a very ignorant person. And this book all but solidified my ignorance for other cultures and what I myself and others have done to them. Good and Bad. I cannot and will not walk into their land or homes and claim that I understand or know their culture and beliefs. I have to come in like a sponge and begin soaking up as much as I can and hopefully learn something that helps me relate and befriend them to where I will be able to share the love of Christ with them.

I recommend this book. Not only for those of us who venture to Klemtu, but for everyone who hopes and thinks they are being a witness to the world around them. My heart was broken in this book. The hope was scarce in this book. The lashing was immense. But I know that I have learned a very valuable lesson when it comes to sharing my faith in Christ with others around me. I must share Christ and be Christ, not something or someone or some tradition that will not connect or gain glory for Christ, I must be and know Christ to these people.