Missionary work illuminates intuitive beliefs

Columbans and co-workers promoting mission in Korea. Photo: Columbans Korea

In a June talk in Dublin, Ireland, on the legacy of Colonisation, Prof Nigel Biggar of Oxford University, UK, noted that we have come to recognise that ‘The Holy Spirit is out there in the world. The world is God’s world and God was there first’. Too often, we have forgotten that in the past. But if God’s Spirit is already in every corner of the world why do we leave our homeland to share our faith elsewhere?

Prof Biggar believes mission (bringing the gospel message to non-Christian cultures) is still relevant. ‘First of all, it can illuminate things that people already intuit but are not quite sure of. Sometimes it does result in a radical change as well as a kind of clarification.’
‘To illuminate things that the people already intuit but are not quite sure of’ requires that the missionary has come to understand and appreciate the religious background and practices of the people among whom they have come to live.

Just as the Christian message was not intended to abolish but to fulfil the Old Testament, missionaries seek to bring non-Christian faiths a step further in their spiritual search. The missionary must know how to recognize the Holy Spirit already working there and build on that heritage. The benefits will be mutual, the missionary’s own faith will grow in the process.

Prof Biggar also stated what the Church has been saying for centuries: the Christian message can also be a call for radical change in the local culture. Columbans are familiar with and involved in the Christian counter-culture committed to justice, human rights and concern for nature. This commitment needs to continue while not forgetting that what ultimately changes a people’s thinking is not scientific persuasion but animating the goodness at the heart of their traditional belief.

Perhaps this is the reason our Columban leaders have shown a renewed interest in encouraging Inter-Religious Dialogue. We have often regarded this as a call to participate in major conferences of religious leaders but traditionally, Columbans have done their best work ‘on the ground’, involved with individuals and social groups. This is where much productive dialogue takes place but it takes formal missionary training to do it effectively, even in our own culture.

A recent Columban leaders’ meeting in Seoul, Korea, showed a new sense of urgency and ability to make the best use of limited time. If the upcoming General Assembly in 2024 can continue this approach, it might articulate a new attitude to facing challenges and inviting others to join us.

Columban Fr Hugh McMahon is living in Ireland after many years of working as a missionary in Korea and Hong Kong.

Related links

• Read more from the current Columban eBulletin.