The Gospel presented for the first time in Ethiopia and its powerful impact!

[Scott R. Newman]

[Zoey "Zozo" Kassay Solomon]

Misleading thread title...Ethiopia had the gospel "Presented" to them long before this(and long before people knew the earth is round). Its more like them taking something most goma people had already accepted(christianity to some degree) and making it more eurocentric(those europeans in that film)

Oh dear...What has prime minister Zenawi turned into to allow this.

xyayīe ēiayā indeed

[Scott R. Newman]

Yes the Kushites (Ethiopians) were one of the first to know Christ, however most of that knowledge was lost to some tribes such as the Gamo tribe who never heard of Christ or seen the Gospel of Christ as demonstrated powerfully in the "Gamo" video. One of the reasons why the "Jesus Film" and translated by Wycliffe Bible Translators in their own indigneous language was for them to know that God's loving Word can speak to their heart like we have God's word in our language of understanding.

[Zoey "Zozo" Kassay Solomon]

They were pretty much in a bind because they have no writing system(which makes some question whether they are in fact cushitic and not negroids who kept their traits from sub-sahran africa)

[Scott R. Newman]

Zoey did you see the video? If so, was that a good thing or not? Isn't the real issue to preach the Gospel to everyone for them to have the same oppurtunity as the rest of the world to accept or reject Christ? My issue with the "Jesus Film" created by Campus Crusade for Christ that we at Wycliffe translated it in over 1,000 different indigenous languages of the world is that the Jesus Film should be made using actors and actresses that reflect the world's remaining unevangelized people groups and not just using an old outdated eurocentric one.

[Zoey "Zozo" Kassay Solomon]

I think their hearts are in the right place but I feel their method is wrong. By having nobody in that video that Looks like them speaking that message will sow the seeds of an eventual inferiority complex, and maybe even worse a phenom of self-hate among them. The proof of this lies with many different groups who still cling to the european depiction of jesus(the blondish brownish hair and blue eyed fellow who is often in the home of many of the west african diaspora)

When such thing has happened these people would have no place in an east african church....very dangerous indeed for them

[Scott R. Newman]

Now with that I totally agree with you on that, one of the reasons I spoke to a good friend who is Nigerian who works with Campus Crusade on the "Jesus Film" about that very topic. That really was always one of my pet peeves when I was a muslim when I used to confront the aryan deity. I know for too many black folx that is a stumbling block, it was for me. And when I see films such as this, even though it still is powerful to watch how the spirit of God moves, but deep down I always wonder if they are instilling white supremacy through imagery that still makes everything in divinity that is good to be of white skin.

And this is one of the main reasons why more people of color need to have a voice and to speak on these things from the inside instead of always on the outside.

I even questioned from within Wycliffe. If having God's Word to be translated in the language of the diverse minority langauges important for them to know God from reading the Holy scriptures in their own "mother tongue" of understanding as we spend over 20 years in carefully studying their culture and their language to make this happen. Then shouldn't the same consideration be made when the "Jesus Film" is taken to the diverse world? I mean why can't Campus Crusade for Christ create at least 3 different films. One using the people of India, the other African and Asian? Since those are the three main people groups still needed to do evangelism.... I know its hard for white folx to see that, since that's how they have been indoctrinated to only see Christ as white. People can only usually see from the viewpoint of their own culture and history. And since I'm the very few black folk within the company, I have noticed that I'm the only one speaking out about it and they are listening. Their hearts are right, however much more soul searching needs to take place for the Kingdom of God to be impacted.

[Zoey "Zozo" Kassay Solomon]

I think each video should go deeper than just using a group of people from the region. Showing a bunch of tamil or dalit people of India a video about christianity with desi or northern indians would in essence be the same as what was in this video(as would showing chinese a video with a bunch of koreans or japanese or west africans a video with a bunch of east africans in it)

Its probably impossible to mission to people without trying to spread your superiority over them(because in essence you are telling the people you are right and they are wrong), yet it still can be done with dignity.