Religious Fervor in Ghana

The Second Coming of Christ will be May 21, 2011, according to a prominent billboard in Accra. The end of the world will be October 21, 2011.

Predictions continue even though "no one knows the day or the hour" and "it is not for you to know the times or seasons" (it's in your Bible). What we do not know we make up, and what we know for sure to do (feeding the hungry, prayer, sharing the gospel, etc.) we ignore.

Religious signs and sayings are everywhere in Accra. Taxi drivers display their faith. Signs on school buildings mention "blessings" and "glory." Businesses have names with theological and biblical terms in them.

The headmaster of one school we visited said that she was a member of a "powerful Charismatic church." This church is known throughout the country.

I have seen two churches with annual themes for 2010. One featured "The Year of Fruitfulness" with Psalm 1:3 as the year's verse and the other "Abundance." Themes of abundance and prosperity are very common in the preaching, teaching, and advertising of Christian churches here.

Only a few weeks ago the president of Ghana told the world that Ghana "is a Christian nation." He meant by this, I assume, that Christianity is the dominant religion of the country. The Ghanaian constituion guarantees religious liberty. No religion receives tax support here.

The president may have been prompted to make this remark because many Muslims are migrating south to Ghana and Accra in search of jobs. The Sahara Desert is growing. Their agricultural livelihoods are disappearing. They come to Ghana to work, to sell their products, and to send their money back home. This is true of many tribal groups including the Songhai with whom we are working. Boys 12 years of age have left their homes in Niger to live and work in Accra for months.

The growing presence of Islam is obvious and problematic for many Ghanaians. Christianity and Islam coexist in Africa but not always peacefully. Tribal laws and values are shaped by religious persuasion. Religious conversion may be--and often is--the end of family ties, friendships, business relations, and educational opportunities. We have discovered only one Christian among the thousands of Songhai who are new residents of Accra. And we have heard the personal testimony of Muslims who convert to Christianity at great personal and economic cost.

Even so, Ghana is a gerat mission field with many opportunities for presenting the gospel of Christ and building friendships across religious, denominational, and tribal boundaries. New immigrants have dreams of getting good jobs, going to school, and building new lives in the great urban sprawl that is Accra.

We are learning a little Zarma, the tribal language of the Songhai, as we are teaching them English. Loving Muslims means having a genuine desire to know them and to see their hearts and hopes. The love of Christ will open our hearts to them as they open their hearts to us.

Religious fervor, Christian and Muslim, will be part of the landscape here in Accra for the foreseeable future. The coexistence of these two powerful religions here is not just theoretical. It is the daily experience of life.

I am no expert on Islam. This is one of few opportunities in my lifetime to build friendships with Muslims and learn their ways. Those I have met have beautiful smiles and warm hearts. Their struggles are just like ours. If genuine love of neighbor prevails, then peace should also prevail and fear of one another should dissipate.

My church in Houston sponsored an Arab Christian church that met in our facility and interacted with us weekly. Fahed Karmoot was their pastor. I know that we cannot represent Christ well when we are intimidated, afraid, and ignorant of one another.

How Christianity and Islam relate to each other may determine more about the peace and prosperity of Accra--and the world--in the 21st century than any other factor. We who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord must lead the way in love and understanding--loving Muslims just like they are and checking ourselves daily for faithfulness to Christ in every word and deed. When Christian faith is warm-hearted and passionate and truly looks and sounds like Jesus, it is the most compelling force in the world.