I love Sukuma proverbs. One is my favorites is: I pointed out to you the stars (the moon) and all you saw was the tip of my finger (Sukuma, Tanzania Proverb). This proverb expresses what Joe Healey and I have tried to do in our book Towards An African Narrative Theology. The "Introduction" states:

"Welcome to a journey into the heart and soul of the African people and cultures. This is the ongoing African journey of inculturation and contextualization -- rooting the gospel in local African cultures and societies. The guides on this journey are African proverbs, sayings, riddles, stories, myths, plays, songs, cultural symbols, and real life experiences. Through this particular story of an African narrative theology of inculturation we hope to communicate to a wider audience the experience and wisdom of the African people and cultures. This is a concrete step in sharing the theological insights and praxis of the African Church with the World Church and the world society.

We two expatriate missionaries have seen and experienced the deep values of the African people and cultures and feel impelled to tell others. We want to point out the African stars of the local cultural heritage, traditions, and customs. We feel the urgency of proclaiming the good news of African Christianity just as St. Paul who wrote that he is under compulsion to preach the gospel (I Corinthians 9:16). Jesus himself said: "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also" (Luke 4:43). These stories and experiences of African Christians need to be narrated and shared with other peoples and cultures in an ongoing process of mutual challenge and enrichment.

Readers may well ask: Is it valid for expatriate missionaries to construct an African Theology? Our answer is yes because we are not writing our own theology from the top down, but we are transmitting the theological reflections and insights of the African people and communities from the grassroots, from the bottom up. This is a process of constructing a local, participatory theology. We have tried to codify African experience and wisdom through oral literature and traditions such as proverbs, sayings, riddles, stories, myths, fables, plays, songs, prayers, homilies, sermons, personal testimonies, dreams, and cultural symbols and integrate them with the Christian faith."

Now for another Sukuma proverb that I like very much: That which is good is never finished.

Don's Ministry             Don's Biography

Maryknollers in Shinyanga, Tanzania