This report summarizes our recent visit to Bere, which “coincidentally” coincided with a local cultural dance festival.
Unexpected Dance Festival and Official Proceedings
Our visit to Bere this past weekend coincided with a local cultural dance festival. The goal of the government in organising these dance festivals is to revive the diverse cultures of Botswana. We were not aware of this dance festival over the weekend until the chief informed us about it on Friday morning. The event provided a unique platform for interaction and observation.
Such cultural affairs contain many cultic elements, which seem so innocent to the spectator who stands aside with his camera and takes pictures. I have mentioned in the past that the African man has almost no culture, but has cultural elements in his cult. He will sit like this and drink coffee or tea, and then pour out the last bit in the cup on the ground for his ancestors. This has nothing to do with culture, but for them, it is their culture.
Saturday was focused on the formal introductions and speeches by various chiefs, including high-ranking government officials and chiefs from as far away as Kang. This gathering provided a comprehensive overview of the local leadership structures. The speeches were interrupted by the dance groups present.
The last dance group escorted us to a puberty occasion. This dance is a dance when a teenage girl begins to menstruate. She is then placed in a hut. For seven days, the women dance around the hut with bare bottoms (buttocks) at certain times. The older men may be present, but not the younger guard. During the day or night, when the girl wants to relieve herself outside the hut, she has to put a morama nut in her mouth and walk out, spit continuously, and come back.
If these laws are not obeyed, mischief can be expected. The absence of rain, for example, can negatively affect the veld foods that year. All these cultural elements look so beautiful and innocent from the outside, but within, you are dealing with cultic obligations that must be fulfilled to keep evil and evil spirits away. This is where the Gospel of our Lord Jesus offers a wonderful liberation. In John 8:32, the Lord Jesus says: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” One of the first signs of a cult is when you live in fear. If you do not comply with the cultic obligations, evils are waiting for you, and anything negative that happens in your life is attributed to it. That is why the witch doctor or traditional healer plays such an important role in warding off evil from you.
After the formal proceedings, we had lunch with the local community in the afternoon, and we interacted with them more informally.
Conversation with Mrs. Mereyabone and Prayer Requests
On Sunday morning, we had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Mereyabone to chat. She expressed her desire to be transferred to another area, and she has already dedicated her intention to the Lord.
Let his will be done. She is aware that her departure will leave a void in the Sunday school class. Our prayer is that, should she be transferred, the Lord will provide a faithful person in her place to fill this void.
Unexpected Marriage Meeting and Spiritual Conversation
Before we left on Sunday, we decided to greet or say goodbye to one of our vice chiefs. Upon our arrival, we saw he was in a meeting. However, we were cordially invited to join them. The meeting was about the marriage of one of their children.
I was asked to pray and to speak a word of encouragement to them. I then took the opportunity to chat with the bride and the others present. Since they belong to the ZCC church, I specifically asked her about her involvement in ancestor worship, because the ZCC still believes in the existence of their ancestors and their involvement here on earth. Her affirmative answer allowed me to “untimely” touch on the subject.
From the Scriptures, I then explained to them how the practice of ancestor veneration and worship had already displeased and been despised by the Lord since the time of the Old Testament, and was considered an abomination in His eyes. I used passages like Deuteronomy 18 and the end of Saul, who invoked the spirit of a deceased person, as examples. In 1 Chronicles 10:13, it is specifically stated: “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance.” (ESV)
My prayer is that the Lord will bless this message and let it bear fruit in their lives. I am wholeheartedly convinced that we did not arrive there at that particular moment by chance. Normally, we would still have been at the church, but due to the weekend’s proceedings, we had to postpone the service.
Publication on Ancestors and the Bible
I would also like to ask for your intercession for the compilation of a short publication. The purpose of this publication is to explain the biblical truth of ancestor worship and its consultation. I plan to spread this writing as far as possible throughout Southern Africa. I ask for your intercession in this regard, because we know that wherever you take the devil directly on, you will find tremendous opposition, even persecution. The normal strategy of the devil is to accuse you or put you under suspicion that you don’t care about their culture. May the Lord give me wisdom in this regard. Your brother in Christ. Hendrik du Plessis