Description
Steve Williams An Interpretation of 1 John 1:5-10 from a Rwandan perspective
1JN 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Context of Passage
I have chosen this passage because of its significance in Rwanda during the East African Revival of the 1930s and 1940s. It had a great impact in the conversion and renewal of many Rwandans. This resulted in a group of Christians who became known as those who ‘walked in the light’, a phrase taken from 1 John 1:7. The movement emphasised a personal encounter with Christ, a strong level of accountability and renewed enthusiasm for prayer. Fellowship between Christians was strengthened, as groups who had experienced the light shared their testimony across Rwanda. But the violent events of the 1990s have thrown into doubt the assumption that Rwanda had been ‘Christianised’. In dealing with the effects of sin on our fellowship with God, the passage has recently become relevant again in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. It helps us to answer questions such as these: How can you tell whether a Christian is genuine in their faith or not? Is it possible to forgive those involved in the killings?
For an African, identity is found first in community: ‘I am because we are’. This is the basis of all social relationships. Therefore, they bring a unique interpretation of the term fellowship. Any difficulties in community only make Africans more determined to restore harmony with each other.
Introduction to Scenario
A British counselling tutor, Jane, is in Rwanda running a training session for two young pastors who are seeking to improve their skills with those who remain traumatised by their involvement in genocide, whether as victims or perpetrators. She has had theological training and is using the passage from 1 John as an introduction. The pastors, Joseph and Antoine, are from neighbouring villages in the north west of Rwanda. Traditional beliefs remain influential socially and tribal tensions still exist. The three discuss their responses in a dialogue taken from their first session.
Dialogue
Jane: “I hope that this passage will help Christians in Rwanda to put aside tribal labels of Hutu and Tutsi in relationships, not just because the rulers say so, but because we see it in the Word of God and want to obey. Now we’ve looked at the passage, let’s discuss how it can help us.”
Antoine: “The first thing I noticed was that verse six says we can claim to be in the light but actually remain in darkness.”
Joseph: “Yes, I knew many Rwandans who were under the impression that they were living in the light, yet they were still influenced by the power that traditional religion had over them”.
Jane: “It seems to be partly the result of a divide between the sacred and the secular, separating church life from the rest of life.”
Antoine: “But that’s so unlike Africans! Our relationship with God should affect everything we do.”
Joseph: “From the revival times of the 1930s and 1940s, repentance often only meant confessing personal sin, like stealing or getting angry. But problems of corruption and unresolved conflict remained beneath the surface”.
Antoine: “Where there were opportunities for Rwandan Christians to change society by getting involved in politics, church leaders often warned people not to. So many areas of Rwandan public life were left untouched by people in the light.”
Continues...