(Question 1) A great deal of development aid has already been provided in Africa. Why does nothing seem to change? Finland and Switzerland are among the most developed nations in Europe. No one gave them any aid. Nor did they go out to colonize other nations. In fact, they are better developed than European nations that looted their colonies e.g., Spain, Portugal, Belgium, France, and Russia. Land, natural resources, climate and people are a nation’s hardware. The ‘word’ — language, laws, literature — is a nation’s software: its soul. Language carries the ideas that bind a people into a common culture and drive their institutions. Reformed nations developed because they educated the soul — minds, hearts, character — with God’s “word.” Dambisa Moyo, Zambian economist, educated in Harvard and Oxford, is the author of “Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa.” She states that aid worth US$1 trillion was given to Africa over five decade. Some of it helped, but most aid has hindered sustainable, long term development. Aid (i.e. injecting capital) deals with the hardware. It doesn’t change a nation’s soul — the software. Education addresses the soul. In most of Africa, “modern” education came about a century ago. Most universities taught materialistic (non-spiritual, secular) worldview which deceived African nations into thinking that financial aid or loot is the secret of economic development. Therefore, ambitious individuals, who cannot go out to colonize other nations, fight with each other to loot their own nation, its resources, including aid dollars. The failure of aid shows that the secular belief is false that economics drives the world. Europe’s Reformation believed that material progress takes place when we seek God’s kingdom and righteousness. Secularism has failed in Africa, just as it failed in most of Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. (Question 2) There are more and more Christians in Africa. Should the countries / the continent not be better off with the new Christian values? Indeed, a country such as Uganda is 84% Christian. It became an independent nation in 1962. Since then its governments have changed nine times. Yet, not a single transfer of power has been peaceful. Its constitutions have been “democratic” but military and militia leaders have had to kill each other to capture power. By the time the British established Uganda’s first university (1922), their own “Christian” universities had become secular. They taught “Liberalism” which has deceived the West as well as the brightest of Ugandan leaders. The sadder truth is that the 20th Century “Conservative” Evangelicalism which evangelized Africa became anti-intellectual and escapist. All it wanted was for Jesus to come back and take Christian souls to their mansions in heaven. It promoted ethical “values” for personal behavior but forgot the Reformation’s rich social (political, legal, ethical, economic, literary, educational, scientific) legacy. This modern evangelical Gospel “saved souls.” It had little light to guide nations. It had no power to reform, heal and bless Africa. For example, the traditional African mind understood “tribes”, “chiefdoms”, “kingdoms” and colonialism. It had no concept of “nation.” This point is explained in my new book, “This Book Changed Everything: The Bible’s Amazing Impact On Our World” [In German, “Die Seele des Westens” (Fontis, September 2019)]. Through the Atlantic Charter (1941) American President, Franklin Roosevelt, forced European empires to end imperialism. Therefore, following WW2, African colonies were made “nations.” But, no one taught former colonies how to become great nations. In fact European intellectuals began to despise the idea of nation.For prior to WW2, the Fascists had separated the idea of “nation” from the Bible. That made them abuse virtues such as “nationalism.” The Fascist corruption of nationalism, made it a repulsive word for the secularists who did not read the Bible. The Evangelical seminaries lacked the competence and the confidence to apply the Bible to politics. In fact terms such as ‘nation’ and ‘nationalism’ make them nervous, even though, the Bible says that the Bride of Christ is glorified so that she may give light to the nations (Rev 21: 22-24). The Bride becomes the New Jerusalem so that it may produce tress whose leaves are for the healing of the nations (Rev 22:2). Evangelical theology became so individualistic that it became irrelevant for public life. It marginalized even the church, which use to be the centre of every village and town in Europe. Earlier, to reform the Church meant reforming a nation. For the church embodied a nation’s soul: its music, art, architecture, core ideas. Africa is in trouble because, as the Lausanne Congress observed in 1974, the default Evangelical eschatology has paralyzed the church. A new reformation or theological ferment is needed to equip the church to transform African nations. (Question 3) Some experts think that help makes people dependent. Would it not be consistent to withdraw aid from African countries? Does that mean that we would starve people to death? The Lord Jesus fed the hungry with bread and fish. When they came back for more bread, he refused to feed them. He pointed them to the true bread (John 6), to the real water of life — himself (John 7: 38). For “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Matthew 4: 4; Deut 8:3). The soul food, the software — the word — matters. Birds and animals look for bread. They don’t mind stealing it. We object to theft and loot for Man is different than animals. He was created in the Creator’s image to be creative. We are to grow grain or buy it in order to make or buy bread. We need to earn enough to share food with the needy, including with birds and animals. Secular (Communist) education and economy starved millions in Russia. It is starving people today in resource rich Venezuela. Socialist education-economy, sustained by aid and subsidies, keeps driving Indian farmers to suicide. German leaders ought to learn from
