Cafe -- Tuesday April 23

Jerry, Hoss, and Todd were sitting at the table drinking coffee when Donald James came in. Dr. Donald James, a professor at State College in the city, was becoming a regular at the Cafe. He seemed to fit in, he was easy going, and he didn't seem to judge the regulars on the basis of their lack of diplomas. Most of the regulars could have cared less about his. He and his wife bought a piece of a farm about half way between the village and the city about a year ago. They moved out there with their kids to experiment with some of the elements of "self-sufficiency" without needing to make too much committment to the idea. The old Bartlett place, which they bought at auction, had a very nice farm house, a couple of out-buildings, a good well, electricity and running water and was just far enough from town to give Donald the feeling he'd left the city behind. They came with three large dogs and soon had several llamas and some Vietnamese pigs. Jerry called it a yuppie farm. The professor was sure there was big money in llamas and vietnamese pigs and he didn't mind that the others teased him about it. In fact, being teased meant he fit in.

Jerry:	Hey Perfesser, how are your camels doing.
Prof:	They are llamas as you well know, and they'd be doing a hell of a lot better if I could get the damn things to breed.
Todd:	It's hard to make a profit if you can't get them to reproduce.
Prof:	No shit.

At this moment, pastor Bob came in. Pastor Bob was not one of the regulars at the Cafe, but he'd come in a couple of times a month and drink a cup of coffee with whoever was around. Today he had a mission.

Todd: (pointing at the empty seat next to him) Hey, Pastor, come join us.

Pastor: What's going on here?

Jerry: Do you know the perfesser?

Pastor: Yes. We've met.

Jerry: Well the perfesser can't get his camels to breed.

Pastor: Camels?

Prof: Thats what he calls my llamas.

Pastor: (digging in his pocket for change) Oh. Well I can't help you much there. Edna, bring me a cup of coffee.

Hoss: I'll get that pastor. Edna, put it on my tab.

Pastor: Thanks. You all know we're having a missions festival in a couple of weeks down at the church. I've got a banner for it, I'd like to put up across the street in front of the church. I thought we could tie it between the light poles.

Todd: On Cray street.

Pastor: No, on the Washington side. Anyway, if someone could come in with a tractor with a front end loader, it sure would be easier to get it up there.

Todd: I'll bring mine in. When do you want it.

Pastor: Any time. What's good for you?

Todd: How about early tomorrow morning.

Pastor: That's great. I'm really looking forward to the mission festival this year. I got confirmation yesterday that the main speaker will be a career missionary from New Zealand.

Jerry: (with a twinkle in his eye) Perfesser here, don't believe in sending missionaries to foreign lands.

Pastor: (turning to the Prof) Is that so Dr. James.

Prof: (feeling a little like he's been put on the spot) Well, Christian missionaries have had a history of going in to a culture, convincing the people to abandon their traditional ways and adopt western styles of dress and western customs with little or no consideration for the impact on the social structure. It's as if the Christians think the only culture that is any good is the one they were raised in and everybody else's culture needs fixing. Some of the societies they've destroyed had been working just fine for centuries before the missionaries came along.

Pastor: Well certainly, there have been abuses, and I suppose there still are some. But most Christian missionary organizations are a lot more sensitive to issues of culture than they used to be.

Prof: Well that may be, but as I see it sensitivity isn't the issue. Christianity is a religion born of western culture. I don't think you can go into a non-western culture and teach them a western religion without westernizing them.

Pastor: But Christians believe that the message of Christ is universal, that it transcends culture, time and place. Christians believe that the message of Christ can be interpreted into any culture. After all, Christianity is really not of western origin. It started out as a middle eastern religion.

Prof: That may be the ideal, but in practice, what missionaries do is go into a culture, teach the natives to wear clothes, or if they already wear clothes, to adopt western style clothes, teach them western marriage customs, teach them western morality, and start them donating money to support their programs.

Pastor: That is an interesting point and sometimes, I suppose, missionaries do just what you say. But I don't think it is necessary. In fact, I've got something in the car I want you to read. It is a short story that we used as a discussion starter in Seminary. I ran off a bunch of copies yesterday and am going to use it as a discussion starter for the mission study group that meets at the church on Wednesday nights. Would you be willing to take look at it?

Prof: Sure. I'll read it.

Pastor: OK, let me run to the car and get it.

Jerry: Bring me a copy too.

Pastor: (going out the door) Sure.

Prof: Jerry, you're a real shit, you know it.

Jerry: (feigning innocence) What?

Prof: You set me up, you know. You knew I wouldn't back away from that.

Jerry: Me?

Pastor: (coming back in the door with several copies which he proceeds to hand around.) This is the Story of B'MenshKi. I'd like to get back together and get your reaction to it.

Prof: I'll be back in here tomorrow morning.

Pastor: (leaving) OK, tomorrow morning then.

Prof: (getting up and moving to the door) I've got to go too.

Todd: (after they both have left) Jerry, you're a real prick.

Jerry: Why? That wasn't even any fun. I thought I could get something going.

Todd: Yeah, and all you got us was a homework assignment.

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The Story of B'MenshKi

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Steve Falkenberg

Steve.Falkenberg@eku.edu

Todd: (pointing at the empty seat next to him)	Hey, Pastor, come join us.
Pastor:	What's going on here?
Jerry:	Do you know the perfesser?
Pastor:	Yes. We've met.
Jerry:	Well the perfesser can't get his camels to breed.
Pastor:	Camels?
Prof:	Thats what he calls my llamas.
Pastor: (digging in his pocket for change)	Oh. Well I can't help you much there. Edna, bring me a cup of coffee.
Hoss:	I'll get that pastor. Edna, put it on my tab.
Pastor:	Thanks. You all know we're having a missions festival in a couple of weeks down at the church. I've got a banner for it, I'd like to put up across the street in front of the church. I thought we could tie it between the light poles.
Todd:	On Cray street.
Pastor:	No, on the Washington side. Anyway, if someone could come in with a tractor with a front end loader, it sure would be easier to get it up there.
Todd:	I'll bring mine in. When do you want it.
Pastor:	Any time. What's good for you?
Todd:	How about early tomorrow morning.
Pastor:	That's great. I'm really looking forward to the mission festival this year. I got confirmation yesterday that the main speaker will be a career missionary from New Zealand.
Jerry: (with a twinkle in his eye)	Perfesser here, don't believe in sending missionaries to foreign lands.
Pastor: (turning to the Prof)	Is that so Dr. James.
Prof: (feeling a little like he's been put on the spot)	Well, Christian missionaries have had a history of going in to a culture, convincing the people to abandon their traditional ways and adopt western styles of dress and western customs with little or no consideration for the impact on the social structure. It's as if the Christians think the only culture that is any good is the one they were raised in and everybody else's culture needs fixing. Some of the societies they've destroyed had been working just fine for centuries before the missionaries came along.
Pastor:	Well certainly, there have been abuses, and I suppose there still are some. But most Christian missionary organizations are a lot more sensitive to issues of culture than they used to be.
Prof:	Well that may be, but as I see it sensitivity isn't the issue. Christianity is a religion born of western culture. I don't think you can go into a non-western culture and teach them a western religion without westernizing them.
Pastor:	But Christians believe that the message of Christ is universal, that it transcends culture, time and place. Christians believe that the message of Christ can be interpreted into any culture. After all, Christianity is really not of western origin. It started out as a middle eastern religion.
Prof:	That may be the ideal, but in practice, what missionaries do is go into a culture, teach the natives to wear clothes, or if they already wear clothes, to adopt western style clothes, teach them western marriage customs, teach them western morality, and start them donating money to support their programs.
Pastor:	That is an interesting point and sometimes, I suppose, missionaries do just what you say. But I don't think it is necessary. In fact, I've got something in the car I want you to read. It is a short story that we used as a discussion starter in Seminary. I ran off a bunch of copies yesterday and am going to use it as a discussion starter for the mission study group that meets at the church on Wednesday nights. Would you be willing to take look at it?
Prof:	Sure. I'll read it.
Pastor:	OK, let me run to the car and get it.
Jerry:	Bring me a copy too.
Pastor: (going out the door)	Sure.
Prof:	Jerry, you're a real shit, you know it.
Jerry: (feigning innocence)	What?
Prof:	You set me up, you know. You knew I wouldn't back away from that.
Jerry:	Me?
Pastor: (coming back in the door with several copies which he proceeds to hand around.)	This is the Story of B'MenshKi. I'd like to get back together and get your reaction to it.
Prof:	I'll be back in here tomorrow morning.
Pastor: (leaving)	OK, tomorrow morning then.
Prof: (getting up and moving to the door)	I've got to go too.
Todd: (after they both have left)	Jerry, you're a real prick.
Jerry:	Why? That wasn't even any fun. I thought I could get something going.
Todd:	Yeah, and all you got us was a homework assignment.