Chapter six: Conclusion
2- The interaction of the Bible with culture and context
The Malagasy Christians did not come to the Bible 'empty handed' (West 2000:37).
From their early engagements with the Bible, one can identify different interpretative resources that they used. The following are more common and widely used as resources to interpret Biblical messages among the indigenous Christians: traditional beliefs and religion, oral narratives such as cmgano-myths and tantara-stones, proverbs and songs.
These are part of their daily life experiences and they became resources in their interpretation of the Bible. They facilitated their reading of the Bible and made it more meaningful for them.
Traditional beliefs and religion are significant resources for interpreting the Bible. The Malagasy believe in God that they called Zanahary, they too believe in spiritual powers, in spirits, in life after death and in communion with the ancestors (see chapter two above). These were tools with which the Malagasy Christians interpreted the Bible.
Since God had preceded the missionaries in Madagascar, the indigenous people's beliefs and religious experiences helped them to understand the biblical message and Christianity. They saw their own stories in the narratives of the Bible just as Bediako confirms: 'you are in the Scripture; their story is your story' (2001:6).
The Malagasy also have their angano and tantara which helped them to engage with the Biblical text. These are oral narratives which functioned as interpretative resources.
When used by indigenous preacher, catechists or pastors, they made the Bible speak
louder and more meaningfully to the indigenous Christians. For example, on Sunday 20th February 2005, I attended a Sunday service in my parish. The catechist used the angano of Trimobe and Ikombia to explain the redeeming work of Jesus Christ for humankind.
Trimobe is an ogre; he came from villages to villages many times to eat the villagers.
He had done that for many years. The villagers were living in constant fear of Trimobe.
A courageous young man, Ikombia, one day killed a cow and roasted its intestines.
Then he brought it to Trimobe. It was appetising. He was afraid of being eaten by Trimobe but he decided to put an end to the villagers' sufferings. Arriving in the middle of the forest, he called Trimobe who came running to him. He wanted to eat Ikombia but the latter told him to wait; T prepared a delicious plate for you' he said, 'come and eat'. He gave the roasted meat to Trimobe who enjoyed the broth very much. After eating, he asked Ikombia 'what kind of meat is this that you bring to me'. Ikombia responded 'it is my intestines, I took it out and roasted it'; he continued 'if you liked it let me prepare more for you, I take out your intestine and roasted it for you'. Then Trimobe accepted. Ikombia cut his stomach, took out his intestines and Trimobe died on the spot.
The catechist compared Jesus with Ikombia who came to deliver people from the evil one. He said that Trimobe is Satan who threatens people's lives everyday. Satan makes them live in constant fear, but Jesus came to deliver them from the power of Satan. This was one of the biblical interpretations which strikes me and sticks in my mind. After the service, people talked to one another about the homily. It was powerful. Oral narratives were in common use for teachers, catechists or pastors to interpret the Bible.
These make the faithful understand and appropriate the biblical message in their own lives and contexts.
Proverbs also are important interpretive resources in the Malagasy reading of the Bible.
Proverbs reflect the Malagasy worldview and beliefs. They express their wisdom and understanding of life, death and life after death. They describe the community values and experiences. They were made for giving advice, direction, warning and lesson.
Proverbs are widely used in the daily lives of the Malagasy people. The Christians are familiar with them. They used proverbs in their interpretation of the Bible. Preachers coloured their preaching with proverbs. The more they did it the more they attracted the Christians' attention.
Since the early encounters with the Bible, songs are one of the powerful resources that facilitate the Malagasy interpretation of it. The Malagasy people were musical people, they like music. Singing is part and parcel of them. They compose songs on various occasions. Songs are expressions of their daily lives: giving birth, rearing children, working in the field, marriage, funeral, exhumation, mourning etc. The Christians take texts of themes from the Bible and make it in the form of stanzas to be sung. Songs make Sunday services and prayer meetings more interesting for the Malagasy who love music. Many were converted by means of song. They came to church to listen to the Christians singing and later became Christians. From the time of the martyrs until today, songs are powerful resources for interpreting the Bible among the Malagasy Christians.
Since Andrianampoinimerina, the first king who wanted to unite the whole island, the Malagasy had a strong sense of community spirit. This ancient king introduced this community spirit in Madagascar, he urged the people to stand together and to help one another; he said lIzay mitambatra vato, izay misaraka fasika '-Those who assembled together are like rock but those divided like sand. This spirit of communion was fostered among the indigenous Christians by their reading of the Bible; The Christians of the New Testament period inspired them in this line. This community spirit supported the scattered Christians in their faith. This community spirit was one of the powers that sustained them during the persecution.
Traditional beliefs and religion, oral narratives, proverbs, songs and community spirit are interpretative tools based on the context and culture of the Malagasy Christians.
They helped them to understand what the Bible speaks to them in their own context more deeply. When they came to any Biblical text with these resources, they interpreted it easily and applied it to their daily lives meaningfully. These tools made
the Bible take root in their context and culture. However the interaction of the Bible and the Malagasy culture and context did not exclude conflicts. Since the aim of this interaction was understanding and acceptance of the Biblical values, so culture and context, in order to integrate with these values, needed conversion. In this way, the interaction led to appropriation of Christianity by the indigenous people.