The mythical union of the Dragon King from the sea, (Lac Long Quan) and the beautiful fairy princess from the mountains, (Au Co) resulted in the birth of a people who have an indomitable spirit.
Their ability to ‘resist and assimilate’1 argues Nyguen, is what enables them to maintain their unique identity despite multiple periods of foreign oppression. The Vietnamese have always resisted total domination and have managed to assimilate what is beneficial to their culture and context from their oppressors. This, argues Nyguen, is potentially why Christian contextualization efforts have been less effective than hoped and why among the majority Viet Kinh population, fewer than 0.5% are evangelical Christian.
Almost all religion in East Asia is syncretistic. A Filipino can practice a veneer of Roman Catholicism interwoven with traditional animistic beliefs. The majority of Japanese people practice Shintoism and Buddhism. A Vietnamese person can engage in a plurality of religions – Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, all assimilated with local indigenous belief. The challenge of sharing the gospel in this context is twofold: firstly, overcoming the foreign messenger and their ability to articulate the gospel in a way that is easily understood, and secondly, presenting the uniqueness of Christ who must be the sole object of their worship. In a culture used to evading submission to a single ruler and cherry-picking what seems useful to their culture and context, it seems an impossible task.
As we pray for those who carry the gospel to this culture, let us remember that God is already at work in the world, and we are invited to participate in what he is doing. This is called Missio Dei2. Let us pray that for them as they do the hard work of understanding the Vietnamese culture into which they are speaking: the pluralism, the syncretism and the ancestor worship that dominates every aspect of life. Will you pray that the Vietnamese will come to know God the source of all life? Will you pray that those who share the gospel can communicate that he alone is worthy of all worship?
Irene McMahon
OMF UK National Director
