What does that mean?

"I picked one leaf golden brown at my feet
it was a prince several ages ago
why are you golden brown, I asked
life, it said, made me golden brown"
-Brother Padmore

He teaches me on designated days at designated times about literature from Africa. When he's not doing that, he writes poetry, as seen here. Yes, please.

Today in class he was talking about the colonization of African countries, and the Europeans bringing of "christ" to these countries, thereby assigning "christ" the characteristics of the europeans themselves. It made me think of how the term "christian" means so many different things to different people and maybe is about as broad and widely disputed a term as "postcolonial literature" itself.

It reminded me specifically of a sermon I listened to just days ago from March 26 of last year from Jay Pathak at Arvada Vineyard (http://www.arvadavineyard.org/rss2html.php, scroll down to 3/26/06).

In "Is Jesus A Christian?" Jay discusses the term "christian" and how it really holds different meanings for people in different cultures. He traveled to the Middle East to love some people and tell people about Jesus. His friend, who had lived in the Middle East for ten years, suggested that Jay not call himself a "Christian" for fear of it "complicating things." He further explains that the term "christian" is tied up with "ethnic, cultural assumptions." "In the Middle East, you are, by heritage, a religious person," (i.e. if born in a muslim family, one is a muslim, etc.) One's religious identity, then, is as certain as one's race. It is not something one decides, or is in control of (i.e. just as I am white because I was born white, I am also Christian because I was born into a Christian family).

Jay goes on to explain that we cannot rightly say we are not influenced in any way by some facet of "Christian culture" because our culture is predominantly so. So when someone from another country sees MTV or the news, that content is immediately associated with Christianity. The connection between individual and religion broadens to "I am Christian because I was born into a Christian nation"

Perceptions then, of the meanings of such terms as "christian," etc. quickly become muddled.

So aside from extremists in any subculture or religion who don't follow the same path as those in direct obedience to Holy texts or whatever rule governs that particular body, we now have even more different interpretations of these labels because of the cultural barriers prohibiting most from accurate truths regarding them.

So by labeling myself a Christian, I am unknowingly connecting myself to whatever my audience has experienced of American culture, which is... not ideal, and not precise (and maybe horrifying?)

This is, of course, merely in regards to those outside the culture of the United States. Similar things can be said within our culture of the misrepresentation and abuse of the term "christian." But, alas, it is too late for me. I am already unaware of the clarity of this post, so I am resigning to my closing eyelids.

Good-night.