Africa never lacked a Creator. Our forefathers looked at the sky, the rain, the harvest and the river, and they knew Someone made it all. They called Him Mwari, Musikavanhu, Nyame, Olodumare, Chukwu. They weren’t confused. They were reaching.
But reaching isn’t arriving. God didn’t bring you to this post so you could admire the reaching. He brought you here to arrive.
They Worshipped Before the Missionaries
Worship is older than any church building. Genesis 4:26 says “men began to call on the name of the LORD.” Melchizedek served God Most High before Israel was a nation (Genesis 14:18). Job feared God and shunned evil, and he was no Israelite (Job 1:1). Jethro, a Midianite priest, blessed the LORD for what He had done (Exodus 18:10-12).
Creation was a witness to every people. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). His “eternal power and Godhead” can be seen in what He made (Romans 1:20). God never left Himself without witness, giving rain and fruitful seasons to all (Acts 14:17). When Paul stood before people who worshipped without knowing, he didn’t call them godless. He said, “the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you” (Acts 17:23).
So don’t let anyone tell you your forefathers were godless. They weren’t.
But Reaching Isn’t Arriving
Scholars note that many peoples, including the Shona, approached the Creator through lesser spirits and not directly. They sensed the road but never saw the bridge. Paul says God overlooked the times of ignorance, “but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Now. Not someday.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). “Nor is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12).
One God. One Mediator. Your ancestors pointed toward Him, and His name is Jesus.
Today Is Your Day
Maybe you’ve believed in God your whole life but never surrendered to His Son. Church attendance can’t save you. A good family name can’t save you. Only Jesus can.
“Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20). “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
If you’re ready, pray this out loud:
“Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You died for my sins and rose again. I turn from every other way and every other mediator. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Wash me, fill me, and make me new. In Your name, amen.”
If you prayed that, you’re a new creation. “Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Tell a believer today, and tell us at BCI so we can walk with you.
Now Rise Up
You may be the first in your bloodline to say yes to Jesus. That makes you a doorway for everyone who comes after you. “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). You’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you’ll be His witness (Acts 1:8).
Tell your family the name your forefathers were reaching for.
Next in the series: Part 2, The Gift Inside Our Culture.