Individual Entry: Cargo Cult Christianity
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May 09, 2007

Faith : Cargo Cult Christianity

There is an interesting (and well documented) phenomenon that has occurred many times on various Pacific islands – the formation of “cargo cults”. While these have been documented as far back as 1885 (as a result of the British Navy), the classic cargo cults come from the U.S. Navy’s “island hoping” campaigns in World War II. A typical example goes something like this – the American Military shows up at a remote island and sets up a temporary base. They build an airfield and a pier at which ships can dock. Soldiers show up to guard the base and are led in marching drills to keep them ready for action. While the military is there, lots of “goods” flood into the island – food, clothing equipment, etc. some of which make it into the hands of the people who lived on the island before the military showed up.

Eventually the military abandons the base and moves on to the next strategic island; and here’s where things get interesting. In many cases, the local people who are left on the island pick up where the soldiers left off. They maintain the airfield; they create mockups of rifles and uniforms. They do marching drills, shouting orders at each other, and generally act like they saw the soldiers act while they were there. Why? To get goods to come to the island again. To the islanders, all of the soldiers activities seemed like religious rituals designed to appeal to the cargo gods. The thought is that if they could only do the same things, perhaps airplanes full of goods would show up for them as well.

What I find interesting is that this was not an isolated occurrence – some unique curiosity that happened one time on one island. There are instead dozens of documented examples of cargo cults. Nor are they necessarily transient in nature – something done by those who observed the soldiers that quickly passes from memory when the next generation comes to ascendance. The John Frum cult has been going strong for 50 years now, being led now by the grandchildren of the original founders. There is something in human nature that makes us susceptible to doing this.

Enlightened westerners often shake their heads at how foolish these cargo-cult islanders are. “Obviously” simply doing the same things they saw the soldiers do will not bring planes and boats to the islands. Yet these same people often go to church on Sunday and participate in cargo cult Christianity.

Go back into the history of almost any denomination or Christian movement and you’ll find that it started with some powerful move of God. Something happened that shook people up and convinced them that God was doing something special in that time and place. However, what you most often find today are churches that are frozen monuments to those times long passed. They sing the same songs as they did when God originally showed up. Meetings are structured the same way. Sermons are preached on the same topics. Why? Because people want to see God move just like He did 50, 100, 200, 400 years ago. The thinking is that if they would only act exactly like they did back when God first moved in their midst, perhaps He would return and move again. The truth however is that God didn’t show up because of the songs that were sung or any of the other forms or rituals, any more that the ships and planes showed up on the Pacific islands because of the forms and “rituals” of the soldiers. What many Christians practice is cargo-cult Christianity.

Of course, the converse approach is equally flawed. Repeating the forms of the past will not get God to show up; but neither will doing things in gratuitously new ways. Singing new “modern” songs, using multi-media presentations and new ways of structuring church services may attract more people; but will in themselves do nothing to attract God’s attention. Making Christianity gratuitously new might help create huge churches; but they will be as devoid of God’s active presence as churches that insist on sticking with the old ways.

The truth is, God shows up when he finds people who are humble and willing to do what He wants to do at that time and place - people who are not interested in getting God to do anything; but rather are interested in getting themselves to do what God wants. That’s why so many movements fail so quickly – as soon as God shows up in power, the people start to think it’s about them and not God. They become proud and start asking God to “do it again” or “do it some more” as if it was their position to command God. Then God departs to find some other group that is humble and contrite. Meanwhile the original group continues practicing the forms that used to work in hope that God will show up again, someday.

Posted by Steven at May 9, 2007 07:58 AM

Comments

Posted by: Barry at May 19, 2007 04:08 PM