The Potato Green Prophecy

It all started a few weeks ago when a woman had a dream. In this dream, she said, God told her that Liberians were to eat sweet potato greens sauce for three days this week or die. As the story goes, she kept this prophecy to herself and her family, and then died the next day. Her children were so shook up by this that they told everyone they knew. Well, in typical Liberian fashion the news spread like wildfire and soon it had swept over the whole city and beyond. I have heard this rumor from a number of sources; everybody is talking about it and a lot of people are following it! Potato green sales have skyrocketed as worried citizens rush to the markets to buy the greens and save their lives. The law of supply and demand rules. As the price of the greens doubles I am left wishing I had invested in potato greens stock. Even the cook at the SP office has been taken by this prophecy! She had a worried look on her face the other day when I told her what different sauces I wanted on our rice this week.

This "prophecy" is a good indication of the spiritual climate in Liberia now. Liberia is a country full of hundreds of thousands of professing Christians who put more faith in rumors and superstition than the very Word of God. The "Christian" masses faithfully will faithfully eat their potato greens this week based on an ambigious dream of an unknown woman, while continuing to live immoral lives in blatent disregard for the clear Word of God. Several weeks ago my Muslim friend remarked, "With the kind of Christianity you are promoting, I don't think there are many Christians in Liberia." To which I said, "Very, very few..."

For too long Liberians have professed Christianity while maintaining an essential animistic and superstitious worldview. Nobody dies of natural causes here. The vast majority of sicknesses and deaths are believed to be caused by witchcraft. I don't think most Westerners appreciate just how deeply these beliefs go. Superstition permeates the Liberian worldview as thoroughly as materialism grips the West. Trying to replace either with a Biblical worldview is no small challange. Despite the challenge, we are called to continue bringing every thought captive to Christ. This is what I resolve to do both in my own life and with those I lead. May your prayers be with me.

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