Not much attention is given to the fact that the Northern Hemisphere has so fully developed in power, creativity and modernization in contrast to the Southern Hemisphere. This advanced pattern extends to nearly every factor of world life that is measured in historical records. The accepted religions, the scientists and education, the inventors and technology, together with other leaders, creators, systems, movers of the world have commonly risen out of the Northern Hemisphere. One quickly acknowledges that the greatest problems, like world war and great depressions, have also come from the north. The story ought to be balanced. The Southern Hemisphere had both affirmative and negative factors in cultures and communities, but on a scale not as wide as that found in the north. Little has been accomplished in the influence of the south to north, and the cultures of the south have been significantly influenced by the cultures of the north. Portugal, a small country in Europe conquered the massive land area known as Brazil, and gave it the language it uses to this day. Spain took the remaining half of the continent, broke it into states and gave them the language that characterizes them, and Mexico currently. There is a story in all this that needs to be reviewed more widely so to offer insight in human life and conduct. What made the difference? What does it have to say to us? Whatever the full story may be, the story of religion, first pagan and then Catholic Christian, is major in the narrative. Just over 500 years ago, the massive land area (south) was controlled by superstition and religions that incorporated various practices – voodoo, human sacrifice, undocumented priesthoods. Cultures rose and fell due to odd leadership, food availability, disease and conflict. The power of nature, both in persons and jungle, tended to hold sway without creativity to harness the forces of either the people or nature. There is difference south not pertaining north.
History tells the stories of the conquistadors, and the introduction of the European power grabs. Our illustration here relates largely to South America, but similar stories may be told for other European countries reaching to the ends of the southern world to gain their own benefit. Tiny nations like Holland and Belgium made conquests, and others began the European influence in many vast areas of Africa. The English became possessors of some presumed backward nations like India. Australia was first occupied by the British sending prisoners to inhabit the continent, pushing back the aboriginals. (The same policy related to Georgia in the American colonies. John Wesley began a personal ministry among prisoners in Georgia, early in his adult life.) To some degree this included the western hemisphere, so that part of the story grows out of the move west to North America, as well as to the Southern Hemisphere, but the northern areas first pushed away. For the United States, English and Europeans predominantly, rather early as historical phases developed, became Americans/Canadians – a part of dynamic world involvement.
A dominant force in all this related to the influence of the Christian religion, both from the Catholic context and the Protestant. It is interesting that the colonial advance in the north was dominantly Protestant (variant) and the advance in the colonies of America was, at first, Anglican (specific in Protestant identity). Mexico and California was dominantly Catholic in Spanish influence. In any event, the influence of the Christian faith was strong, and a primary factor underlying the military, the government, and the shifting cultures. There was some missionary fervor in the processes, revealed in many writings of the time. It is interesting that many of the early leaders were ministers and priests – remembered today. One wonders if the real story of Christ to the nations will be recognized in the conclusions of historians. There is a mystery about mankind and nature we need to probe a bit more in the light of geography, the invaders, and influences that contributed to the emergence of governments, beliefs, and contributions to modern life. The church ought to be interested in the influence of Christianity, in both affirmative and negative factors. How can modern missionary effort carry forward well in the light of the history of the church and nations in modern times? We might discover that a massive effort to establish higher educational institutions, in the Christian context, might be an effective policy in advancing the objectives of life in the Gospel of Christ. The historical approach to missions has changed significantly since World War II. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020