Christianity and...Ghana

This post is actually adopted from a response to one of my Camp Tekoa return staff application questions. It just seemed appropriate because I've been meaning to blog about this for a while. It's a little edited, seeing as how in this one there's no mention of camp.

My spiritual growth over the past few months has been quite a different experience. I remember back when I was applying to study abroad that I wrote about wanting to experience a different type of religious culture. I definitely got what I asked for, maybe even a little more. The faiths here are similar to the US- mostly Christian and Muslim. The way Christianity is practiced is very intense though. The church services are very, very long. I’ve been to a few, some I really enjoyed, some I did not. What I really like about Christianity in Ghana is that it is very community-based, where people pray in groups a lot and there is always some big event or seminar going on. And there is so much excitement during worship. People are joyful about praising God. What bothers me a little though is the way the name Jesus is commercialized. His name is put on everything- the back of buses, fast food stands, convenient stores, etc. And it doesn’t feel quite so welcoming. Christianity seems like more of a club or cult here than a faith. And I don’t mean always, but sometimes a lot of my friends and I get that vibe. It seems like people are sometimes Christian just to be religious, because everyone else is doing it.

This has really made me think about my own faith as well as Christianity as a whole. How many times have I prayed or helped someone in need because people were watching and I knew I needed to? How many times have I prayed or helped someone in need because I was being sincere and was actually feeling and sharing God’s love? I really hope it has been the second one much more often. 

On another point, some of my closest friends here are either atheist, agnostic, or experimenting with religion. If you are not a very religious person and you come to Ghana, daily conversations can get a little frustrating, because people love to ask about your religion, and are surprised if you don’t really have any beliefs. Sometimes conversations with my friends can get a little controversial, but I don’t love them any less because of it. It’s been really interesting to hear so many different viewpoints and why they think the way they do. It’s made me think back on why I really am a Christian. Faith isn’t quite as real when you follow it for no real reasons. It’s important for us to understand for ourselves why we pray, worship, and believe. Only then are we able to truthfully influence others.