“As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God”
That was one of the headlines in a British newspaper a few days ago. Atheist and journalist Matthew Parris visited his boyhood home in Africa and came to a rather ironic conclusion. 
…travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I’ve been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I’ve been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.
Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.
It’s a fascinating, unbiased testimony to the authentic personal and social change produced by genuine conversion. Read it here.
Barry Wallace
theoparadox
pijohnson
Fascinating read. A confirmed atheist preaching for Christian missionaries. Does this not prove how great is our God, how He can use all for His glory?
Stunning and beautiful! I’ll point your way when I post this on my blog. Wow. Thanks.
Andy,
Your comment made me think of Psalm 76:10 – “Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.” God is absolutely sovereign over everything. I would say that He not only can but does use all for his glory, even when it’s not this glaringly obvious.
Laurie,
Stunning is a good description. I think my jaw dropped a little when I initially read the article.
God is sovereign, and this is such a thought provoking topic.
PS: You have been tagged. See my blog for details.
Wow….its just unbeliev…..no indescribable how awesome our God is.
A testimony to the power of grace from the mouth of an unbeliever…I wonder how Christopher Hitchens or Richard Dawkins would react to this article.
Thanks for this post!
Ron,
I suspect Hitchens would wince at that statement, since he argues in God is Not Great that all forms of religion are bad for society. I think Douglas Wilson soundly refuted Hitchens in their debate, Is Christianity Good for the World?
With respect to this quote from the article: “Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being”…
It seems that what you are describing is the essence of spirituality, the recognition and cultivation of “oneness” with God (or with one’s inner light/spirit)–but it is important to recognize this is not unique to Christianity. Buddhist meditation and various forms of mystical spiritual contemplative practice within most religions also recognize, honor and seek this essential unmediated unity with a “higher power”—understanding not only that it is inside all of us if we only seek it out, but that it offers an empowering form of wisdom and universal connection to self and others. Christianity seems to have mastered the market side of the conversion process certainly better than other religions (except perhaps Mormonism/LDS) and the wariness of the spread of Evangelical Christianity is warranted given the tendency towards ideological dogmatism represented by this shade of Christian Protestantism. But certainly, recognition of the power of one’s own spiritual connection with a “higher power” (God, spirit, universal human connection, what have you) and the capacity to cultivate this side of one’s humanity is an important and valuable contribution of many religions. Albeit one that has unfortunately often been polluted by religion’s numerous other pursuits such as gaining converts and social control.