Looks like missionary is the top vote within five minutes of polling 😂 So let's start there. First, before I get mansplained, I'm a missionary convert, grew up in missionary community, studied missions in grad level, was career missionary for 5 years.
Although loss of life is always sad, we cannot let reverence keep us from talking about important things, especially when it may the thing that could have PREVENTED this death. Tell the story to expose what's problematic in the missionary mindset - talk about it. It's the time.
What he did was reckless, harmful to the tribe (potential genocide), and sadly harmful to himself to the point of death. But it is also the logical fruit of many teachings within the missionary community.
Like @diannaeanderson pointed out, we were raised to try to reach every tribe, tongue, and nation. It was "urgent" business. People were perishing to eternal damnation because of our lukewarm sentiment. It was a radicalizing message.
We were told stories of martyrs, and especially of missionaries who broke local laws in order to preach the gospel. The fact that the island was protected by Indian law wouldn't have mattered in light of the Great Commission.
I'm concerned his family/friends are going to emulate the story of Jim Elliott, and continue to try to reach the tribe, hoping that his death has opened a door. I've already seen reports that they claim to have "forgiven" the killers, this is scripted from the Elliott story.
I've seen conversations over what it means to do evangelism/missions activity that isn't reckless, and I feel torn about this chatter. Mostly, because I fear the conversation is used to legitimize the teachings that led to this man's behavior.
Is it possible to decolonize missions? I honestly don't know. I don't see great examples, and if there are, they are few and far between, overwhelmed by the colonizing that is still inherent in much of missionary activity today.
I am pessimistic about this because I think there's still so much work to be done to dismantle whiteness, and it just isn't going to happen unless there is major disruption happening within missionary communities, and I don't see that happening.
What I see are a repackaging of the same thing, made more palatable for modern times but white supremacy still running the show, looming large like the ever present beast.
Lastly, listen to @failmissionary podcast - there's some truth telling going on there.
