I am currently reading a book called ‘African Traditional Religions and Culture in Botswana’ by Prof. James Amanze at the University of Botswana.  In the first chapter he discusses the concept of the high God in African traditional religions in general and in Botswana specifically.  He makes the argument that the concept of the high God ‘Modimo’ (Morimo in Shekgalagari) existed before white Christians ever came to what is now Botswana.  He makes the argument that this god was seen as the Creator and sustainer of all things, that he is a good and benevolent god who allows punishment or calamity to befall his people in order to discipline them when they have done wrong or are going down destructive paths and who blesses and increases when his people live according to the accepted traditional values, which are essentially the same as our ten commandments.  I agree with Dr. Amanze about this.  As a matter of fact, a look at almost any religious system will show that left to our own devices, human beings can look around at nature and come to the conclusion that there is a God.  They can conclude that He is a good God.  It is almost universal that the good God surrounds himself with good people and there is a significant need to be good in order to connect with the good God and have his blessing on your life.  But, people cannot intuitively come up with the concept of Jesus.  You can’t get that from nature.  You can’t get that from the way you ‘naturally’ feel about how to connect to God.  Because Jesus is a historical person.  He is God in a body in a certain time and in a certain place reaching out to humankind and welcoming them into an intimate relationship with their creator.  And Jesus made that all possible by being executed in a certain way, in a certain place and being witnessed by certain people to die, and certain people saw that He had risen again.  The work of Jesus is an event of history and people don’t intuitively know history.  You have to tell them.  Amanze points out well that the traditional Batswana picture of God is close to the God that we know from the Scriptures.  But only through Jesus can God be truly known and accessed.  The concept of ‘Jesus’ does not exist in any traditional religious system.  None of us got Jesus without missionaries at some point telling someone who was our ancestor.  People won’t figure out Jesus on their own.  They have to be told about Him.  What a privilege to work as God’s instrument to do just that.  Jesu o ka nthusa!  Amen!