This week some amazing pictures and footage was released that shows uncontacted Indians on the Brazil-Peru border in never-seen-before detail. It is the first-ever aerial footage of an uncontacted community in the amazon.
The footage was filmed by the BBC in collaboration with the Brazilian government, for the new BBC 1 ‘Human Planet’ series (broadcast 3 Feb). The whole story can be found here.
The obvious question raised is how do we bring them the Gospel, and who will do it? Survival International is using this footage as part of their campaign to protect these natives and keep them uncontacted. While I am completely for protecting their rights and their land, how do we balance that with our Great Commission command to bring the gospel to every nation (ethnic people group)? We must obey God’s command, but there are many issues to consider if they are to be contacted, like diseases, loss of culture, language, etc. How will we reach them?
For more thoughts on reaching primitive tribal peoples and the problem with Survival International’s idealizing of primitive cultures, see our previous post.
With care and without any modern trappings of our society, only the love of Christ. Full survival mode, no ball caps or t-shirts or energy bars. Live like them, learn from them, show them the love of Christ.
What to do about offering the religion? NOTHING. They undoubtedly have their own so respect that and offer NOTHING.
As far as encroachment is concerned. This is inevitable (i.e. human nature = all populations increase naturally). Because they’re still isolated that somehow gives them special rights? Give me a break! I’m not suggesting to trample their rights but anyone can make an argument that they need 1000 hectares for their own ecosystem to survive but in reality you need the entire space on earth to make a sub-system survive. Stop the madness and learn to integrate while also preserving heritage and a way of life…but not at all costs…there’s 7 billion of us. No turning back.
The Gospel is clear that without Jesus Christ a person cannot be saved. There is one God and one Savior, Jesus. To leave even a remote tribe without a knowledge of what God requires, is to leave them without salvation. Your solution to do nothing is to condemn these dear people.. Perhaps you do not understand these things or do not agree that only by Jesus can a person be saved. In any event, we must tell every creature the good news that God is ready to forgive our sins and grant us eternal life. The word of God is that this salvation is only found in the Messiah, who proved that He is the only Savior by raising Himself from the dead.