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Pride
goes
before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
 In the parable of the sower, Jesus commended those whose
faith was rooted firmly in soil. In The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara
Kingsolver reveals a potential flaw in those whose faith are firmly rooted-
arrogance and the inability to accept others. Due to the predominant effects of
stubborn pride in the novel, all characters eventually abandon Christianity, a
reflection of Kingsolver's personal beliefs. However, embedded in her message,
which, at first glances seems like a attack on Christianity, is a message of
acceptance for everyone to learn.
The Poisonwood Bible is the story of the unfortunate lives of the Price family in Congo. Reverend
Nathan Price, a die-hard worker of
Christ moves his family of six from Atlanta, Georgia to Kilanga, Congo for a
yearlong missionary trip. His family, mother Orleanna Price, and daughters
Rachel, Leah, Adah and Ruth May, follow faithfully, convinced of their family's
higher calling. Things turn sour in
Congo, as series of unfortunate events tumble into the lives of the Price
family. Warnings from fellow missionaries urge the family to fly back to
America, but the die-hard attitude
of Nathan Price puts his family in further danger. A plague of ants terrorizes the village, villagers refuse Jesus as
their Savior, material support for the Price family cause ceases back home, and a Price child dies. Nathan
Price's fervency for God at that
point compels his family to leave him. The once overtly religious family becomes disillusioned in the faith, and
ironically, become unable to accept the Father who had brought them to Africa.
From the beginning, Nathan Price was highly intolerant
towards the natives, going so far as to reject the natives' hospitality on the
account of their improper attire (or lack of attire). His hubris got in the way
of assimilation. He refused to see the world from the eyes of a native, he
refused to sympathize with their extreme paranoia, and he refused to admit that
the Africans may not even want Jesus as their Savior. Consequently, he leads his family into detrimental trouble, but still blinded by his stubbornness, he eventually causes all those around him to stumble.
 Nathan Price was overtly zealous. He loved God, and all he
truly wanted to do was to preach God's word. His fervency, however, was poisoned by stubborn pride. It is not to say
that religious fervor is detrimental. If anything, fervor for God is
beneficial. However, arrogance and oblivion can often accompany this fervor.
And when these qualities seep into the soil, the plant, despite its firmness,
can still wilt.
Kingsolver tells the Christian community to rid of the
mentality that we are better than the nonbelievers. To the nonbelievers,
salvation from Jesus is not a priority, or even a possibility. Immediate
material satisfaction was the key to their hearts of the Congolese. Jesus could
not provide that per say and Nathan
Price was unable to see this connection
as he hastily imposed his rules on the natives. This is not to say that
we should stop preaching- but we need to approach our ministry humbly and be
willing to be more acceptant towards others' personal beliefs. Kingsolver
builds her book on this message- God can be anyone or anything, it's all a
matter of perspective. As Christians, we need to realize that this is true of others-
only then can we be able to successfully preach the good news. Only then can we
truly yield fruit, without harming those around us.
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