There was a pinkeye epidemic among the Motilones, a tribal group of Indians in a remote Colombian jungle area. The traditional healer (”witch doctor”) had been unable to bring healing through her incantations, potions and prayers. Missionary Bruce Olson offered her Terramycin as a possible cure. She rejected it, saying, “You are white. Your ways are different from ours.”
Olson had decided there was no demonic element in her traditional healing practices. So when he himself contracted pinkeye he asked her for help. She tried unsuccessfully to heal him. When Olson returned, clearly unhealed, he asked her to perform her incantations again but this time to put Terramycin in his eyes as well. She agreed and three days later he became the first person to be healed. Olson commended her for healing him with Terramycin and suggested she might be able to do this with her people as well. Within three days everyone in the tribe was cured.
Later the traditional healer introduced disinfectants into tribal ceremonies and other health measures. Eventually, health centres were established among this tribal group, administered and staffed by Motilones.
Summarised from Duane Elmer’s recounting of this story: Cross-Cultural Conflict. Building Relationships for Effective Ministry (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 1993) 60-61.
1. What is likely to have happened if Olson had directly administered Terramycin to those afflicted with pinkeye?
2. What were the consequences of Olson’s way of handling this conflict?
3. What principles of dealing with conflict are suggested by this example?
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