THE PEACE CHILD

There is a wonderful story told of a couple, Don and Carol Richardson, who, along with their seven-month-old baby, risked their lives to share the Gospel with a tribe of cannibalistic headhunters in New Guinea known as the Sawi.

The Richardsons became proficient in the Sawi language, but Don struggled to find a way to help the villagers understand the Gospel. The cultural barriers made it seem impossible. As historian Ruth Tucker wrote, "In their eyes, Judas, was the hero, and Jesus was just a dupe to be laughed at." Until one day, God gave them the key to help the Sawi to understand the subtitutionary atonement of Christ through a their own mythology.

Three tribal villages were in constant battle at this time. The Richardsons considered leaving the area, to keep them there, the Sawi people came together and decided that they would make peace with their enemies.

Ceremonies were held in which a young child, known as the ‘Peace Child’ was exchanged between opposing villages. One man ran toward his enemy's camp and literally gave his son to his hated foe. From this, Richardson was able to present the analogy of God's sacrifice of his own Son and the Sawi began to understand the teaching of the incarnation of Christ. Many were converted to Christianity.

Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, we have found ourselves at odds with and alienated from God. We have made ourselves enemies of God. We joined the enemy camp. God did not declare ‘war’ on us, we, in essence, declared war on Him.

But God did not hate us, even then, He hated sin, in part, because of the separation it causes. So, rather than allow us to, as John Howe states, ‘suffer the dreadful consequences of so desperate and unequal a war against the Almighty’, God in a divine act of grace began to reveal the ground work for a reconciliation between man and Himself. Rather than allow us to ‘suffer the consequences of our own ruin and eternal death, He chose Himself to die for us’.

When the angel appeared to the shepherds in the field, saying, ‘there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,’ and the multitude of angels chimed in with, ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men.’ they were presenting to the world the ‘Peace Child’ that had been promised by Isaiah when he said ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.’ (Isaiah 9:6)

On Christmas Day, over 2000 years ago, He who was and is eternal God was born. God became man and took upon Himself true humanity. It was the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s peace treaty, as it were, with men, a treaty that was signed in His own blood at the cross. In that atonement, the Scriptures say he ‘destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility . . . thus making peace . . . to reconcile them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near." (Eph. 2:14-17.)

At the cross, the enmity on the part of God was removed and all that remains is for each of us to accept that offer of peace. – Rachel Whelan © Dec 2009

POLITICS AND RELIGION

People are quick to say you should never discuss politics and religion. What they don’t tell you is that if you don’t discuss religion a lot of people are going to Hell and if you don’t discuss politics the country will. -- © 1999 Rachel Whelan

SMALL MIRACLES

This past year, just before Christmas, a young woman I know received a most unexpected gift. She was expecting her first child to be born in the spring, however, because of medical complications, neither she or her doctor had foreseen, the child was born three months early.

Since the child weighed only slight over one pound, there was much reason for everyone’s concern about the child’s chances for survival.

To everyone’s amazement, the child, up to this time, is doing well and, as a note of interest, when anyone in the room makes a clicking noise with their tongue, the child repeats the sound.

At a time when there is much discussion over when life begins, I find it amazing to watch a life so small, surviving against the odds, more than surviving, flourishing.

As we begin a new year, may we be reminded by the small miracles such as this that occur around us everyday. How precious the gift of life really is at any age, from the youngest to the oldest. May we each learn to cherish all life, never take it for granted, not for ourselves or for others. Life truly is a gift, one with no promise of tomorrow. May we strive to love and care for one another while we are here. --- © 1999 Rachel Whelan