December 11, 2014

 

Dear Members and Friends,

 

In 1962, Don Richardson and his wife Carol moved to West Papua, Indonesia. With their 6-month-old son Steve in their arms, the Richardsons approached the Sawi tribe, not realizing that the very act of carrying their infant was a sign of peace to the 400 Sawi tribal people waiting to greet them.

 

As the Richardsons began to explain Jesus' story to the tribe, they realized that the Sawi were interpreting Jesus' betrayer Judas as the hero of the story. It turned out the Sawi idealized treachery. Sometimes they would even befriend a member of another village for the sole purpose of later betraying him to the death and having a cannibalistic feast.

 

In time, battles broke out between various villages over who got to be close to the Richardsons. When Don Richardson told them they needed to make peace or they would leave, a man brought his baby son to another opposing group. The Richardsons were told that in the Sawi community, when one village wanted to make peace, they presented one of their children to another village. For as long as that "peace child" lived, there would be peace between the enemies.

 

After working hard to explain the Good News, Carol Richardson finally realized that this "peace child" act was a metaphor for the Gospel. A father would give his son to the enemy to bring peace and bring reconciliation. After this "peace child" explanation of the Gospel, there was a breakthrough among the Sawi. They started recognizing that Jesus was God's peace child-the ultimate peace child. They began responding to the Gospel, and the Sawi eventually began reaching out in their own missionary efforts to tribes they had previously warred against.

 

Over fifty years later, the Sawi continue to live with faith in Jesus Christ as the Peace Child who reconciles them to God the Father and then to one another. As we approach Christmas during this Advent season, may we embrace Christ as our Peace Child who brought peace with God not only by living but by dying on the cross in our place and then rising again with the power of new life for all who call on Him.

 

Let us all call on Christ in these wonderful days of anticipation and celebration so that we may know peace with God, peace within ourselves, and peace with others--the peace of God which passes all human understanding. Let us spread word of the ultimate Peace Child to those whom we know and those whom we meet this Christmastide.

 

Pastor Tim

 

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