Rescued By His Love

 Good Morning Friends,

Thank you all so much for your comments last week.  My sister even got the song I'd mentioned and enjoyed the memories.  She said our mother used to sing this song, but I didn't remember that.

Anyway, on the theme of the hard times we all seem to be facing in America as well as the world, I'd like to add another comment this week.  Then I promise (I hope) I'll move on to happier thoughts.

Let me take you back 10 or 15 years ago to a place in New Zealand.  I forgot where it was, but the evening was unforgettable.  

Being typical tourists, we booked to attend a "Hangi", which is a traditional meal of the original people of New Zealand, the Maoris.

It was a lovely evening of song and dance, tongue wagging and grimaces, all reminiscent of their ancient culture.  Then they served a feast that had been buried in a pit and cooked to perfection (the Hangi itself).

As the evening was closing up, one of the Maori leaders got up and talked.  He talked about their history and then said something that made my jaw drop.

"If the Christian Missionaries had not come to New Zealand in the 1880's, we would not be having this feast today. We would not be here today"

What a shock!  The audience responded with a group gasp.   What a thing to say, and in a secular venue!

"No", he continued, "Our complete existence in the old days depended on revenge and retribution (see also the tribes that were transformed in the Amazon jungle. I'm thinking of the book by Steve Saint, "The End of the Spear")

"Every action", he continued," was about winning against the rival tribe, not in friendly engagement but with hatred and the aim of wiping them out completely."

"Instead of hate and revenge, Christianity taught us love, care and concern."

After the guests gathered their things and left, I spoke to the leader and told him we were missionaries. He was glad that we were there to hear this testament and then went on to mention that ministering in modern society might look different but we still represent the same issues.

The verse in Romans 9:29 says this:  

“It is just as Isaiah said previously: ‘Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.’” 

We who live in a Western world know very well that this battle still exists.  It exists in America, and it seems to get more obvious every day.

But let's remember that we have been rescued by the love of Christ.  God is alive and here for us. Through Christ, we have the privilege and the duty to stand up (in love and compassion) for what we believe and NOT to let the enemy destroy us or our heritage. 

Till next week, 

Marsha