The Peace Child

Last week, our small children's department put on a wonderful Christmas pageant, complete with Mary, Joseph, a rather hyperactive angel Gabriel, a grumpy innkeeper, two shepherds, two sheep, a cardboard donkey, a grandmother and her little granddaughter. It was charming to see and hear the wonderful story told by children in words and song, and everyone came away feeling closer to what God had done for us in this miracle. We laughed at the littliest wise man trying to say 'frankensence' and at the smallest sheep's disasterous encounter with the cardboard donkey, but we also had tears in our eyes as one little girl sang 'Silent Night' and as Mary and Joseph sang 'Away in the Manger' with the angel Gabriel. What a blessing! We are fortunate to have had this story told to us over and over each year, but sometimes in the retelling, we lose sight of the miracle that God worked that night long ago.

Recently I finished a book called 'The Peace Child', which recounts the experience of a missionary in Irian Jaya (the former Dutch New Guinea) with the cannabilistic Sawi tribe. This tribe survived only when the various bands had limited contact with each other, since their tradition was to trick, kill and eat their enemies, even within the same tribal territory. When presented with the gospel, they actually admired Judas, since he successfully tricked his friend Jesus before betraying Him. The missionary was in despair and was actually getting ready to move from their area due to their escalating warfare. The tribe, wanting to keep him there, invoked a rare ceremony, called the Peace Child, where a cherished infant from each band was given away to the other band to serve as the link that would stop war. As long as the peace child lived....there was peace between the bands. The missionary, overcome with what he had seen, immediately told them of the Peace Child that God had sent many years before. This Peace Child links all God's children, taking away the need for war and hatred amoung God's children. This Peace Child will never die, but lives today, just like He did in that stable 2000 years ago, to restore us to God. The Sawi tribe was overwhelmed with what they now understood of God's love for them. After a millenium of warfare, hatred, trickery and death, God's light had come into their world. May your hearts this Christmas understand as well what God's Peace Child means for you.
Merry Christmas!

Unexpected Guests

Once upon a time, there was a mom and two kids who had a lovely home in the country....but who also had an insatiable sense of curiosity. There were tall trees, green grass and all they could ever need at home, but the grass always looked a little greener over the fence. One day, they decided to see if that greener grass really was better. Slipping out of their lovely yard, they took a walk through the woods. The kids didn't like the woods because it was rather dark and they could sense that wild animals like coyotes lurked there. They were relieved when they came to a large, green meadow with lots of room to run. Mom thought to herself that this really did look better than home.

In the middle of the big green meadow was a large, fine home with a broad porch and many flowering plants. Being very polite, the mother went to pay her respects to the people in the house, but didn't meet with the reception she expected! The woman wouldn't let her explore the porch, or sample the beautiful ornamental cabbage growing in the pots. In fact, the woman wouldn't even let them stay on the porch, but rather rudely motioned them to return the meadow. They tried several times to get closer to the house, but the woman insisted that they keep their distance. The pet cats on the place were very friendly (friendlier than the people in the house), so they decided to stay in the field and enjoy the beautiful green grass.

About that time, the man came out of the house. He was dressed in a heavy coat, a warm hat and had a walking stick in his hand. The mother was rather frightened of the stick and tried to keep her distance, even when he kept following them and tried to communicate by waving the stick. Then, a strange thing happened....he began to talk their language. You see, the man is a linquist and besides speaking many human languages.....he could also speak theirs. His accent was strange and the words hard to understand, but they understood that he wanted them to follow him...so they did!

Across the lovely meadow, back through the scary, dark woods, they followed the man until suddenly they saw something familiar...HOME. Strange as it may seem, the place that had seem ordinary now seemed safe and welcoming. They hurried past the man with the stick and ran to their place in their yard. The grass may be greener on the other side of the fence, but there is no place like home.

(I am having trouble uploading the picture - so in case you haven't guessed by now.... three goats came to visit!)