Musicology and Missiology
My poor spellchecker. Evidently Bill Gates does not know the word missiology. Type in missiology and up comes a helpful set of alternatives headed by musicology! But then again, what is the relationship between missiology and musicology or for that matter, mission and business, the creative arts, journalism and a hundred other things that ‘normal’ people do for a living?
In Interserve we bring these things together under the term ‘wholistic mission’.
There was a time when Interserve was unusual amongst mission communities in promoting an wholistic vision of mission. Not so today. In fact, all strands of mission are using the buzz words of transformation, integral ministry and wholistic ministry. But what do we mean?
Well, as the song says, ‘Let’s start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start.’
Mission is God’s BIG IDEA! The Bible is all about God’s mission. Mission is God’s initiative from start to finish: the promise to Abraham that through one nation God intends to bless all nations; the Old Testament preparation of a people and culture that would be receptive to God’s work; the fulfillment of that work in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; the ministry of the Holy Spirit, orchestrating all mission that flows from the Christ event and empowering his disciples as God’s mission carriers. God is the real missionary from start to finish. If we want to understand God’s mission we need to understand the whole story of mission presented in the Bible. Instead of a reductionist view of mission that draws on a number of key texts we need to develop a view of mission that draws on the whole message of Scripture.
Our understanding of wholistic mission must begin in the garden and end in the city. “Too often our theology and missiology begins with Genesis 3 and ends with Revelation 20”2 In other words, a missiology that is framed by mankind’s fall and God’s final judgment, with personal salvation filling the sandwich, is a defective missiology. Wholistic missiology must include at least the following:
The beginning: Genesis 1&2 The biblical story begins with a God who is distinct from his creation (transcendent) yet intimately involved (immanent). Creation is not a temporary staging post or a ‘platform’ for the real world to come but the sphere of God’s activity. There is no dichotomy between ‘sacred’ and ‘secular’. Creation is good! Mankind is mandated to care for this world, a mission command that is never rescinded. Indeed, the creation account makes it clear that the ‘image of God’ in which mankind is made relates closely to his vice-regent role as creation’s warden. The revelation of God as creator profoundly shapes our own understanding of work, rest, creativity and ecology. The doctrine of creation shapes a biblical understanding of wholistic mission.
The goal of history: Revelation 21&22 Christians know that there is a goal to history. The end (telos) is not the end of the story but the completion of His story. God is still the creator God, creating a new heaven and new earth. A new Jerusalem descends from heaven. The redeemed do not go up ‘to heaven’ to live but inhabit the new earth where God once more dwells with man. As John’s vision draws to a close the One seated on the throne speaks for the first time in the revelation, saying, “I am making all things new” (Rev 21:5). Here is the fulfillment of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in the heavens.” Yes, the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ! (Rev 11:15) Eschatology shapes a biblical understanding of wholistic mission.
The all-pervasive impact of sin: Genesis 3 At the heart of the gospel message is a call to recognise personal sin and its effect in rupturing our relationship with God. Yet, sin distorts and damages all relationships: interpersonal, with God and with the created order. Because of sin the man and woman are excluded from the garden, that place of harmony and wholeness in all relationships. A whole view of the fall and the multi-level impact of sin shapes a biblical understanding of wholistic mission.
The all-inclusive scope of the cross and resurrection: God’s solution for sin is as far reaching as the tentacles of sin itself. Not only is God out to restore his relationship with humankind, he is out to restore all things.
The cross and resurrection provide the solution for all of creation: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross” Col 1:19-20
God is in the business of reconciling to himself individuals, society and indeed the whole of creation3. God loved ‘the world’ (cosmos) so much that he gave his one and only son’. Wholistic mission refuses to reduce God’s cosmic act of reconciliation to a single dimension, individual human beings, however central that dimension may be in his mission plan. A cosmic view of salvation shapes a biblical understanding of wholistic mission.
Wholistic mission derives from God’s mission, Missio Dei. God is the good creator who is in the business of making new his good but broken creation. God has purposed to bring reconciliation and transformation to the whole created order. In wholistic mission we are called to join God in his purpose. This is where mission and music, business, journalism, art and drama and everything else fits in. These are not simply platforms for proclamation. They are places to be reclaimed for Christ, filled with his presence and presented to him for his glory. As we do that we call others to join us in our acts of worship. Mission becomes proclamation to the world in the call to repentance and reconciliation, the heavenlies in the declaration of the victory of Christ and to God himself in our song of praise.
Since the beginning of time God has been going about his mission and one day he will complete it. Wholistic mission requires that we never lose sight of the end, not settle for a reduced view of what God has in store for his creation. We live in communities filled with sadness, injustice, corruption, violence and greed. God is not simply bent on rescuing a few, destroying the rest and starting again. By faith we affirm that the One who sits on the throne is making all things new.
Jesus models the reality of a new world order, God’s kingdom come. He demonstrates the kingdom of God by offering the love and goodness of the Father unconditionally. This offer of life can only be made through incarnation and vulnerability. It cost Jesus his life.
We, his disciples, are called to bear witness to the suffering and victory of God in Christ. We now bring the Kingdom in the same way that Jesus did: unconditionally, incarnationally and vulnerably. Through our speaking, doing and being, we invite people to become part of that new world order. As they are discipled and put into practice all that Jesus commanded, so they and their communities are transformed. One day that process will be complete, for we shall see him and be like him. God invites us to join him in mission, wholistic mission.
Singing a New Song
Ethnomusicology within the context of missions-How does this help bring God’s love to people? What is this work about anyway? Do ethnomusicologists write songs for people? Do they contextualize their own songs into local forms? Do they translate hymns?
I have been working for six years doing ethnomusicology work in South Asia and at times I still find it difficult to explain what I do. People still ask me the questions above. Perhaps I can help you step back a bit so that you may gain a fresh picture of some of the main things involved in this work.
1. Ethnomusicology, in the context of missions, is first about the worship of God. We want people of any language and culture to be free to worship God deeply and meaningfully. I often work in places where there are few believers and few Christian songs and worship materials available. Sometimes the foreigners who were working with these people thought that local songs lacked variety. Sometimes they assumed that all people should love the Western hymns and choruses they love. As a result of this, they often proceeded to translate their own choruses or favorite hymns into the language of the local people. Sometimes they bring their guitars and keyboards as well. This, of course, often leads to a shallow and superficial worship of God. It also can communicate that Christianity is something foreign, or that local music is not good enough for the worship of God.
I work with believers, often through workshops, to help them explore what is already theirs – a rich heritage of songs and cultural expressions, to help them build a biblical foundation for new Christian songs, and then help spark creativity so that they may make new songs, dramas, dances, poems, or stories that are relevant to church and community needs.
Several months ago I led a workshop in India with four language groups. A young man from one of the language groups said their group had always used songs from a related language group but had no Christian songs in their own language and in their own song styles. He said that unbelievers derided the believers for singing the songs of “outsiders” or of the related language group. During the workshop a few of the believers from this group made about 8 to 10 new songs. They were very encouraged at these first new Christian songs. A few months later I received an e-mail saying that people in this group had now written around 100 new Christian songs and were ready for their own first Christian song book.
2. Ethnomusicology is also about valuing people at a deeper level. It is about building relationships. Learning a local language is the best ways to communicate value to the local people, but learning their songs, their instruments, and helping them record or develop these, can communicate love and concern for them at an even deeper level. Doing this also brings openness in the community to the gospel. As you probably know, many people may be unwilling to listen to the gospel if it is spoken to them, but they may be willing to listen to the same message if it is sung in a local song style.
3. Ethnomusicology is about meeting community needs through local artistic expressions. I lead workshops in different communities for the creation of songs and dramas which deal with physical and spiritual concerns in the community. In one workshop, people from Muslim, Christian, and Hindu villages came together to discuss significant problems or issues they faced in their communities. They then began to work on songs or dramas that would help deal with these needs.
4. Ethnomusicology is about communicating God’s word in relevant local forms. There are still many in my area who cannot read or cannot read very well. Believers need more than written forms to learn scripture truth, and unbelievers need these forms in order to hear the truth. Though nowadays many are involved in getting the scripture into stories in local languages, ethnomusicology enables an outsider to research local song or story forms at a deeper, more rigorous level. This can help an outsider give better insight and thoughtful encouragement to local people as they create songs, stories, or dramas which are in relevant local forms.
Some of you may still ask me if I write songs for people. Let me stress that I do not write these songs myself. Good poets and song writers, people who have a deep grasp of the nuances of their own language, poetic forms, and melodies are hard to come by. It would be much harder still for an outsider to attempt to do such a thing.
In the end it’s not so much about music but about cultural artistic expression. It’s not about contextualizing foreign forms, but helping people explore and use the forms which are already theirs. Its not about focusing on music or the art, but encouraging believers to focus on God and the knowledge of Christ so that, as it says in Colossians 3:16, their songs and local expressions would flow out of this.
Risky Living
“We are targets. We ARE targets.” That phrase kept repeating itself in my mind after a terrorist attack that interrupted our lives for many months. The period of post traumatic stress that followed was an enriching time of processing our theology of suffering and risk.
My husband and I serve in a creative-access country where traditional mission work is not acceptable. We work with an international non-governmental organization in an English language teaching project. We minister wholistically through our lives and project work as we interact with the local population in class, in the market, and in our daily lives.
There are various reasons why our country is not an easy place. However, the harshness of our location does not take away from the effectiveness of witness. Rather, it seems to enhance it, in God’s mysterious and unexplainable way of working.
Our location is tough emotionally because of the security issues and the real physical danger we face. Explosions, fighting, kidnappings, murders, and robberies are part of life. We have security guards, security training, and security updates. Obviously safety is not the main motivating factor in our lives. We live and work among people whom God loves and who are lost and needy.
They also have security to worry about, and where do they go when they want to find safety and a refuge?
Secondly, we are in a spiritually hard place. We are in enemy territory. The majority religion has a strong hold on people, and there is little response to the good news. If there is some positive response, the enemy of our souls attacks. There can be threats to the Christian worker, with implications for his or her project and company. There can be threats against the local person who has made a profession. A local brother’s decision to change his faith might be with mixed motives of wanting help to leave the country or to have a better life. It can seem that all our work has no fruit, and discouragement and darkness prevail.
Living here is physically hard. It is a harsh environment. Our country is beautiful with breath-taking views of snowy mountains and vast barren deserts, yet the challenges of travelling and living in a developing country that lacks the facilities and infrastructure for convenient living are not in place. We would appreciate reliable electricity, clean drinking water, paved roads, responsible government, and dependable transportation. Many little things can go wrong in our daily lives and lots of energy is used in the effort it takes to live here.
It is also socially challenging because of the transience of colleagues with whom we serve and share fellowship. Many do not stay for long. When their aid or development projects are done, they leave. It can be wearing to keep saying hello and goodbye so often. Relationships and friendships can become superficial, and deep fellowship and the resulting edification of each other is hard to find.
All of these added together constitute for a life of unrelenting bombardment of feeling overwhelmed. Why stay in this place?
Yet for some reason there are many workers here who find it difficult to leave, especially if they have been here longer. Why? I think one reason is precisely because it is a hard place! It is a challenge to be here, and yet seeing how God undertakes and sustains and pours out His grace is an incredible joy. There is encouragement from the visible evidence of how our efforts in aid and in developing the country and people, helping bring them some hope in a bleak place. Things can improve, even if it is on a small scale.
Though there are seemingly unending challenges in a hard place, there are also many open doors. We serve to meet needs in a wholistic manner – physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially. At one Easter party we had for our English students, we were discussing how Easter is celebrated and why. In response to some students’ question, one of the students mentioned the Christian website in their language where they could find more information!
People are curious about foreigners and will ask questions. So we often pray for divine appointments, and God provides them. Peoples’ needs give us opportunities to listen to them and pray with them. We can share our message discreetly, in small steps, learning to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. There are many times and places we can share about what God has done for us. Our testimony of “God moments” in our daily life (rather than comparing and contrasting our religious systems, like fasting or worship or sacred books) is easy to talk about with our local friends and neighbours. In our conversations we can give examples of how God has provided answers to prayer, how we are not afraid to live here, and how we keep learning about the local language and culture. These are simple things they can relate to in their life as well.
So we are targets but not like we think. We are noticed like salt and light. An example is our watchman asking us one day if in our culture husbands don’t beat their wives. Wife-beating is not uncommon in our host culture. Our character and lifestyle send a message.
It is a privilege to be unworthy servants in a hard place. We are nothing more than weak vessels with a message we are ready to share when the opportunity arises.”
God is working in Central Asia
Lives are being changed in the Central Asian Republics through the power of the Good News. This intriguing part of the former Soviet Union is made up of five countries – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – all of which gained independence in the early 1990s.
Since that time, in two or three of the “Stans”, there has been a relatively open door to aid and input from the West. While the majority religion is Islam and the Russian Orthodox Church has a strong presence, there has been a dramatic growth in the evangelical or Protestant church, even though many of the new believers face persecution from their families and villages.
In the last few years, in the country we know best, this growth has levelled off, or even decreased. And the door is less open now – new laws threaten to limit the work of NGOs and already restrict the activities of Christian believers, both national and expatriate. But local pastors rebuke the fears of foreign workers by saying: “Where is your faith? God will be glorified!”
Big issues like corruption, poverty, unemployment, rampant inflation, political instability and economic turmoil lead to a widespread sense of hopelessness among the common people. Here and there, though, people are finding hope and faith and lives are being transformed.
Some are ready… On one of those public holidays when businesses and schools were closed but our small, inter-church theological college was working, a woman came in asking to see the principal. Tania said she had come to offer her help – in translating, or in any other way – as she wanted to be of service to “Americans”. As she spoke, tears started flowing, and we took her off to a private office. There she poured out years of hurt and misunderstanding and her longing to be involved with foreigners because with them she sensed more acceptance. We had no answers except to point her to the One who could meet her needs. And there and then she prayed to receive the Lord into her heart.
Tania loves speaking English and she attends the International Fellowship. She bought an English Bible, preferring that, but providentially found a Russian Bible in her workplace. She reads some of this each day and is making progress in understanding.
Some take time… Chinara is a poorly-paid doctor who came to an English Club. Having three children already she was distressed to find she was pregnant again. With her surgeon husband’s encouragement she was going to have an abortion, a very common way out in this part of the world. After our lesson one day she mentioned her predicament to Gulnara, another member of the group.
Gulnara has been a keen and dedicated believer, involved in ministry for more than ten years. She was harshly persecuted by her family in the early days but from the beginning forgave them – and some believed. Divorced, with three young children, she lives hand to mouth, but continues to work joyfully, largely unpaid, in her church, evangelising, teaching the youth, caring for the poor, and leading Bible studies. Every new arrival in the English Club called forth Gulnara’s loving care and evangelistic effort. Sometimes I had to urge her to take it easy in class, when her bold forthrightness upset some! Often after the lesson she would spend an hour or two talking with one or another in the courtyard, interested in them, sharing in their problems. She followed them up with invitations to her home, in time to her church, and built friendships with them.
Gulnara poured time and love into Chinara, and after a week or two she let me know with delight and praise that Chinara had decided to go ahead with the pregnancy. Gulnara’s family and Chinara’s family became close, and Chinara’s children started going to Sunday School. After a while Chinara began going to church occasionally. It took time, but at last Chinara was ready to enter the Kingdom.
Some are ‘not yet’… For several years I ran an English Bible Study group. For believers like Gulnara, it both helped their English and increased their understanding of the Word. But it wasn’t only believers who came along. Two young women who were at least nominally of the majority faith were the most regular attendees. They loved singing songs of praise at Easter and Christmas and they showed a real perception of some of the truths that were being discovered. But although they intellectually agreed with and believed what they were reading, they were not ready or able to take the step of faith into a new life. The seeds have been sown… pray for fruit to develop.
Some are captive… A band of our workers regularly visits a women’s remand centre, at the invitation of the prison director (“I want to keep the women, women,” he said) and with official permission. The visitors take in necessities like soap and shampoo, toilet paper and candles, and when they have the funds, more expensive things like metal buckets for the cells and seed for the vegetable garden; they also have a message to share. There are times of discouragement, when no one seems very interested, but there are other times when women ask for prayer and teaching. “We’re all hard-core criminals,” said one. “Tell us what God’s Word says!” On a recent visit, the visitors found that one woman had come to the Lord a few days before.
Another woman in her cell had shared the gospel with her and all the women in this cell were now reading the Word and praying together. Our friend wrote: “Indeed it is God who causes the growth! How can we not continue to go out there while the doors are open?”
Some are moving ahead… In the theological college we had the privilege of getting to know and training some of the most committed of the Lord’s servants. One older lady, retired and widowed, wanted new direction for her life, and persisted through physical and mental struggles to prepare herself to be more useful in her church. Two fine young men, already pastoring growing churches out of town, committed themselves to two years’ study. Burning the candle at both ends they found little time for doing homework. When I ignorantly suggested doing some study on the hour-long bus journey morning and evening, Esen sheepishly told me he usually slept en route. How encouraged we were when we attended the official opening of his church in a freshly-painted, converted village house and witnessed the joy and zeal of his little flock.
One thirty-ish man was sent, a little reluctantly, by his large Pentecostal church. He was a rather unusual fellow, a bit gauche, and not particularly academic. Those interviewing him wondered whether to accept him as a student. But they did, and through three years of study, with a few hiccups along the way, Talantbek progressed and matured and developed into a trustworthy and sound pastoral candidate. He even married one of the most promising girl students. The senior pastor at his church was so taken by the changes evident in Talantbek’s life that he sent seven more students to the college the next year.
Some are moving out… Ainura is a young woman with a heart for missions. For several years now she has drawn around her a mission prayer movement. Prayer and training conferences have been held, resources prepared, and a “foreign missions society” established. Participants are taught that when sent out they should expect to hold a job in order to support themselves and their families. Ainura provided a model at home base when she took a part-time job in an NGO and devoted the remainder of her time to promoting prayer, oversight and training. It’s all very new, but already one couple has crossed the border into a foreign land and another is to follow. Others are heading in other directions. The evangelical church in Central Asia is young, it suffers hardship and persecution, and yet it is sending out workers into the harvest field.
While some activities and involvement may need to be curtailed because of the restrictive new laws, there is no doubt that the Father will continue to work and to draw people to Himself in Central Asia. He is building His church, and it is our privilege to partner with Him and His local children in that process of transformation.
The author is an English teacher from New Zealand. She and her husband served in Central Asia for 10 years.
A Muslim wedding
The women bent over my hands and feet as I reclined on cushions on their visiting room floor. They made elaborate designs in henna, wanting me to look beautiful as I attended my first wedding in their country. They talked and laughed, anticipating the celebration that would take place in two days as their neighbour became a bride.
The preparations reminded me of Jesus’ story about being ready for a wedding: Once there were ten young women who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
The next day, the feeling at the house of my new friends is one of expectation – today is the big day! The anticipation intensifies as we spend several hours dressing and perfuming our clothing and hair with incense. Finally we are ready!
As my friends and I arrive at the wedding hall, I discover that in spite of their efforts, I am underdressed.
My best dress is nothing compared to those around me! Women who normally look like black ghosts are now wearing dresses of every colour imaginable. Sequins and jewellery glitter everywhere. How beautiful the women are! Their laughing faces reflect their inner strength. Their lives are so difficult, yet they find such pleasure in dressing up and even more, in simply being together.
I happily join my friends on cushions on the floor. Music, provided by a band in another room, blares from loudspeakers. Women dance, as their mothers and grandmothers did before them. Finally an announcement is made and the bride arrives, with much fanfare! She wears a western style gown with a hoop skirt at least three feet wide; every inch is covered with sequins. She proceeds slowly up the aisle in the middle of the hall, surrounded by young women who chant blessings and hopes for many sons. Once in front of the hall, the bride sits on an ornate, throne-like chair. And the sense of anticipation grows. The climax is yet to come. The music, dancing and visiting isn’t our reason for being here. We’re waiting for the groom to come! I think again of Jesus’ story. He told the story of the wise and foolish virgins because he wanted his followers to be ready. These women (and I!) have spent days getting ready for this wedding, but they don’t even know about the one to come. How can they possibly be ready when they have no way of knowing the Bridegroom?
The hours stretch on. The conversations grow increasingly desultory and fewer and fewer women dance. My head pounds from the loud music. Four hours have passed and still we wait! In Jesus’ story, the waiting women fell asleep. They must have booked a different band, because surely no one could sleep surrounded by music at this decibel level!
Suddenly, the music stops. My ears ring in the silence, and then, over the loudspeakers a voice announces, “The groom is coming!” All around me is a whirlwind of activity. Reclining women suddenly leap to their feet and fly into their overcoats and veils, changing back into black ghosts. Here is the groom! Finally, the days of preparation and waiting are finished!
In the middle of all the rejoicing, my heart is heavy. My friends here are not ready for the wedding that’s to come. They’ve never met the Bridegroom. Seeing them with covered faces reminds me again of how it veils their hearts and makes it impossible for them to see God clearly. They cannot understand how He loves them and longs for a relationship with them. I look forward to a wedding feast with Someone who calls me His beloved. All they have is a set of rules to try to keep, and a faint hope that a capricious judge will be kind.
In spite of the stranglehold of Islam in the country, I have hope that God is working here and that my friends will be part of the final marriage celebration. Please join the work here by praying that hearts will be open to the wooing of the Bridegroom.
Susan is an IS Partner from the USA, currently serving in the Arab World.
Serving in Thailand
The Kingdom of Thailand is well known for its sunny beaches, jungle hideouts, elephants and smiling faces. At the heart and crossroads of Southeast Asia, it is a relatively prosperous nation with a population of about 63 million.
Considered to be one of the most beautiful and diverse countries in Asia, it is a kingdom of vibrant culture and commercial activity, of potential and challenge, of variety, contrast, colour and light. Yet under that veneer many needs draw followers of Christ to serve here, seeking out opportunities to bring His hope and compassion to the diverse peoples of this land.
At the beginning of 2008 my husband, Peter, and I moved from Hamilton, New Zealand, to take on the role of Associate Pastors at Chiang Mai Community Church in northern Thailand. Chiang Mai is located more than 700km northwest of Bangkok, and is surprisingly small and pleasant by Asian standards, not at all an urban megalopolis. Dynamic and multicultural – many tourists and expats from Asia and the West base themselves here – Chiang Mai has successfully managed to combine its rich cultural history and traditions with its progressively more modern character. However, as a result of this rapid development, a huge increase in traffic and pollution makes going outside from February to April very unpleasant and unhealthy.
Chiang Mai Community Church has been serving the international community here for more than 40 years. Although Thailand is one of the most devoutly Buddhist countries in the world (more than 95% of all Thais are practising Buddhists), the law provides for freedom of religion. There has historically been an openness to the good news of Jesus among the hill tribe people, though not so much among mainstream Thais. The evangelical churches here are committed to working together in reaching out to the unreached.
While Peter was serving as a pastor in New Zealand before we left, I was working as a family doctor. I have discovered, however, that the skills required in a general medical practice, such as listening and problem solving, are central to my new life here, and that life as a pastor is varied, interesting, challenging and unpredictable!
Our church community is ethnically and culturally very mixed, and because many attend Thai or tribal group churches in the morning, we meet in the late afternoon – a great time for church, in our opinion! Although some have been with the church from its inception, on the whole the church ‘boundaries’ are fairly fluid, with many comings and goings. Chiang Mai is a resource centre for physical, emotional and spiritual renewal, and mission workers from near and far come here for medical and dental care, to have their babies, for rest and respite, and for member care. Others visit from physically isolated workplaces in order to enjoy some Christian community and church life. Many of those who live here also have responsibilities in neighbouring countries, which require them to travel frequently.
In our church we have a good number of young adults: some are with us for only a short time, while others are based in Thailand long-term. They come and go from many countries. We host a young adults’ group on Sunday evenings, and very much enjoy listening to their stories and challenges, and seeing them connecting with each other and building friendships. They are involved in a wide variety of ministries, such as teaching, media and journalism, mission through sport, and working in orphanages. Some work in relief agencies and with immigrants and refugees — approximately 130,000 Burmese refugees live in Thailand, having entered through the long, mountainous border Thailand shares with Myanmar. Others minister to women and children who have HIV. Although prostitution is illegal in Thailand, since the Vietnam War the country has gained international notoriety as a sex tourism destination, and this has led to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, especially among sex workers.
Short-term mission teams also frequently come through Chiang Mai, and we recently had the privilege of hosting a medical team which included our youngest son, Tim. He and seven third-year medical student friends, from Auckland University Medical School, were inspired by their involvement with the Christian Medical Fellowship to gain some experience of medical needs outside of NZ. They were a great group of high quality young Kiwis, and we had such fun interacting with them, experiencing their energy, seeing their potential for the future and their heart for God and mission.
From short-term teams to those who have formed the core of this church for 40 years now, from visitors coming through to those working in remote locations or neighbouring nations sharing their faith in word and deed, the people we are privileged to serve in our role as pastors here have many, many interesting stories of life and challenge, heartache and joy, reflecting the grace and mercy of our God. Our call as we listen and teach, counsel and support is to encourage each one on their way, pointing them to the never-changing truth that will undergird each of their journeys. Our investment is into those who make a difference, often amongst the most vulnerable, and in the hard places, bringing the Kingdom of God into the midst of the Kingdom of Thailand – to Him be the glory!
Annette, and her husband Peter, are Kiwi partners. They have three adult children, located in Japan, Australia and NZ, and are very grateful for Skype and webcams.
Life in Arabia
Arabia. The name invokes memories of fables about a mystical land of sweeping, soaring sand dunes, desert date-palmed oases, Ali Baba, Aladdin and flying carpets. My husband and I have lived in this far-away, beautiful part of the world for many years, among people who are so very different from us, and yet not so different at all.
While the dominant religion is Islam, there are many here who do own Jesus as their Lord. However, they must do so in secret, as apostasy (conversion from Islam to another religion) carries serious social and legal consequences: the annulment of marriage, the removal of children, and the loss of all property and inheritance rights. Apostasy is also punishable by death.
One day a Western friend, who is married to a local Muslim, shared with me that her husband was suspicious of their eldest daughter. The daughter did not pray five times a day nor did she want to go on the Hajj, the traditional pilgrimage to Mecca. The husband suspected her of following his wife, and believing as she did. But when the questioning got a little out of hand, in anger and frustration he put his open hand in my friend’s face, and said, “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know!” He did not want to fulfil the duties and obligations required of him if his daughter was bringing dishonour to the family. My friend and I cried and prayed together over her situation: how does a woman be a wife to a man who she knows would kill their daughter if he knew the truth?
We had been in the country for less than a year when I realised just how closely our family was being observed by our neighbours and our community. I was approached by a neighbour, covered in black from her head to her toes, shaking her finger at me as she insisted that I come to her home: she had been watching us and she wanted to know why we were so different.
I was asked about my children, and why my sons treated their sisters the way they did. The women could not understand why my sons were considerate, loving and protective toward their sisters, because within a Muslim family, regardless of age, a daughter is there to serve her brother. It was a great opportunity to explain that as we were Christians, our family relationships were based on love for each other. And that men and women, sons and daughters, are equal in God’s eyes. As parents we were equally proud of both our sons and our daughters: they were not worth more (or less) because of their gender.
While I was talking with these mothers I was watching their children playing outside in the courtyard. The boys were kicking a soccer ball around, and when it hit one of the girls in the stomach, she doubled up in pain. But the boys did not show the least concern for their sister, and she received a severe rebuke from her mother for interrupting the game.
In this Muslim land we are watched because we’re different, and that works to our advantage because it opens up all sorts of opportunities to share about God and His love. A group of married women from my work once asked me to explain my ‘love story’. They had been watching my husband and me for many months. They saw the consideration my husband gave me in the simplest of things, like opening the car door for me (an Arab man would never do this for his wife, as it would be considered demeaning), and walking beside me when we were out at the Mall, instead of requiring me to walk behind him. So the next day I brought my wedding album into work, and explained how our marriage was based on the fact that we loved each other, and wanted to spend our lives together. I showed them photos of the church and the ceremony, and explained that the vows we made were a sacred promise before God and the community: my husband promised to love, honour and cherish me for as long as he lived, and I promised to love, honour and obey him.
Women in this country do not marry for love. They do not even get to choose their own husbands. While they are still very young, their parents choose their groom for them, from amongst their first cousins (which later often leads to major health issues in their children). In Arabia, the legal marriage age is 14, but I know women who were married and mothers by the time they were 11 years old. The formalities are completed at the courts by the fathers, and then at a later date set by the couple themselves they have the celebration.
There are actually two separate wedding celebrations: one for the groom and one for the bride. At the celebrations they dance and party until at least midnight, then the groom and his wedding party go across town to the bride’s celebration, to claim her and take her to his home. When he and his wedding party enter the wedding hall of the bride, within the twinkling of an eye the room becomes a sea of black, in stark contrast to the music and dancing, eating and laughing, gossiping and talking that the bride and her guests had been enjoying up to that point. This is a very sad analogy of how marriage is viewed. The bride should not have to hide herself from the bridegroom, but these brides are not loved, and they know that.
I remember being shocked when a young local woman told me that it was not right to seek love from her husband, that the object of life was to become wise so that Allah would accept them into Paradise. To believe it is unacceptable to seek love within marriage, when it is the one thing they desire above all else, leaves both men and women empty, angry and deeply lonely.
My husband was approached in the supermarket one day by a stranger, who hesitantly asked him, “Do you love your wife?” My husband arranged to meet him later for coffee in a more private setting, at which time the man explained he was deeply troubled because he was being forced into a marriage he didn’t want. My husband was then able to share with him that God’s plan for marriage includes love, and that He instructs men to honour and cherish their wives, and even be willing to lay down their lives for them, as Christ did for us. We have no idea why he approached my husband except that God obviously wanted him to speak with a follower of Christ and learn a little of what he himself knew was very different from his culture and religion.
Although many are hungry to learn more of this God who is so different from the harsh taskmaster of Islam, it is almost impossible for them to understand His love because of their cultural background. Because they do not understand love, they cannot accept God’s love, and they sincerely struggle to understand why He would do such a thing as allow His Son to die for them. Only the working of the Holy Spirit within the hearts of these people will make them truly believe that God loves them unconditionally, and give them the courage to become seekers of the Truth. Please pray for the land and people of Arabia. We come from two different worlds, two different theological frameworks, but we share the same longings: to be accepted and to be loved.
The author and her husband are Kiwi partners, serving within their professions in Arabia. They have five children, who are now all adults.
Blood on the Streets
We’ve all had those moments – when you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news of a life-shattering tragedy. That image is frozen in your mind. For most Americans, they can recall where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news about September 11th, 2001. For me, November 26th, 2008 had the same effect.
Mumbai almost “knew” that it was the next target. I remember reading various articles in The Times of India with titles along the lines of “When is Mumbai’s turn?” In 2008, many Indian mega-cities were targeted: New Delhi on September 13th, Ahmadabad (Gujarat) on July 26th, Bangalore on July 25th, Jaipur on May 13th However, the intensity and duration of the actual attacks horrified everyone.
On November 27th, I was jolted awake at 3 am by my phone ringing. I was worried when I saw an American number on my cell phone. The call was from my friends from my church in Connecticut. In a panicky voice, Jen said: “Mindy, where are you? We are worried about you!” I, of course, had no idea what had happened. I had gone to bed a little early on the 26th, around 10:30 pm (The first attack began at 9:20 pm). Also, I do not have a television. I live in Thane, which is about 1 hour from the site of the attacks. On the morning of the 27th, I was on the phone constantly. I also received about 100 e-mails! Indian friends called me and told me not to go outside (after I had already arrived in my office later than normal). Rumours were flying! The local mobile shop owner told me that the terrorists had bombed another train station in Navi Mumbai (New Bombay). Friends told me to wear long-sleeved salwar kameez and put my hair in a braid/plat to look more Indian (since the terrorists were targeting foreigners). I was actually fine in Thane, since all of the attackers had been contained in the area around Nariman Point and The Gateway of India (South Mumbai). The next day, I was on a train to Pune, and grabbed a newspaper. The entire paper was filled with reports of the attacks. Many personal accounts and stories were listed. Heartwrenching accounts of the loss of life: a young man who was to marry his college sweetheart in a few days; a young man who was to leave for Australia to pursue a wonderful new job; the Taj Hotel manager who lost his wife and all of his children due to smoke inhalation in their room as he rescued and escorted guests to safety; a man who was parking his taxi after dropping off his entire family and extended family at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, only to find that all of them had been killed before he could enter the station to join them. The suffering and loss was massive.
Now, more than 2 months after the attacks, there are still reminders of the attacks around Mumbai. I recently saw a billboard in Mumbai that read:
Recession
Terror attacks
What’s next?
The billboard was advertising life insurance. But, what is next for Mumbai? How do we try to make sense of the whole situation?
Suffering is defined as “enduring hardship or experiencing loss”. On Dictionary.com: “To feel pain or distress; sustain loss, injury, harm, or punishment; To tolerate or endure evil, injury, pain, or death”. In Mumbai, people have responded to overwhelming suffering caused by the terror attacks by uniting together. Peaceful, silent candlelight memorials have occurred. Hindus, Muslims, and Christians have come together as one to unite for peace as they endure suffering and loss.
As I try to grapple with the suffering caused by the terror attacks on November 26th – 29th, as well as the hardship that many people endure on a daily basis in Mumbai, I am reminded that Jesus was “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus suffered many things (Mark 8:31). However, his suffering was part of God’s plan for restoration. Acts 3:21 brings us comfort in suffering: “Jesus must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets.” As Christians, we have hope that in the future, God will restore everything: you, me, Mumbai. As Peter wrote, “And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).
Thank you Father God, that you are familiar with our suffering, that it will only last a little while, and that you intend to use it for good and restore us and the world!
From local eye-witnesses “The 26/11 day was the blackest day in the history of Bombay. The aftermath of it was too bad. I remember reading about some schools in South Bombay. The South Bombay is a place where the elite of the city live. Many of the children in a particular school of South Bombay have been orphaned, their parents were caught in the Taj, Oberoi and Trident hotels. Its so disheartening to think that how would these children survive now. May be some relatives, near and dear ones could take care of them but what if they had no one to take care of them.
This then reminds me of the commotion at Nariman House where the Jewish Rabbi and his wife were killed mercilessly. It was revealed afterwards that the terrorists abused the women folk. The Rabbi’s wife was pregnant too. I can’t think of the ordeal she must have gone through. Finally Moshe their son was left without his parents and his cry for his parents was reducing everybody to tears.
The NSG Commando Major Unnikrishnan who lost his life in the operation was a brave man but unfortunately the only son of his parents. The trauma his parents are going through is indescribable.
The top cream of the Mumbai Police force ie Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Kamte falling an easy prey into the hands of the terrorists just was heartbreaking.
The plight of all those who died at the CST Station mercilessly was terrible. There was a mountain of slippers / sandals of the deceased / injured and many people could identify the dead through sandals / slippers.
We travel through CST and traverse along the same spots where there was bloodshed and mayhem. We too could have fallen victims to the bullets of the terrorists.”
