Comments

Sunjin Nam- How does faith relate to the world in which we live?
Minji Kang- What should society do for “uncivilized cultures” like the Sawi?
Grace Ban- Fourth Entry…What should we do when confronted with other cultures?
Rebecca Cole-Walker- How did Christianity change this culture?
Lauren Carrillo- What concepts in the Sawi culture intrigued / reviled / saddened / angered / surprised you?
Inhye Lee- What do you believe and why?

Entry #10

How did Christianity change this culture?

From headhunting, cannibalism, and life and values filled with treachery, there is no doubt the Sawi people were transformed. Transformed to a culture with wisdom, overwhelming joy, and an ultimate peace. They had the opportunity...and they took it. They had the choice...and they choose. They didn't know...and they learned. They didn't want to...yet they persevered. The Sawi people were brave, strong, and weak all at the same time. They were brave to take a risk, to accept people they never knew, and to continue learning the "tuan" way. The Sawi ultimately allowed Christianity to change their culture...for the better. To change their culture from pain, hurt, killing, and ugliness, to a culture of opprotunity and learning. A culture with heart. Throughout Don Richardson's book, The Peace Child, the Sawi without knowing showed a dramatic change and transformation. Only God knows what they were feeling, yet God showed the ways he can take anyone, any situation, the good, and the bad, and make it wonderful. Make it His. Through the Sawi's I am able to recognize the beauty of change and transformation. Of opprotunity and the power of following God's will.

In a way, I think that Sawi, obviously without knowing, showed me how to be a better Christian. They showed me that anyone, anywhere can have a change of heart. Through trust and taking chances, through questions and answers (hard and easy), God is always there. By trusting Him and his will for my life, I can succeed and live my life how it is supposed to be. I hope that through my life, I can help those around me understand the greatness of an everlasting peace that only, like the Sawi began to understand, the “Ultimate Peace Child” can bring.

Entry #9

How different is your modern culture from the sawi tenants?

I spoke of this briefly in one of my earlier posts, but I still think that ultimately, the differences aren't that big. Architecturally, there are many differences. We usually don't walk down the street seeing a house on stilts or a huge dome of grass and sticks. But we see skyscrapers, and houses with siding, and elaborately decorated shops. Fashion wise, there are many differences. Grass skirts, human jawbones, and feather head dresses aren't exactly the norm now days. But jeans, bright colored shirts, and flip-flops are. Health and medicine practices are completely more developed than that of the Sawi. But, how were the Sawi to know? They didn’t know any different did they? Growing up in modern society, we are exposed to all the new technologies, fashions, and changes of the world. We often take for granted the availability of many resources that we have. What we like to eat is a little different also. Okay, maybe a lot different. I don’t see many people ordering human intestines through the drive through, do you?

Although these significant differences make it seem as though there is nothing similar between modern day and the Sawi tenants, there is. Sawi people were hurting, searching desperately for a peace that would remain, and living to survive and become the best…but so are the people living in the modern world. We are hurting, searching, and living to survive and get to top just like the Sawi. We have similar goals, and no our goals aren’t always to see who can kill the most animals or scalp the most heads, but we have goals like getting a promotion and owning our own businesses. The love we want, the peace we search for, the help we need, the pain we feel, the temptation that looms around every corner, is all the same. We all feel, we all want. No matter if we wear a grass skirt or jeans. If we eat intestines or a hamburger. We are same. Deep down, we long for that something to make us complete. To make this life we have worth living. Jesus makes that possible. And through Him we are all the same. Through his eyes there are no differences.

Entry #8

What concepts in the Sawi culture intrigued / reviled / saddened / angered / surprised you?

The Sawi culture amazed me. Being exposed to a culture I had never heard of or even thought existed. I knew of other places in the world that were in utter turmoil, but for some reason the Sawi just captured my attention. I was intrigured to as why the Sawi lived and behaved like they did. I guess I wanted to know what caused them to act like that and live their lives headhunting and being cannabolistic. Obviously their culture took some major turn around. While watching them take those steps to understand and learn what God really meant was quite uplifting. To be able to read about them understanding the messagef to the point of breaking down is pretty significant in their transformation. When the fighting was so brutal, young children traded, dead bodies not taken care of properly, and brokeness obvious throughout many, made me ache to help them, try to make them understand. At the end, after a great portion of the Sawi people have decided to embark on a jouney with the "ulitimate peace child", Jesus, it is clear that walls have been broken down, joy has become part of the daily routine, and steps to spread the news are being taken. People learn to preach and soon there are more Sawi attending the sessions than fit in the location of their teachings. The Sawidome is created by their own choice and will. They are choosing to continue learning and living for their "ultimate peace child". This whole section encourages me to continue living out my faith and not letting little ideas stop short because of supplies, numbers, or place. The Sawi culture accomplished a lot without really knowing how important their tranformation would be to others. The Sawi have caused people to realize and question their own lives and the worlds in which they live. That alone is amazing.

Entry #7

What reflections and connections can you make with this novel?

After thinking, I have found that when I look at the Sawi culture alone, it seems horrible, disgusting, unbelievable. But, when I took a step back and looked at the big picture, I see minor underlying difference in the way the world is today and the way the Sawi were. Now the Sawi's way of living is not common in the world today, but other things are. Other ways of believing and surviving. Other ways of preparing food and dead bodies. Other ways of handling disputes. Other ways of being sheltered and centered around "your world". No the world today is not always seen as in desperate need of help, but we are. We are in actuality, in the same need of help and peace. For the Sawi, it took Don Richardson and the other faithful missionaries involved in hundreds of thousands of hours working with them; but for us...what does it take? Does it take tragedy, death, money, happiness, peace, love, what? Many people in the modern, healthy, good world today, are just as hurt, just as in dire need of a peace and new way of life.

The world today tries to find answers in material things. The world today isn't corrupted in the sense of cannabalism or head hunting, but in the necessity of material goods. The constant cry for more and more and more. When we think of cannabalism, we think horrible, terrible, awful, shameful. We think despair, and corruption. But really the world today is horrible, terrible, awful and shameful. We just don't think of those things because it is what we know. It is what the majority tells us. That we need to be more concerned with what we have and who is better and who makes more. But, we need to be concerned with how things affect others, how they help us become better people. Jesus helps us to see the big picture. To finally find that inner peace and overwhelming joy despite the circumstances of the world. Jesus helps us to become the better people without the materialistic "needs" that are thrown at us in every direction.

Well, that was a lot of rambling, but that is one way that I see a connection to the world in which we are living and the world in which Don Richardson exposed us to...the world of the Sawi. The Sawi were so concerned with "their world" that they weren't even aware of the other world that was developing around them. We are that same way if we become so involved with "our world" that we become unaware of what is surrounding us and what living really means.

Entry #6

How does Faith relate to the world in which we live?

I believe faith is everything. I understand that not everyone has faith in the same things; somepeople don't have faith in anything at all. Faith is defined by dictionary.com as confidence or trust in a person or thing and belief that is not based on proof. Faith can be in a friend, in yourself, in God, in a decision. Faith can be a multitude of things. How does faith relate to this chaotic world in which we live? People have changing amounts of faith. If faith was measured, what would it be like? "I have 4 cups of faith in my brother, 10 cups of faith in God, and 7 cups of faith in my friends." Is this how it would be? Faith isn't measured by something tangible, faith goes beyond. It goes beyond the surface and into the heart.

"Seeing is believing." The problem with this is that often times people don't realize that they aren't seeing and yet they still believe...take a rumor, gossip, or some news breaking broadcast on the radio. When applied to faith, I think that people are automatically drawn to what is here on Earth, what they can touch, and see right in front of them. That is the reason many people have trouble taking the first steps with God. But then, you may say, well some believe there is a God, they just aren't ready to turn everything over to him. The "faith" is not there...the trust and reliability, the understanding and contentment, the peace and knowing.

Many cultures have a faith of their own. Something they believe is true and right. When that faith is disturbed or questioned, problems arise. The Sawi's, for instance, were not ready to give up the spirits they had faith in and the methods and practices they believed were correct and okay. They were not about to surrender everything they had known for someone known as greater than their spirits, who could protect them and bring them overwhelming peace and joy. When someone like Don Richardson comes in and tries to tell them to change…it is not expected for them to jump up and change their faith in the blink of an eye. Faith, the underlying strength of every culture, takes time to change; time to grow and time to understand. As Christians, our faith is tested…we can choose to help it grow or hurt it. We can make it a priority or not. Faith is a jump...are you going to take it?

Entry #5 (Student Question)

How would uncivilized cultures react upon receiving technology beyond their comprehension?



If I really think about this question, it makes me really wonder...what would uncivilized cultures do? How would people who have never seen technology before react? I can picture them just standing there, staring, some with mouths gaping wide and others concentrating intently on the wonder before them. Some would be cautiously and slowly surrounding the new piece of technology. Others may believe it to be of the metaphysical or supernatural state; similar to the Sawi's unexpected encounter with Don Richardson's kerosene lamp in his house, and be frightened far away from the vicinity. To assure that the piece of technology would be intact when I returned, I would want to be certain there was someone in their presence. How would one who has never seen, heard of, or touched react? Beat it up, trash it, take it apart, or not touch it at all. Maybe they view it as a sacred item or something of great value. I know that we would probably think their reactions were funny, sad, or crazy, but we would have to remember the idea is completely new to them. Don Richardson had to remember this when he turned on his kerosene lantern. He was familiar with getting light from this kind of source at night, but the Sawi’s saw the light seeping through the cracks of Don's house, and were scared. They thought that Don, Carol and Stephen had transformed themselves into gods! Wow...but Don soon became aware that the Sawi tribe had never seen the likes of a kerosene lamp that could work when the sun went down. For as long as the Sawi knew, their source of light was fire and sun. When we experience something new to the technological world, we often want to play around on it, try out the features, and figure out how to use it. We would know that the new piece of technology was not something from the metaphysical world, and we would know not to throw it to the ground, take it apart, or leave it sitting there. I think when introducing new technology or anything for that matter, to uncivilized cultures, the introducer, needs to take great care in explaining the new product. One way to help the uncivilized become civilized is to teach and to help them learn. With the technological world developing so fast, it is necessary that cultures begin to feel comfortable around such things.

Entry #4

What should we do when we are confronted with other cultures?

This question fits me...living in Korea, or overseas for that matter, for the first time has taken some major getting used to. I was definitely confronted with an unfamiliar culture! I remember the shock upon arrival at the Inchon Airport. After enduring 17 hours of no leg room, weird food, movies, suitcases, Koreans, loud noises, and small bathrooms, I just couldn’t get myself to believe that I was actually in a different country. Yes, the people, place, food, sounds, and smells were all vastly different, but it still didn’t seem real. I didn’t know how to react or how to respond. I wasn’t able to communicate with or understand anyone. But it wasn’t all bad culture shock…I was beyond fascinated and my gaping mouth didn’t so much as help me to disguise that! I have never lived in a big city, ever. The amount of people lining the streets was amazing to me and the “never-ending” apartment buildings. For the first twelve years of my life, I grew up in a town of only four-hundred! At twelve, I thought moving to a city of forty-thousand was huge. Still I have experienced another jump; living in a city of over a million is…just wow! One thing I wish I understood better was the language. I enjoy communicating with people and I find quite difficult to fulfill that enjoyment here! Being confronted with a different culture has been hard; it actually seems harder now than it did when I first moved here. Suddenly changing population size, food style, language, climate, location, is not easy on the mind. I realize that I am in a different culture now, and to the best of my ability try to live and learn within it. Korea is different from my previous homes, but I have found pleasure in learning a new culture. When we are confronted with cultures unfamiliar to us, we need to learn. Learn the language, the respectful manners, the area, and the people. We have to be accepting and be willing to be told what we are doing wrong. But at the same time, like in the Sawi’s case, we can bring a message of truth and a life of happiness to a culture hidden to the world for many years. We can bring hope and healing to the hearts of others.