Despite knowing how dangerous the Sawi culture Don Richardson was going into, he knew he could be killed at any time. He even considered that they might be "...fattening us with friendship for a slaughter?(156)" But Don never gave up. When the Sawi said a man was dead, Don relied heavily on his faith in God to bring that man “back” from the grave. The Sawi had a different way of faith. For thousands of years their culture had been ok. But when the Tuans came in, they changed. They had to believe and have faith that this new religion which was now about to change their life was accurate. Because Don had faith, the Sawi also developed faith. When Don questioned the first Sawi believer what made him turn to Christ, he replied, “When I saw that God’s Tarop(child) could give you peace even when your two sons had almost drowned, I knew everything you said about Him must be true. I decided he could take care of us too.(200)” Don led an example that the Sawi looked up to and believe him.
My faith is a bit different. Unlike Don Richardson, I’m not relying on God to save my life, but like Don, I rely on God when the times get tough. When I was young, my faith was similar to that of the Sawi. My parents believed something, and because I looked up to them, I believe what they believed, that Jesus died for us. My faith has not been exposed to tough times, so as a result, my faith is not a strong as Don’s, but I believe that over time it will change to grow and mature.
2 comments:
Very interesting posts. David I have read all your posts - you have a solid understanding of the themes in this book. Did this book impact your life? Mrs.Mc.
Hi David, I was surprised that you view faith as I do. My parents are also Christians, so when I was young, I frequently followed them to church. However, I do not have a strong faith as Don Richardson does, but has a shallow faith and rely on God when I am struggling in tough circumstances. These days I am trying to discover about myself; whether I am really believing in God or I am just pretending to be a Christian. It was very interesting to read all of your entries.
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