Difference of Cultures

What makes our cultures so different to others? Is it because we have a television, modern weapons, or even the UN to stop war? If we consider merely those things that make us different then the Sawi, we are wrong. The Sawi may not have a television to learn more violence and evil, but they do have an older generation to look up to and observe violence that way. The Sawi may not have modern weapons that can kill with a single pull of a finger, but what they do have is spears that can prolong the existence. They cannot kill someone easily, because of their spears. If we were reduced to merely spears’, I am sure that we would also betray people and try and kill them other ways. Like I said, we are not that all different from the Sawi. They may not have the UN to protect countries from attacking each other. But what they do have is a peace child built so strongly into their culture that it stops war. This Peace child is stronger then anything we have in our culture. In our modern culture, there is no remedy for peace. Anywhere you go there will always be some kind of war. The Sawi have mastered that though. Yes, I know the Sawi do not have the things that we have, and the knowledge that we have, but when we get down to the basics of the culture, we are the same.

Interesting Ritual

I would say that the Waness ritual is the more surprising one. I mean, if you think about it, why in the world would the Sawi choose a ritual where the genitals are involved like that. They go around practically naked, and to have a ritual in which touching the genitals is forbidden or disgraceful. But the go around having that possibility all the time. To make something that serious, and yet so possible, is amazing. And another things that startled me is where the Waness ritual can from. Did it start from some sort of new legend maker who said that we should have a ritual in which we can later deceive all of mankind? Probably not. But what I think is the case is that the Sawi had a bit of the Gospel planted in their culture. Just like many other cultures had different rituals that were in relation to the bible. Don Richardson talked about that in his book, Eternity in Their Hearts. They knew somewhere deep down that just as Adam and Eve knew they were naked, so the Sawi also know that they need to respect their private parts, because in part the are ashamed to be naked. That also links off to the peace child, and how even though they had not been influenced by a lot of other events, they had these striking parallel to the bible. Who would have thought that some tribe would use a peace child, just as God used a Peace child for us?

Faith, Don, Sawi, and me

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.