Ritual raises questions
After a week of teaching about Creation, missionaries Adam and Julie Martin and Ryan and Sarah Warner heard that the Akolet people in Papua New Guinea were going to hold a ritual "that we’ve neither seen nor even heard about in our four-plus years of living with the Akolet people," the Martins wrote.
The ritual is being performed because many people’s gardens are not producing enough and people are going hungry.
The elderly village chief, Aiglas, who has attended each teaching session and eagerly hung on every word, will lead this special ritual, which according to custom will ensure that the Akolet crops will grow better than they have been.
"We’ve now taught through all six days of creation and taught how God made everything; how He made it for Adam and Eve’s benefit, and how everything was created good," the Martins wrote.
Knowing that the ritual was to take place, Adam took time to emphasize during his teaching this week that "Adam and Eve didn’t have to do anything special to make their crops produce," other than work their gardens.
Before the lesson, Adam asked Aiglas privately, "So where did this magic come from?"
"Well, God must have given it to our ancestors," Aiglas said.
"We’ve been learning about everything that’s been created," Adam said. "If God gave it to them, we will read about it in His Book."
To which Aiglas replied, "Well, this ritual, we don’t really know where it came from. We just follow it based on what our ancestors told us. I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do or not, but we’re just going to do it."
"We’re encouraged that for the amount of light that Aiglas has received, he is at least questioning whether or not this belief in magic is warranted or not," the Martins wrote.
"Please pray for wisdom for our team in knowing how to respond to this lean time in a way that helps the people and shows we care, but does not make them dependent upon us."
The ritual is being performed because many people’s gardens are not producing enough and people are going hungry.
The elderly village chief, Aiglas, who has attended each teaching session and eagerly hung on every word, will lead this special ritual, which according to custom will ensure that the Akolet crops will grow better than they have been.
"We’ve now taught through all six days of creation and taught how God made everything; how He made it for Adam and Eve’s benefit, and how everything was created good," the Martins wrote.
Knowing that the ritual was to take place, Adam took time to emphasize during his teaching this week that "Adam and Eve didn’t have to do anything special to make their crops produce," other than work their gardens.
Before the lesson, Adam asked Aiglas privately, "So where did this magic come from?"
"Well, God must have given it to our ancestors," Aiglas said.
"We’ve been learning about everything that’s been created," Adam said. "If God gave it to them, we will read about it in His Book."
To which Aiglas replied, "Well, this ritual, we don’t really know where it came from. We just follow it based on what our ancestors told us. I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do or not, but we’re just going to do it."
"We’re encouraged that for the amount of light that Aiglas has received, he is at least questioning whether or not this belief in magic is warranted or not," the Martins wrote.
"Please pray for wisdom for our team in knowing how to respond to this lean time in a way that helps the people and shows we care, but does not make them dependent upon us."