Just watched a movie about a true story End of the Spear. Five missionaries tried to contact a violent native tribe in Ecuador called Waodani, a.k.a. the people of spear. All the missionaries were killed by the Waodani, yet their family forgave them, and still tried to contact them, to reach out the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. They explained “Waegongi (God) has a son who came to earth. He was speared, but did not spear back, so that one day, those who speared him could live well.”
The Waodani tried to be strong by attacking the foreigners and even their own tribe, whom they perceive as enemies. They attacked with their spears. By spearing they took revenge for their own groups.The ultimate reason for them to be strong by spearing, is that when they died, they are strong enough to jump across the Great Boa, which lies between them and afterlife, where Waegongi is there. If they cannot jump across the Great Boa, their spirits will become termites on earth.
Their own belief didn't assure salvation and eternal life for them. They need to jump across the Great Boa by their own strength. But the Good News is that Jesus Christ had died for our sins on the cross at Calvary, so that whoever believe in Him might enter the kingdom of heaven, because Jesus Christ has "jumped cross the Great Boa" for us.
The Waodani are revengeful people. They seek vengeance for the death of their family. Yet the family of the missionaries, and Steve Saint, forgave the Waodani. Forgiveness, which is the core of Christianity, has ended the cycle of vengeance and violence, because Jesus Christ has bring peace and love to us, by His atonement on the cross.
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He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep
to gain that which he cannot lose.
- Jim Elliot, 28th October 1949 -
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