4 Armed with Clarity: Communicating the Message Clearly

ou can take the boy out of Babylon, but you cant take Babylon out of the boy, our little grou! began to sing to the sound of thum!ing d"imbes# Babylon symboli$ed e%erything our listeners from this American sub&culture, the 'ainbow !eo!le, were trying to esca!e: a modern (estern ci%ili$ation fragmented by %iolence and consumerism, held ca!ti%e by materialistic world%iews, torn asunder by greed and !o%erty, and obsessi%e in its lust for !ower# )n the late *+,-s, the 'ainbow !eo!le began coordinating annual gatherings in remote !arts of .#/# national forests in an effort to create transient e0!ressions of a uto!ian society resistant to the influences of Babylon# 1owe%er, o%er the years, many 'ainbows began to reali$e that the !roblems of Babylon did not sim!ly go away by hiding out in the woods for a few weeks# 2o, the !roblem of Babylon was not !rimarily geogra!hical in nature# 'elocation did not sol%e the dilemma of their souls# 3eo!le brought their wounds, hurts, greed, and lust with them to the woods# 4rugs and se0 could only dull the !ain for so long# 5ut of the womb of this disillusionment was born the adage: You can take the boy out of Babylon, but you cant take Babylon out the boy# .nderneath the humor with which this !hrase was 6uoted is a heart cry for freedom and deli%erance# 'ainbows lo%e !oetry, and they lo%e to sing# 4uring their annual gatherings, which sometimes attract u! to twenty thousand !eo!le, the sound of drum circles can be heard for miles around# (ithin a radius of se%eral miles are myriads of little cam!s, tucked away in the middle of nowhere# 7ach cam! chooses its own name and is known by its distinct characteristics and ser%ices# 8or e0am!le, during the 9--: ;athering, one cam! called 3o! Corner was known for making different kinds of !o!corn throughout all hours of the night# <ea <ime focused solely on ser%ing different kinds of tea to %isitors# 'ainbow =ion was a cam! made u! of >ewish 'ainbows# >esus ?itchen was a Christian cam! that ser%ed food and ran a foot&washing station# <he 1are ?rishna cam! made candy# <he @o%in 5%ens cam! made bread# <he 8airie Cam! was made u! of homose0uals# /cattered throughout the forest and connected by dirt !aths, this web of cam!s created the ambiance of a little city within the forest# <he Christian cam! of which ) was a !art during the 9--: ;athering was called ;oshen# 5ur !rayer as a cam! was that ;od would manifest 1is glory in our midst and make a distinction between 1imself and the false gods around us, as

1e did with the )sraelites in the land of ;oshen during the 70odus A70# +:9,B# 5n this !articular night, ;oshen Cam! had been in%ited to 3o! Corner to !erform a drum circle# /omeone from 3o! Corner had a!!arently liked the %ibes he had felt while at ;oshen Cam! and in%ited us to his cam! for a !erformance# Before lea%ing for the gathering, our team had !re!ared a gos!el !resentation that em!loyed 'ainbow terminology and culture as a bridge for communicating the gos!el# A8or those unfamiliar with 'ainbow culture, ) ha%e included endnotes that !ro%ide definitions of words and conce!ts in this the !resentation#*) <he !resentation also drew on a worshi! model our team had in common# Many of us at the ;oshen Cam! were connected to the )nternational 1ouse of 3rayer in ?ansas City A)153C?CB# /ince *+++, )153C?C has been engaged in 94D: !rayer using the 1ar! and Bowl model of worshi! and !rayer# )n the 1ar! and Bowl model, musicians create an atmos!here of worshi! Athe har! E'e%# F:GHB and an intercessor !rays a !assage of /cri!ture from the Bible A!rayers rising from the bowl of incense E'e%# F:GHB# <hen the singers take !hrases from the !ersons !rayer and de%elo! them through song and music Athe har! againB# <his is called anti!honal or back&and&forth singing and is similar to the kind of worshi! ?ing 4a%id installed in the tabernacle in >erusalem A* Chr# ,:I*C I9, *F:*,B# By the time we went to the 'ainbow ;athering, we had !artici!ated in this kind of worshi! to the e0tent that it had become second nature to us# 7%en though most of us were not !rofessional musicians, we were used to taking !hrases and themes and singing them back and forth to one another# (e decided to use the 1ar! and Bowl model to sing the gos!el !resentation we had de%elo!ed for 'ainbows# 5ur team was com!rised of about si0 to eight !eo!le, and we had se%eral hand drums with us# A lead singer sang the storyline, and the rest of our grou! "oined in as the singer re!eated choruses that united our listeners# <hese choruses wo%e through our narrati%e and em!hasi$ed im!ortant !oints, such as 1e A;odB is longing for the ;arden Ai#e#, for the kingdom of ;od to be established on the earthB and ) cant esca!e Babylon, because Babylon is in meJ Ai#e#, we cant esca!e sin because it is in us#B Both male and female %oices !enetrated the air as we drummed and sang: Chorus: You can take the boy out of Babylon, 2 but you cant take Babylon out of the boy. 'ainbow (arriors of @i%ing @ight, those of you who ha%e gathered on the land3 this day to council4 and recite heart-songs5Kit is with great urgency that we stand before you now# (e ask you to o!en your eyes and focalize6 your hearts with me# @et us focus, focus, focus,7 for we are sent here as runners8 of ;od Most 1igh, the Creator of hea%en and earth# 1e is the 7ternal 5ne who created all things: the clouds, the sun, the moon, the trees, the animals, and e%ery human being# 1e has a message for you, and we ha%e been sent here as the focalizers9 of his message#

@ong, long ago, ;od created the hea%ens and earth, and he called his creation good# 7%erything in hea%en and on earth was in !erfectly harmonized1 L e%erything worked together in !erfect unity# <he earth was filled with life, goodness, and e%ery kind of li%ing creature# <here was a ;arden more beautiful than anything we could !ossibly imagine# And in that ;arden, the first human beings, Adam and 7%e, walked in !erfect harmony with their ;od and with his creation# (e cant imagine the de!th of lo%e between ;od and human beings that e0isted in the ;arden# ;od told Adam and 7%e that the only thing necessary to maintain !erfect harmony in the ;arden was for them to obey one command: do not eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and e%il# )f they were to eat this fruit, they would surely die# <hen, one day, an e%il angel named /atan came to scam11 Adam and 7%e# 1e told them that they could not trust ;od and that they should eat the fruit# 1e tried to !ollute them with his disease# Adam and 7%e consensed12 with /atan, and they ate the fruit# 7%il and death entered the human race# 5%er the years, wickedness increased more and more# <he earth became full of %iolence and wickedness# (e became !rideful and arrogant, and we consensed to rebel against our lo%ing Creator# (e were no longer harmoni$ed with our Creator# Chorus: !h, the "a#$en% &he "a#$en% 'e#e lon()n( fo# the "a#$en% <he same continues to the !resent# (e ha%e gone from 3aradise to the dumpster.13 <his same wicked angel, /atan, continues to harassle14 the human race, trying to get us to consense with him# And we dont ha%e to look far to see that we ha%e in fact consensed with /atan# 7%erywhere we look, we see the earth filled with %iolence, murder, e0!loitation, scamming, se0ual immorality, and e%il of e%ery kind: )ra6, +&**, Columbine, Mirginia <ech# (e s!end our li%es aimlessly blissing out15 and dogging it16 from city to city, snifting17 from woman to woman and from "oint to "oint, always trying to find satisfaction in our li%es, but ne%er finding it# <he entire human race is in a state of major road burn18: we are e0hausted, lonely, and our hearts long to return to the ;arden, where we walked in harmony with ;od# <he 'ainbow 8amily gathers from year to year to esca!e from Babylon# 1owe%er, if we are honest with oursel%es, we begin to see that we cant really esca!e from Babylon, because Babylon is so much more than bad go%ernment, green energy,19 forest rangers, )ra6, and Mietnam# Babylon is in youJ Babylon is in meJ (e ha%e consensed with /atan, and we

ha%e rea!ed the conse6uences on the earthJ ;od ha%e *e#cy on usJ 1a%e mercyJ 1a%e mercyJ 5ur !roblem is too dee! for us to sol%e on our ownJ Chorus: "o$, ha+e *e#cy% "o$, ha+e *e#cy% "o$, ha+e *e#cy% 1owe%er, !raise ;od, there is still ho!eJ <hough we made ;od angry by our sin and wickedness, and though our li%es looked and smelled like road kill2 to ;od, he still lo%es us and desires to be harmoni$ed and at !eace with us# 1e knew that the solution to the Babylon hea#t isnt "ust a strike, a boycott, or a se%en&day cam!out in the woods# 1e knew that we did not ha%e the !ower and strength in and of oursel%es to come u! with our own solution# 5ur hearts ha%e become too wicked# <herefore, out of his great lo%e and mercy, he focali$ed 1is own solution: he sent the merciful 5ne from hea%en to the earth# (hom did he sendN <he !ro!het 7$ekiel once saw a hea%enly %ision in which he saw a figure that shone brightly with the !ower of ;od# 7$ekiel says, @ike the a!!earance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him# <he a!ostle >ohn, also a !ro!het, saw a hea%enly %ision of this same rainbow situated abo%e the throne of ;od# <he rainbow is a sign of ;ods mercy, and his face radiates with mercy# ;od knew that we needed mercy, so he took this 5ne from hea%en, the one whose face radiates endless vibes21 of mercy and com!assion, and sent him to the earth# 1is name is >esus# (hen >esus walked the earth, his life o%erflowed with mercy# 1is vision22 and message was the good news of the kingdom of ;od# 1e did many miracles# 1e healed the sick, the blind, the lame, e%ery kind of sick !erson# 1e raised !eo!le from the dead# 1e cast out demons# 1e was a walking CAL center.23 7%erywhere he went, su!ernatural %ibes of mercy, healing, com!assion, and holiness went out# (hen !eo!le touched him, they touched hea%en# 1e lo%ed and had mercy on the ones that society had re"ected: the drunks, the !rostitutes# 7%erywhere 1e went, a !iddy "illage24 gathered around him, because the children saw the lo%e, !urity, and mercy that flowed from him# Choruses: &he #a)nbo, of *e#cy o+e# -e.u., &he#e ). a #a)nbo, o+e# h)*, /e ). full of *e#cy, etc. 1owe%er, though >esus was the only !erson who has e%er li%ed who was com!letely sinlessKthe only one who did not deser%e the !unishment that the rest of us deser%edKbecause of his lo%e for

us, he decided to facilitate25 !eace once and for all between ;od and human beings# 1e decided to take on the !unishment that we deser%ed# <hough he ne%er sinned, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross by %iolent men and women# (hen he was on the cross, this heartsong came from his li!s: 0athe#, fo#()+e the*, fo# they kno, not ,hat they $o% Chorus: 0athe#, fo#()+e the*, fo# they kno, not ,hat they $o% 0athe#, fo#()+e the*, fo# they kno, not ,hat they $o% After he died, he was buried# 1owe%er, because he was innocent in ;ods sight, three days later ;od raised him from the dead# >esus harmoni$ed us with ;od, because he ga%e his own blood in our !lace# 1e took the sin and disharmony on himself, and ;od destroyed it# Chorus: /e. al)+e% /e. al)+e% /e. al)+e% 2ow, we ha%e the o!!ortunity to turn away from our sin and /atan, and to consense with >esus and be united with ;od once again# 7%eryone who turns to >esus, and walks with him, and lo%es him, and trusts him, all of themKman or woman, black or white, rich or !oor, children or adults, forest rangers, tramps,26 road dogs,27 gypsies,28 yuppies29Kall can enter the kingdom of ;od# (hen they re!ent and confess >esus as @ord, they recei%e the forgi%eness of sins, and ;od also deli%ers us from the darkness, /atan, disease, death, and e%il# At the same time, in order to con%ey us into his kingdom of light, and because it is im!ossible for us to !urify oursel%es, >esus anoints us with something called the 1oly /!irit of ;od, who cleans our hearts and continues to li%e in us fore%er# <he /!irit is always with us and is in us, and he hel!s us to li%e li%es that are lo%e&filled, "oyful, and !owerful, and to resist /atan, e%il thoughts, and other wicked things# 1e also gi%es us the !ower we need to lo%e ;od and other !eo!le from our hearts, e%en our enemies# At the end of history, >esus will return to the earth to raise us from the dead and "udge all nations# 1e will establish his rule and cleanse the earth of all wickedness# <hose who belie%e in him and acce!t him get to walk the main trail3 of his kingdom# 8or those who re"ect >esus, it will not be happy trails#31 1e will "udge them and send them to the lake of fire# <he end of human history is almost u!on us# (hen it comes, it will be too late# /o, if you truly want !eace, if you truly want the earth to be restored, then gi%e your li%es to >esus and !ray for his return# Chorus: /e. lon()n( fo# the (a#$en, /e. lon()n( fo# the (a#$en, /e. lon()n( fo# you1

As we sang, there were a number of times in which the /!irits !resence could be felt %ery strongly, es!ecially when we started singing about the cross and resurrection# <here were a wide range of res!onses# /ome !eo!le were struck with con%iction and had a hard time looking us in the eye# 5thers "oined right in and began singing with us# As he sang along, he suddenly reali$ed that he was s!eaking in tongues# After the !resentation, this man ke!t e0claiming, )%e ne%er heard it like this beforeJ )%e ne%er heard it like this beforeJ @ike many 'ainbows, this young man had gone to church when he was a child, but had grown disinterested as he grew older# 1e ke!t talking about how this was the first time he had e%er e0!erienced the emotion of ;od behind the message of the gos!el# (hen we finished singing, we had con%ersations with many !eo!le in the cam!# /e%eral began to wee! as we !ro!hesied o%er them, and two or three ga%e their li%es to Christ# )n the last cha!ter, we focused on gaining greater clarity on the core content, or the ,hat, of the gos!el# 1ere we now turn our attention to the 6uestion of ho, to communicate the message effecti%ely in different cultural settings#

3auls Message at the Areo!agus in Athens

5ne ad%antage that 3aul, 3eter, and the other a!ostles had when they communicated the gos!el to a >ewish crowd was that their listeners already had a !re&e0istent Messianic e0!ectation that had been culti%ated for many centuries# 2ot sur!risingly, then, when 3aul deli%ered his message in the synagogue of 3isidian AntiochKwhere >ews, !roselytes, and ;od&fearing ;entiles made u! his !rimary audienceKhe began by sim!ly making reference to some well& understood 5ld <estament !assages, and then worked u! to >esus from there AActs *I:*,C4*B# 1owe%er, when 3aul !reached the gos!el to ;entile !agans, he had to em!loy a different strategy# <he ma"ority of ;entiles in the 'oman 7m!ire were out&and&out idol&worshi!!ers, com!letely ignorant of the Messianic ho!e of the >ews# 1ow could the a!ostle to the ;entiles communicate the gos!el effecti%ely to those with so little familiarity with the biblical world%iewN <his re6uired creati%ity on his !art, as it does for those called to communicate the gos!el cross&culturally today# 5ne of 3auls most hel!ful sermons from a missiological !ers!ecti%e is the one he deli%ered at the Areo!agus in Athens AAc# *:B# <he circumstances surrounding this message indicates that 3auls audience was !robably com!rised almost e0clusi%ely of ;entiles AAc# *::*GC9*B# <he o!ening lines of this sermon immediately draw our attention to 3auls astuteness as a cultural obser%er# <hough 3aul clearly considered the !agan !hiloso!hies es!oused by grou!s like the /toics and 7!icureans as hollow and dece!ti%e in nature ACol# I:GB, this !assage re%eals that he also made intentional efforts to identify !oints of truth already e0istent in the culture of Athens, howe%er minute, for the !ur!ose

sharing the gos!el# 5ne good !rinci!le of communication is that the intended meaning of a message is transferred to the mind of a rece!tor best when something already known to the rece!tor can be used for communicating something unfamiliar# <hat is what 3aul did in this message# 4es!ite the nauseating effect the %ile idolatry of Athens had on him, in his humility 3aul started off the message using what might ha%e been the only redeemable altar inscri!tion in the entire city: <o an unknown ;od# <hat 3aul had !ur!osefully been looking for !oints of contact and bridges des!ite his hatred of Athenian idol worshi! is e%idenced by the fact that he had looked carefully at A2)MB, obser%ed A7/MB, or was e0amining 2A/BL %# 9IB their ob"ects of de%otion enough to actually find A%# 9IB and tuck the inscri!tion away in his mind for later# <he citi$ens of Athens certainly did not know the ;od of Abraham, )saac, and >acob# <hat much was true# <herefore, 3aul sei$ed this inscri!tion as a launching !ad for telling the Athenians about the one true ;od who created the hea%ens and the earth: 3aul then stood u! in the meeting of the Areo!agus and said: Men of AthensJ ) see that in e%ery way you are %ery religious# 8or as ) walked around and looke$ ca#efully at you# ob2ect. of ,o#.h)3 Aacti%ely looking for bridges of communicationB, ) e%en foun$ an altar with th). )n.c#)3t)on: &! 45 6575!'5 "!8 Acommunicational bridge and !oint of contactB# 2ow what you worshi! as something unknown 9 a* (o)n( to 3#ocla)* to you Amo%ing from known to unknownB# &he "o$ ,ho *a$e the ,o#l$ an$ e+e#yth)n( )n )t ). the :o#$ of hea+en an$ ea#th an$ $oe. not l)+e )n te*3le. bu)lt by han$.. 4n$ he ). not .e#+e$ by hu*an han$., a. )f he nee$e$ anyth)n(, becau.e he h)*.elf ()+e. all *en l)fe an$ b#eath an$ e+e#yth)n( el.e Acommunication of biblical truthB# AAc# *::99C9F, em!hasis and !arenthetical comments addedB 1ere we see 3aul intentionally mo%ing his listeners from the known to the unknown# (hat the Athenians worshi!!ed as something unknown, 3aul was now ready to make known# <he 5ne true ;od created the hea%ens and the earth, and 1e is @ord of it all# 1e is not like the worthless idols being worshi!!ed in Athens# 3aul used the inscri!tion as a hel!ful communicational bridge# 1owe%er, the sting of his message was certainly not watered down by that fact# )t is hard to imagine that the Athenians did not feel the im!act of these "ibes against their detestable images# <he ne0t !hase of his message also indicates that 3aul had done his homework# As grounds for his assertion that the Creator ;od is not far from each one of us and that human beings are made in the image of ;od, 3aul cited a line of !oetry from 3haenomena Kfor we are his offs!ring AAc# *::9GBKa !oem on astronomy written centuries before by the /toic !oet Aratus# I9 Born at /oli in Cilicia in the fourth century BC, Aratus had been a student of =eno, the founder of /toicism# Cilicia was the same region in which 3aul later grew u! AAc# 9*:I+B# )t is not unreasonable to surmise that by 3auls lifetime Aratus had

become a local legend in the region of Cilicia, and that some lines of his !oetry had become a common !art of the local Cilician culture# 1owe%er 3aul came to !ossess knowledge of this !hrase, in his mind it did not contradict biblical truth, and could thus be em!loyed as a cultural bridge for the communication of the gos!el: ;od did this so that men would seek him and !erha!s reach out for him and find him, thou(h he ). not fa# f#o* each one of u.. 8or in him we li%e and mo%e and ha%e our being# As some of your own !oets ha%e said, 'e a#e h). off.3#)n( A6uoting /toic !oet AratusB# <herefore .)nce ,e a#e "o$. off.3#)n( Ai#e#, made in the image of ;od as the work of 1is handsB, ,e .houl$ not th)nk that the $)+)ne be)n( ). l)ke (ol$ o# .)l+e# o# .tone;an )*a(e *a$e by *an. $e.)(n an$ .k)ll Afutility of idolsB# )n the !ast ;od o%erlooked such ignorance, but no, he co**an$. all 3eo3le e+e#y,he#e to #e3ent Amessage not watered&downB# 8or he ha. .et a $ay ,hen he ,)ll 2u$(e the ,o#l$ ,)th 2u.t)ce by the *an he ha. a33o)nte$ Amessage not watered downB# 1e has gi%en !roof of this to all men by raising him from the dead# AAc# *::9,CI*, em!hasis and !arenthetical comments addedB 1ere again we see that e%en though 3aul consciously uses a cultural bridge for communicating biblical truth, in no way does he com!romise or water down the message so as to a%oid any !otential sting it might ha%e on the conscience of his hearers# )t is worth mentioning that while many ha%e celebrated 3auls message as an e0am!le of good communication, others ha%e made the case that 3aul himself actually looked u!on his time at the Areo!agus unenthusiastically# )n * Corinthians 9:*CF, 3aul tells us: (hen ) came to you, brothers, ) $)$ not co*e ,)th elo<uence or .u3e#)o# ,).$o* a. 9 3#ocla)*e$ to you the te.t)*ony about "o$ # 8or 9 #e.ol+e$ to kno, noth)n( ,h)le 9 ,a. ,)th you e=ce3t -e.u. >h#).t an$ h)* c#uc)f)e$# ) came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling# My message and my !reaching were not ,)th ,).e an$ 3e#.ua.)+e ,o#$., but ,)th a $e*on.t#at)on of the ?3)#)t. 3o,e#, so that your faith might not rest on mens wisdom, but on ;ods !ower Aem!hasis addedB# 3aul wrote this to the belie%ers in Corinth, the city he went to "ust after he had !reached his now&famous sermon in Athens# (hy was it that he had to #e.ol+e to know nothing O e0ce!t >esus Christ and him crucified N Could it be that he was gra!!ling with the fact that though he had !reached a seemingly elo6uent sermon in Athens, only a small handful of con%erts had resulted AActs *::I4BN 3ossibly so# All of us should be %ery wary of our !ro!ensity to trust in our own abilities and strength when !roclaiming the message# ;od lo%es to show 1imself

strong in the conte0t of our weakness A9 Cor# *9:GC+B# <his !oint, howe%er, in no way nullifies the im!ortance of communicating the gos!el in ways that !eo!le can understand within the conte0t of their own cultural framework# As 3aul asserts 6uite straightforwardly in another !lace, only the messenger benefits when a message is com!rehensible only to the messenger A* Cor# *4BJ )n the words of Bill >ohnson, the lesson is that we shouldnt do any of these things at the e0!ense of making room for ;od to show u! and say PAmen to 1is own word through the signs and wonders that follow# II All in all, 3auls message here in Acts *: is a source of great encouragement for those called to !roclaim the gos!el in cross&cultural settings#

'ece!tor&5riented Communication
According to Charles ?raft, the !ur!ose of communication is to bring a rece!tor to understand a message !resented by a communicator in a way that substantially corres!onds with the intent of the communicatorO <he communicator, to communicate the message effecti%ely, must be Prece!tor& oriented# I4 @ece3to#Ao#)ente$ communication means that communicators e%aluate the success of their communication attem!t not !rimarily in terms of what a message means in their own minds, but in terms of how their hearers or rece!tors !ercei%e it# )t asks the 6uestion: )s my message being communicated )n .uch a ,ay that the meaning stimulated in the minds of my listeners sufficiently corres!onds to the meaning ) desire to con%eyN )n other words, is my message being heard the ,ay 9 ,ant )t to be hea#$N 8or e0am!le, if ) go u! to a Muslim on the street today and say, 3raise ;odJ ) am a Christian# 4o you know >esusN more than likely he would think, 5h, ;odJ Another alcoholicJ AChristian being e6ui%alent to (estern culture in his mindB# 1e would !robably res!ond, ) dont know >esus, but he might be down at the bar# (alk two blocks and take a left# 5r if ) go u! to a grou! of unbelie%ers in @os Angeles and say, You need to be "ustified and sanctified by the blood, they would likely be clueless about what ) am trying to say# 1owe%er, if ) say, Man, we are totally messed u!, and we des!erately need someone who has the goods to set us free, this is much more likely to translate# )n the case of the young man from 3o! Corner, the way we communicated the message allowed him to not only hear information, but o!ened his heart to e0!erience the emotions of ;od through song# <he truth is that if we do not think carefully about the ,ay we communicate a message, what seems ob%ious and !lain to us is often not !lain to our hearers, es!ecially those who ha%e no !aradigm for biblical language and conce!ts# (hene%er we share the gos!el, our goal should therefore always be to !resent it in such a way that the listeners conscience is forced to wrestle with the actual gos!el, and not by something understood as good news only in the communicators mind# <he following e0cer!t was gi%en to me by a friend who shares the gos!el regularly with African&America youth in%ol%ed in the hi!&ho! culture of the inner city# )t is a good e0am!le of rece!tor&oriented communication:

<u!ac /hakur is res!ected among most all African Americans in the hi!&ho! cultureOe%en many ChristiansOhe was the ra!!er who introduced thug life or being a thug Ohe confessed some sort of belief in ;odOe%en wore a crossO#but li%ed a life of crimeOimmoralityOdrug useOand blatant sin# <u!ac used to sayO5nly ;od can "udge me O1e used this to show that he could do whate%er he wanted and no one could say anything different# BasicallyOif ) am threatened that you are going to try to correct my beha%ior or lifestyleO)d say 5nly ;od can "udge meO You sayO<u!ac was rightO5nly ;od can "udge you Oheres how 1es going to "udge youOe%er heard the <en CommandmentsON 7%er broken e%en oneON <u!ac used to sayO ) wonder if hea%en got a ghetto# <his was written out of frustration about African&Americans growing u! in ghettos around %iolence, crime, and !o%ertyO )t was also !art of his theology about ;odOif ;od is going to !lace all of us in the ghettosO) wonder if 1ell ha%e us in ghettos in hea%enOwhy li%e for ;od if 1es "ust gonna !ut me in a ghetto in hea%enN <here will be no ghettos in hea%enOlet me tell you about the return of >esus ChristOand the truth about eternityO 3uff 4addy wrote a song calledOCant 2obody 1old Me 4own O similar to <u!acs 5nly ;od Can >udge Me O 3uff wrote this song to !ro%e that he was a self&made man and he called all the shots# 2o one would tell him how to li%e his lifeOno one would be his master# 2one of us want to be held down by anythingOby o!!ressionOor by a !ersonOes!ecially when we%e ne%er had a male role modelOwe dont want another male telling us how to li%eOrebellion is "ustified by cant nobody hold me down# Check this outO <he Bible says that he who sins is a sla%e to sin# )f we are a sla%e to sinOsin is our masterOsin is holding us downOif we dont want to be held down by anyoneOwe ha%e to be mastered only by ;od who is not a !erson on earth# /o the truth isOif 3uff 4addy wasnt following >esusOand li%ing for righteousnessO#he actually was being held downOby his sin# @ets not be held down by anyoneOlets turn away from sin and be mastered only by ;od#IF

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(e must be %ery careful about the formsKterms, symbols, and conce!tsKwe choose to em!loy when communicating our message: <he cultural forms AsymbolsB that are em!loyed by C AcommunicatorB to con%ey M Athe messageB, then, will ha%e to be chosen carefully on the basis of Cs best understanding of what their im!act on ' Athe listener, rece!torB will be# I, As we saw with 3auls message at the Areo!agus, this is not the same as watering down the sting of the message or remo%ing the offense of the cross# )n fact, "ust the o!!osite is true# A message actually gets diluted when its !ackaging kee!s the intended meaning from getting through to the hearer# 'ece!tor&oriented communication stri%es to communicate all as!ects of the biblical gos!elKincluding both the kindness and se%erity of ;od A'om# **:99BKas effecti%ely as !ossible# (e need to couch the message in such a way that the (o.3el is actually heard, because only the gos!el message has the ca!acity to im!act the human heart in any kind of life&changing way#

/trategic .se of 3ro%erbs and 'edem!ti%e Analogies

Most cultures outside of the (est use !ro%erbs or some other kind of !ithy sayings as anchor !oints for their day&to&day li%ing# <y!ically, !ro%erbs cut straight to the heart of a cultures world%iew and are usually acce!ted as bottom& line, un6uestionable truth# <he closest American e6ui%alent might be lines and sayings from well&known mo%ies, !o!ular figures, or books# /o long as their meanings do not contradict biblical truth, !ro%erbs can ser%e as %ery %aluable bridges for communicating the gos!el# 5ne !ractical suggestion for !utting together a gos!el !resentation is to begin by researching and sifting through local !ro%erbs# Books, inter%iews, or casual con%ersation are all good !otential sources for ac6uiring !ro%erbs# As you are com!iling your list, consciously try to identify those that touch on the !roblem of the human condition, redem!ti%e themes, and other biblical truths# )n the case of our !resentation at the 'ainbow ;athering, through casual con%ersation with a former 'ainbow on our team, we learned of a 6uasi&!ro%erbial saying that was well&known among the 'ainbows# You can take the boy out of Babylon, but you cant take Babylon out of the boy# <his saying !ro%ided a !erfect bridge for talking about the !roblem of sin in the human heart# )n addition to !ro%erbs, ) also want to strongly recommend the use of what ha%e come to be known as redem!ti%e analogies, local customs or conce!ts that ser%e as bridges for communicating what >esus did on the cross# Mo%ies, childrens books, con%ersations with friends, and anthro!ological resources are good !laces to start digging# 4on 'ichardsons book Beace >h)l$ is a worthwhile read on this to!ic#I: 'ichardson relates his disco%ery of a custom among the /awi !eo!le that ser%ed as a natural bridge for communicating the gos!el# <he %arious /awi tribes of former 4utch 2ew ;uinea were constantly fighting and killing one another# 4ece!tion was of such high %alue in the culture that the !eo!le actually a!!lauded >udas for his betrayal of >esusJ As 'ichardson and his family !re!ared to lea%e the area because of escalating fighting, some of the

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/awi tribes, not wanting them to lea%e, came together to make !eace# Central to the !rocess of !eace&making in /awi culture was the custom of the !eace child, in which a man from one %illage %oluntarily gi%es his son away to be raised by his hated foe in an o!!osing %illage# As long as the !eace child li%ed, !eace between the two %illages was assured# .nlike other killings, murdering a !eace child was considered taboo# <he 'ichardsons were able to use this analogy to e0!lain how ;od sacrificially sent 1is own /on >esus to 1is enemies on the earth as a !eace child# >esus li%es fore%erL therefore, those who ha%e recei%ed him as ;ods !eace child ha%e !eace with ;od fore%er# Many of the /awi acce!ted Messiah when they heard the gos!el !resented on these culturally understandable terms# )n our own ministry conte0t among the )slamic Mora%ians, we learned of a custom, the blood com!ensation !ayment, that !ro%ided an e0cellent redem!ti%e analogy# 3re&)slamic in origin but ne%ertheless still widely obser%ed by Mora%ians, this custom functioned to hel! warring clans resol%e murder dis!utes# <he basic conce!t is that when a man from one clan kills someone from another clan, the two clans are left with a sticky situation# <he members of the murderers clan must come together, contribute some money to a common !ool, and use that money to !ay the blood com!ensation !ayment to the %ictimi$ed family# 8ailure to !ay the blood !ayment s!awns a whirlwind of inter& clan %iolence and re%enge killings, and the cycle is !er!etuated until com!ensation is finally !aid according to the mutually&agreed u!on terms# (hen the two clans do finally reconcile, the re!resentati%e elders of the res!ecti%e clans come together, lay their hands on a lamb of the highest %alue Aa female that has not gi%en birth yetB, slaughter the lamb, and declare: ) bind myself to the lamb# At this !oint, the dis!ute is considered resol%ed and !eace between the two clans is restored# <his redem!ti%e analogy became the cornerstone of our !resentation of the gos!el to Mora%ians#

5ur 3resentation to Mora%ians

<he abo%e considerations are what guided our attem!t to de%elo! a !resentation that articulates and communicates the gos!el to Mora%ians in a rece!tor&oriented, conte0tually meaningful way# ) include the !resentation here in the ho!e that it will stimulate !eo!le to de%elo! tools that allow them to !roclaim the gos!el with more confidence in their own ministry conte0ts# (ith the e0ce!tion of a few slight alterations, what follows is the translation of the message ) !roclaimed in the hos!ital Asee o!ening testimony in )ntroductionB and shared with Bill Asee o!ening testimony in Ch# *B# By way of introduction, the !resentation integrates a %ariety of communicati%e and cultural forms, both !re& and !ost&)slamic, including drama Athrough hand motionsB, traditional !ro%erbs, a ha$)th Athe non&Quranic, yet authoritati%e and commonly&known sayings of MuhammadB, and a redem!ti%e analogy# )t is also teacher&based in that at key !oints in the narrati%e, it tries to !re&em!t traditional )slamic ob"ections to the u!coming !ointKthe need for the cross or the 1oly /!irit, for e0am!leKby first e0!laining and clarifying the reason

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why the im!ending !oint is necessary# <he !rogression of the !resentation, moreo%er, follows the basic world%iew outline of !roblem, solution, and benefits of solution, and incor!orates the four dimensions of the ke#y(*a, as !resented in Cha!ter I# )t uses "ust o%er *I-- words, fewer than /te!hen used in his sermon in Acts :, but more than are found in most of the other a!ostolic sermons# 8urthermore, the !resentation assumes a distinction between Christianity as a religious system of e0ternal !rece!ts, outward forms, and legalistic regulations, and the abundant, inwardly transformati%e life of grace and !ower made a%ailable to us by the 1oly /!irit# /ometimes at the end of the !resentation, ) would ask listeners if they saw how the message they were hearing differed from what they ty!ically understood as religion# Almost without e0ce!tion they said, Yes# <hey had a!!arently heard enough does&and&donts sermons and had had enough e0!osure to .ha#)a law to know the em!tiness of, and des!air created by, systems that set high standards but lea%e !eo!le !owerless to reach them# <he gos!el, in contrast, not only brings "oy and !eace, but also gi%es us !ower to li%e righteously as the /!irit ;od 1imself em!owers us to li%e holy li%es of lo%e from the inside out A'om# G:4B# )t may be worth mentioning that before we e%er met Bill, we had shared this !resentation with many Mora%ians, whose nods and affirmations confirmed that something was connecting in their understanding# .nderstanding, of course, does not ensure acce!tance# 5ur goal, after all, was not to remo%e or water down the sting of the cross, but to communicate the cross more effecti%ely# 2ot sur!risingly, some res!onded !ositi%ely, wanting to know moreL others did not# ) had also tested the !resentation with some of the few Mora%ian belie%ers we knew# <hey too said that it communicated well# 8rom their res!onse, ) think it may ha%e e%en emboldened them to be more creati%e in the use of communicational bridges from their own culture when sharing the gos!el# By the time we met Bill, our confidence in the !resentations communicability and rece!tor&orientedness was high# As with the 'ainbow !resentation abo%e, because most readers are !robably not familiar with the cultural cues on which the following !resentation hinges, ) ha%e included endnotes with information that will hel! the reader follow the flow of the message# .nfortunately, a written te0t lea%es no room for hand motions# ) encourage you to use your imagination# 8or instance, when talking about >esus mercy in healing, ) would make motions as if ) were laying hands on !eo!le# (hen ) !resented it in the hos!ital, ) actually laid hands on real sick !eo!le# (hen talking about our sinful blood, ) would !oint to the %eins on the wrist of my left forearm Athe left hand, used for the toilet, being !ercei%ed as culturally uncleanB# )n contrast, when talking about >esus sinless blood, ) would !oint to the %eins on the wrist and bottom side of my right forearm Athe right hand, used for eating, being !ercei%ed as culturally cleanB# (hen we got to the cross, ) would stretch out my arms to both sides, making a cross sha!e# (hen we got to the resurrection, ) would make the sha!e of a tomb with one hand, and then use the other hand while make a blowing, wind&like sound to indicate the !ower of the 1oly /!irit raising >esus from the dead# My goal was to #e&!resent

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Christ %isibly through my own !erson, both %erbally and non&%erbally# <oday ) am here with you to tell you about the best news in the world# As you know, the Mora%ian !eo!le say, An indebted !erson is a sick !erson# IG 8rom the beginning, the time of Adam, until today, the hearts of human beings ha%e been greatly troubled and seriously sickened by a %ery hea%y debt# <his burden that e0ists in all of our hearts gained its !lace in us through our sins and our troubled consciences# As weI+ see e%ery day from the world around us and from our own hearts, we and the rest of humanity ha%e all sinned and rebelled against ;od# (e%e all become shamed# 4- )t is a!!arent to us that /atan dwells in our blood and in our %eins# 4* According to Mora%ian culture, when a !erson from one clan kills someone from another clan, the murderer infuriates the %ictimi$ed clan because of his crime#49 7ither he is going to !ay a blood& !ayment, or a fighting will eru!t between the two clans# As the Mora%ians say, Bring the blood !ayment, dont bring an oath# 4I <his shows us that a blood !ayment is necessary for someone to ac6uire the forgi%eness of sins#44 @ikewise, all of us ha%e made ;od angry by our e%il hearts# All of us intensely long to find forgi%eness of sins, a new and !ure life, a clean conscience, and to be freed from /atan# 1owe%er, that being so, we are all dee!ly distressed, because we dont know where to find such things on our own# (e are all like that !erson !assing through a %ery long and dry desert, but who cant find the water he needs to kee! on li%ing# 4F But !raise ;od, there e0ists a great ho!eJ <he Mora%ians also say, 5ne is star%ing for good news# 4, Although we ha%e made ;od angry, he still lo%es us, and he knew that we were star%ing for news about how one finds forgi%eness of sins and a new life, and the way our dry souls are cleansed and restored# <herefore, out of his great lo%e and mercy, ;od sent the one called >esus the Messiah to the earth to tell us the incredible news about the kingdom of ;od# Because >esus came from ;od, his blood was not like our unclean blood, but was holy and !ure# (hen >esus came to us, he was full of mercy# 1e did many miracles, and he healed all who came to him# 1e raised the dead# 1e cast demons out of those who had demons# All this to say: he walked with ;od in a sinless and !erfect life# <he lo%e that !resided in and flowed from himOit was greater than any other kind of lo%e that can be found in the worldJ <ruly, holy lo%e !oured from his eyes# 2e%ertheless, all that being the case, his disci!les and the other !eo!le he walked among still did not fully understand the e0tent to which C).e., .t)ll nee$e$ f)nal conf)#*at)on )n #e.u##ect)on B his blood was sinless and !ure# <herefore, although >esus li%ed a sinless life, for our sake ;od allowed him, a. a bloo$ co*3en.at)on 3ay*ent, to be nailed and killed on a wooden cross# (hen he died, he was buried# But,

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!raise ;od, because >esus was innocent and had !ure blood, two days after his death, on the third day, ;od ga%e him life and raised him from the dead# <his is because, as the 1oly Book the )n"iil 4: teaches, death can only maintain its gri! on those who ha%e uncleanDsinful blood# <herefore, in this manner ;od demonstrated to the world A%indicationB that >esus blood was !ure and sinless, one hundred !ercent# <hen, after >esus resurrection, he showed himself to more than fi%e hundred of his disci!les# <hey were thoroughly ama$ed and o%er"oyed, because many thought he was still dead# <hen >esus told them this good news concerning the kingdom of ;od: 5ur good ;od has acce!ted in our !lace the blood com!ensation that >esus !aid for us on the crossKthat is to say, ;ods anger, which we had aroused, was a!!eased by >esus blood !ayment# <he blood !ayment of >esus is like the lamb, 4G because >esus is the @amb of ;od# <hat blood !ayment also freed us from the chains and fetters of /atan# Moreo%er, ;od e0alted and made >esus 'uler of the uni%erse# <herefore, e+e#yone who comes to >esus, and walks with him, and lo%es him, and trusts his blood !ayment, all of themKman or woman, black or white, rich or !oor, Mora%ian or American, children or adults, religious e0!erts or the ones terrible at religion, Christian4+ or MuslimL #e(a#$le.. of a !ersons religion, or family, or status, or homelandKthey all can enter the kingdom of ;od# <his means that they recei%e the new life they are looking for, as well as numerous blessings from hea%en# (hen we enter his kingdom, we recei%e the forgi%eness of sins, and ;od also deli%ers us from the darkness, /atan, disease, death, and e%il# <o con%ey us into his kingdom of light and because it is im!ossible for us to !urify oursel%es, >esus anoints us with something called the 1oly /!irit of ;od, who cleans our hearts and continues to li%e in us fore%er# <he /!irit is always with us and is in us# 1e hel!s us to li%e li%es that are lo%e&filled, "oyful, and !owerful, and to mo%e away from /atan, e%il thoughts, and other wicked things# 1e also gi%es us the !ower we need to lo%e ;od and other !eo!le from our hearts, e%en our enemies# 8urther still, as you ha%e all seen here today Ca..u*)n( conf)#*)n( .)(n. of 3o,e#D, he also bestows on us his !ower to heal, that we may heal other des!erate !eo!le in the name of the ?ing >esus ChristKlike the blind, the lame, the sick, those who ha%e demons, and e%en the dead Aas signs of the coming kingdomD# At the end of history, >esus will return to the earth to raise us bodily from the dead and "udge all nations# 1e has !romised that all who ha%e trusted his blood !ayment and in whom the /!irit abides will be included in the resurrection of the righteous and will be with him fore%er in his kingdom# <hose who re"ect him will also be resurrected bodily and will be cast into the !lace they

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deser%e because of their rebellion against ;od: the lake of fire# )n conclusion, this good news about the kingdom of ;od is like the !ro%erb that says, A man who gi%es you !oison, gi%e him butter# Although all of us ga%e ;od !oison, 1e ga%e us butter when 1e sent >esus to us# (e were all 1is enemies, but 1e forga%e us#F- <his good news is also like the !ro%erb, 3eace is like sweet milk# F* Because of >esus, we now ha%e !eace with ;od, and that !eaceKboy, is it sweet# .nfortunately, today there are many !eo!le who mistakenly think that >esus came to bring another religion# But, as you can now see, he did not come for that reason# 1e came to o!en to us the door for inclusion in the kingdom of ;od# 1owe%er, though the door is flung wide o!en, ;od is not going to force us to enter# <herefore, it is our choice# But if a !erson is star%ing and burning for a new, !ure life, he can walk through the door %ery easily# )f he re!ents of his sins, confesses from his mouth that >esus is @ord, and belie%es from his heart that ;od raised him from the dead, he will be sa%ed# 1e will recei%e the 1oly /!irit as an assurance of his inclusion in >esus kingdom# 1owe%er, if he makes this decision to enter the kingdom, he must know well that there is also a difficult side to this decision# /atan doesnt want anyone to acce!t >esus or recei%e the blessings of ;od# <herefore, he tries %ery hard to stir u! in !ersecution against those who ha%e decided to follow >esus# 1owe%er, that being so, the /!irit of ;od hel!s us to endure the sufferings that will come against us as we wait for >esus return# ) will now sing you a song that shows both sides, the cost and the blessings#F9 <o those for whose work !arts of this !articular !resentation might !ro%e hel!ful, you ha%e full !ermission to use whate%er you like and to ada!t it to your own conte0t as you see fit#

Conclusion
<he eternal destiny of billions of human beings throughout the earth hinges on a re!entant and belie%ing heart res!onse to the good news of >esus the Messiah# As those entrusted with the mandate !roclaiming this message, it behoo%es us as the Body of Messiah to follow 3auls e0am!le and make e%ery effort to communicate this !recious gift in the most effecti%e ways !ossible# .nto this end, we can use !ro%erbs, redem!ti%e analogies, and other kinds of cultural bridges, which are some of the %aluable resources that ;od has !ut at our dis!osal# (e can trust >esus to meet us dynamically in the !rocess of searching out creati%e ways to make our !resentation of the gos!el more rece!tor&oriented#

7ndnotes
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<he following definitions can be found in the glossary of R3eo!le of the 'ainbowL A 2omadic .to!ia,R by Michael )# 2iman, .ni%ersity of <ennessee 3ress, *++:, or online at htt!:DDwww#welcomehome#orgDrainbowDinfoDglossary#html#
2

<he world outside of the ;athering# SMainstreamT or SmainlineT societyL the SstraightT world A8rom the Book of 'e%elations, %ia 'astafariB#
3

At the site of the ;athering# <o meet as a grou! with the aim of reaching consensus on a gi%en to!ic#

3ersonal feelings, emotions, obser%ations and %isions as articulated at ;atherings#

6

<o organi$e a !ro"ect# 3ay attention to, or res!ect, the s!eaker or council !rocedures#

/omeone who deli%ers messages, su!!lies or food between two !oints at a ;athering#
9

A %olunteer res!onsible to ser%e as a conduit for 'ainbow 8amily information to both 8amily members away from the ;atherings and to the !ublic#
10

<o enter into !eaceful harmony with !eo!le or the en%ironment# A !lan, sometimes dishonest, for getting something for less than its %alue# <o agree by consensus#

11

12

13

4um!ster A%B: <he act of retrie%ing food or other goods from a garbage dum!ster#
14

1arassment and hassles of 'ainbows by go%ernment agencies and the !olice#

15

/itting around or wandering around, en"oying the ;athering, in a carefree state#

16

@i%ing the life of a 'oad 4og#

17

@ooking to meet someone, !rimarily for se0# Most snifters are men looking for women#
18

A state of mind one sli!s into after being Pon the road too long, e#g#, e0hausted

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and wanting to settle down for a s!ell#

19

Money# A dead animal found on the roadL dead animals in general# A non&%erbal signal or feeling# Also can be used to describe a mood# A !icture of how things should, could or will be#

20

21

22

23

<he 'ainbow 1ealing unit# 8ormally M#A#/#1# <ransformed into C#A#@#M# as it grew from a first aid station to a com!rehensi%e medical unit#
24

A cam! for !arents, children and e0!ectant !arents# 3ro%ides childcare, s!ecial acti%ities and s!ecial meals for children#
25

<o take res!onsibility for making sure a gi%en task is accom!lished# 1obo or 'oad 4og, who ho!s trains# /omeone who calls the 'oad home# C#f# 1obo, P4og# A 'ainbow who li%es on the road, constantly tra%eling# /omeone with a "ob# <he central, most hea%ily tra%eled trail at a ;athering#

26

27

28

29

30

31

A common goodbye to !eo!le lea%ing the ;athering# 8rom the signature sign& off song of the 'oy 'ogersD4ale 7%ans tele%ision P(estern of the *+F-Ts#
I9

(# A# 7lwell and 3#(# Comfort, &yn$ale B)ble $)ct)ona#y, <yndale 'eference @ibrary A(heaton, )ll#: <yndale 1ouse 3ublishers, 9--*B, *--#
II

Bill >ohnson, &he ?u3e#natu#al Bo,e# of a &#an.fo#*e$ E)n$: 4cce.. to a :)fe of E)#acle. A/hi!!ensburg, 3A: 4estiny )mage 3ublishers, )nc#, 9--FB, 4G
I4

Charles ?raft, >h#).t)an)ty )n >ultu#e: 4 ?tu$y )n 8yna*)c B)bl)cal &heolo()F)n( )n >#o..Acultu#al Be#.3ect)+e AMaryknoll, 2Y: 5rbis Books, *+:+B, *4:CG#
IF

/# Cates, document submitted to author by email, summer 9--G# ?raft, >h#).t)an)ty )n >ultu#e, *4+# 4on 'ichardson, Beace >h)l$ AMentura, CA: 'egal Books, 9--FB#

I,

I:

*G

IG

Mora%ian !ro%erb#

I+

As with many languages, in Mora%ian there is an inclusi%e we and e0clusi%e we# <hroughout the !resentation, we use the inclusi%e in order to stress our common human !redicament, to a%oid an us &%ersus&them dichotomy, and to stress the truth that the gos!el is a%ailable to all, irres!ecti%e of race or culture#
4-

)n his book /ono# an$ ?ha*e, 'olland Muller discusses both the shame&based and guilt&based res!onses to the 8all# @ike most cultures in the *-&4- window, Mora%ian culture is !rimarily a shame&based culture# Muller, 'oland A!seudonymB# &ool. fo# Eu.l)* G+an(el).*# Belle%ille, 52: 7ssence 3ublishers, 9---#
4*

<his is a brief allusion to a hadith from al&Bukhari: O<he 3ro!het A!eace be u!on himB said Ato themB, /atan reaches e%erywhere in the human body as blood reaches in it Ae%erywhere in ones bodyB# 8rom the C4 collated by 4udley (oodberry, &he 'o#l$ of 9.la*: @e.ou#ce. fo# 6n$e#.tan$)n( # 8or this hadith, see the section called /ur%ey of )slam, section F, )slam: the 4ogma, /atan#
49

<his bridge is based on Mora%ian custom of dealing with murder between members from different clans# <his custom has roots in !re&)slamic Mora%ian culture, differs in significant ways from what is often es!oused as orthodo0 )slamic blood com!ensation !ractices, and !ersists to the !resent day in %arious forms in different !laces# )t has se%eral names# 5ne sim!ly means blood com!ensation, indicating its function# Another sim!ly means blood, indicating the occasion for the !ayment, i#e#, murder or the s!illing of blood# <he third denotes the actual !rice that one family must ty!ically !ay to another when a male is killed# <he basic conce!t is that when one man from one clan kills someone from another clan, either the members of the murderers family !ays the blood com!ensation !ayment, or a cycle of re%enge killings is set in motion#
4I

Mora%ian !ro%erb# Cf# 1ebrews +:99#

44

4F

<his is a meta!hor that most Mora%ians, many of whom are of a nomadic background and are accustomed to difficult climates, can easily relate to#
4,

<his !ro%erb is difficult to translate# @iterally it means something like 2ews is the hottest hunger# <he meaning is that someone is "ust dying to get the news# Mora%ians often say this if they want to by!ass the traditional greetings and get straight to the !oint because they are so an0ious to hear the news Ae#g#, if someone has died#B
4:

2ew <estament#

*+

4G

<his is a reference to a saying and custom that Mora%ians often use to declare forgi%eness# A female lamb that hasnt gi%en birth yet Aconsidered !recious and of great %alueB is often slaughtered as a declaration of forgi%eness# <his custom is a statement that declares that the forgi%eness symboli$ed by the slaughtering of the lamb far outweighs the many benefits that the lamb would ha%e brought the family if it had remained ali%e#
4+

Culturally understood# )n the minds of most Mora%ians, Christian e6uals (estern#

F-

Mora%ian !ro%erb# Mora%ian !ro%erb#

F*

F9

At this !oint, ) would go on to sing a song written years earlier by some Mora%ian belie%ers, all of whom had been martyred for their faith# <he song talks about ne%er denying >esus, our /a%ior, the one who has gi%en us an eternal !romise, no matter what kind of !ersecutions or troubles befall us# <his song communicated in %ery stark terms that the road of the cross is not an easy decision, though it is a worthwhile decision# 8rom the %ery start, new belie%ers must ha%e no illusions about what they are getting into#

9-