Christians stand
Image byMarco Bianchetti from Unsplash
by Anton Lutz
The Christian church is the worldwide body of Christ, which has existed for nearly two thousand years and will, Christians believe, still be here doing the Lord’s will until His return!
The Christian church has encountered many different groups of people all over the world. Most of these people believed things that were nonsense, wrong or even evil. That is why the Christian church has continued to teach the one true faith, from the time of the apostles until now. Heresy, heathen beliefs and idolatry continue to occur, even today.
Now, the first Christian missionaries came to Papua New Guinea in the late 1800s and by the 1970s had set up evangelistic work in all but the most remote valleys of the island. Many people came to faith in Christ and were baptised. Today, PNG considers itself to be a “Christian Nation.” Excellent.
But Christian communities around here also torture men and women to death.
Wow, right?
We have three headings to consider today:
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- Real Christians stand against SARV and help others
- SARV is sin – a lack of obedience to God’s word and will
- SARV is a lack of trust in God – a justifying of heathen beliefs – even by saying it’s a “spiritual samting”
I won’t preach here too much because I’m sure your pastor has been doing it often enough. Love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12. Thou shalt not kill. Exodus 20:13.
I’ll end this post with a short play that a family or group of friends could role play. This is followed by a Director’s cut of what could be made into a stage play or even a short phone film. Both of these are intended to be art pieces that could be used to help spread awareness about sorcery violence and the need to stand up.
David and the Goliath sanguma
Language – Tok Pisin or English or mix
Cast – 4 people – David, Mum/Dad, Sibling 1, Sibling 2; or 4 friends
Props – Paper king’s crown, a few sticks, bush knife, strips of cloth for headbands, slingshot, etc.
Location – Outdoors – basically anywhere
– SCENE 1 –
David: I’m so tired of doing all the work around here! My brothers should be helping me!
Mum/Dad: Go tell them to come home and help you!
– SCENE 2 –
David: Hey guys, you’re supposed to come help me!
Sibling 1: Oi! Don’t talk so loudly! The Goliath sanguma might hear you!
David: What’s he going to do to me?
Sibling 2: He’s big and scary! He’s invisible! He’s being controlled by the witches and sorcerers! Maybe he’ll eat your heart! Evidence ya, mipla gat invisible evidence ya!
David: Whateva!
Sibling 1: You need to respect! We’re always afraid of sanguma! Especially Goliath sanguma! Yu no save?
David: Maybe you guys are afraid! God didn’t tell me to be afraid of Goliath OR of sanguma!
Sibling 2: So …what… you’re going to believe God instead of our sanguma stories? But sanguma is our belief!
David: You guys are wasting your time being afraid. It’s time to stand up against false beliefs. Time to stand for the truth. Time to do the right thing! Otherwise… GO HOME and look after the sheep!
– SCENE 3 –
David: And just like that, I defeated the giant, stood up against the fear and false beliefs, and next thing you know, they made me the king!
– THE END –
Director’s cut
Location:
On the torture scene, at a fire. A woman is tied up, two men are laughing and heating up wires. The scene opens with the tortured Woman crying out for help.
Director: Action!
Pastor: (comes on) – “Hmm… sorcery is a spiritual problem… someone should encourage the churches to pray about this.” He stands there and does nothing.
Woman: (comes on) – “Aiyo, mi wari ya! Tasol, nogut trutru em mekim sanguma?” She stands there and does nothing.
Boy: (comes on) – “Goan, paitim em pastaim, mipla tok nogat lo sanguma ya!”
Girl: (comes on) – “How can this be happening, in my country? This breaks my heart, but what can I do?”
Policeman: (comes on) – “Upla laikim mi mekim wanem? Karim ol trabol lain kam lo polis stesin na bai mi sasim ol!”
Politician: (comes on) – “This is a (he yawns) Christian nation. We condemn violence against… “ (His phone rings and he takes the call.) “One moment… oi, tru a? ok, mi kam.” (He struts off set.)
Director: (jumps out of his Director Chair and storms on) – “CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT! Yupla stupid? We need to reshoot all these scenes! You are not acting the way I told you to act. You are not saying what I told you to say. You are not doing what I told you to do! I don’t even want to hear your excuses. Back to the beginning!”
Everything runs in fast forward reverse.
Director: Let’s try this again!
Everyone freezes. Gazellah walks onto the set.
Gazellah: “In our beautiful nation, too many people ol bagarapim scene. Ol bagarapim gutpla wok blo Director.”
Woman: (turns to camera) – “Directa tokim mipela lo lovim everybody.”
She goes into the scene and wraps her body over the other woman, protecting her. She freezes in place.
Boy: (turns) – “The Director says we cannot hurt or torture or kill one another.”
The boy goes into the scene and poses in front of the torturers to block them – he freezes in place.
Girl: (turns) – “The Director wants each of us to do our part.”
She turns and takes out her phone to make a phone call. She freezes in place as the Hotline number flashes across the screen as a clearly viewable graphic.
Policeman: “Together, we can say no to illegal violence.”
He turns and puts handcuffs on the other torturer – freezes in place.
Pastor: “Together we can act as real Christians in our nation.”
He turns and puts himself between the torturers and the woman – freezes in place.
Gazellah: (She’s been watching. Turns back to camera) – “Director, yu ting wanem?”
Director: “Much better. Action!”
The tortured woman, who is also Mother, gets up off the floor, wipes the tears from her eyes. She takes a deep breath and whispers – “Thank you.”
Curtain or The End.