A STORY is told about a Christian missionary who traveled to the dense rainforests of Papua New Guinea to bring his message to one particular tribe. He spent time learning the language as best he could and to understand the local customs.
For whatever historical reasons, and in spite of the fact that archaeological evidence indicates that humans first arrived around 40,000 years ago, these people are known for their violent ways. In 1901 on Goaribari Island in the Gulf of Papua, missionary Harry Dauncey found 10,000 skulls in the island’s Long Houses, evidence of past practices.
Headhunting and cannibalism was practiced in many parts of the country as part of rituals related to warfare and taking in enemy spirits or powers even into the 20th century.
After gaining the trust of the people, the missionary told the story of Jesus of Nazareth, emphasizing the sacrifice of His death—the story of the Crucifixion. The tribe found the story amusing, particularly identifying with the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. This was something they could fully understand and appreciate. The fact that Jesus and His close apostles were fooled into thinking they could trust Judas only supported their view that enemies should be killed without mercy at every opportunity.
There was not any chance they would embrace a philosophy of “Love you neighbor as yourself.” They only people a person might be able to trust and love were members of one’s own tribe and even then, with caution.
Completely frustrated with his efforts to bring the tribe to his Christian religion, the missionary tried to put the crucifixion in the total context of the life of Jesus. Stories of healing and forgiveness of sins still fell on deaf ears. Again, in their minds, this fellow Jesus was wasting His time because people are basically treacherous and untrustworthy.
As the season approached, the missionary turned his teachings to the Christmas story. The faithful look at Christmas as the beginning of Christianity with joy and the knowledge the journey ends with death and sacrifice.
To the tribal people, the Christmas story—not the death on the cross—was the ultimate demonstration of love and sacrifice.
Tribal warfare could only eventually end with the killing and slavery of the loser by the winner. The only alternative would be that the tribal leaders on both sides would give his first-born son and heir in marriage to the other group. The son would leave his family and birthright and no longer be a member of his tribe. The son would give up his name, history and future. It was the ultimate sacrifice by father and son to bring a lasting peace.
The Christmas birth gave meaning to the people of “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son.”
We tend to think that giving one’s life by death may be the ultimate personal surrender. The tribe understood that there might be even a more painful sacrifice that can be made when we give away that which we hold even more precious.
What have we sacrificed this Christmas season?