The Peace Child

Easter weekend. Which, to many, means colored plastic eggs filled with candy, hiding eggs around that children might find them (between the giggles of course!), chocolate bunnies and baskets filled with imitation grass. But what is real meaning behind this weekend?

It's not about a bunny after all...it's about the peace child.

Some time ago, two missionaries--Don Richardson and his wife--went to be missionaries to the Sawi people. The Sawi's were known as "cannibalistic head-hunters", yet the Richardson's wanted to reach them with the gospel of Jesus. So they related to them the story of Jesus. The Sawi's listened very intently until the point of the story where Judas betrays Jesus. The Unexpected then happened: the Sawi's roared with laughter, danced around and cheered Judas. The Richardson's didn't know what to make of that. Come to find out, treachery is highly prized among the Sawi's--it is something they intentionally try to hone and make as perfect as possible. To them, Judas was the hero and Jesus was the fool. The Richardson's were at a loss as to how to reach them.

Some time later, the Sawi's began having problems with another tribe and fighting broke out. The Richardson's told the Sawi's that they would have to leave if the violence didn't die down. With the Sawi's, it was a point of pride that they would have missionaries among them and the other tribes didn't, so the Sawi's agreed to bring a halt to the fighting. The solution was peace--and the terms were the peace child.

You see, the way to make peace with your enemy there is to give a newborn baby to the enemy and allow your enemy to raise him/her as he sees fit. It was a time of sadness and loss for the Sawi's...and the Richardson's finally found how they could witness to these people about what Jesus came and did and what He represents. Once they were able to understand that the newborn King of kings was given by the Father in heaven--and not only that--but died so that they could live, it finally clicked with the Sawi's. They understood that there was One who wasn't betrayed unknowingly, but gave Himself voluntarily. The Sawi's praised the Lord and wanted to know more. Today, over 70% of the Sawi's are Christian.

Easter is a time to remember that gifts of chocolate and candy cannot match the ultimate Gift given, and that stories about the Easter bunny and such cannot match the story of One who gave Himself that we might live.

2 Corinthians 5:21--God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

This weekend give the gift that keeps on giving...share Jesus.