Don Richardson (1) (1935–2018)

In this classic Christian read, Don Richardson chronicles his pioneering missionary work among the Sawi people of Papua, Indonesia (formerly Irian Jaya).

I love that he begins his stories with the perspective of the Sawi people, and only after the reader has gotten to know them and their culture does he introduce himself and Western influences. I really feel this helps the reader to understand the significance of the differences between cultures.

This book is somewhat graphic, and I wouldn't recommend it for young readers. I love the premise so much though, that I would most certainly consider adapting the text myself if I had young children of my own. I think the story would resonate with them greatly, and help them to comprehend the Bible more completely, as it did for even me!

Richardson is big on "redemptive analogies", which he states are "God's keys to man's cultures" (p.287), and I found the many examples he gave in the book absolutely fascinating. It was so encouraging to read how God had prepared various peoples for His Word and Truth by using their own pagan traditions and legends.

This particular book focuses on the idea of a "peace child" - a child given to an enemy tribe to prove that the giver's tribe can be trusted to keep their end of a peace agreement (instead of tricking the enemy tribe and resorting to headhunting and cannibalism).

I loved Richardson's description of a Christmas day after many Sawi became Christians:

"Then Isai, now a literate Sawi preacher, rose to his feet and read a verse of Scripture that I had translated for the occasion: 'For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given...' The words sank in, and were welcomed with a perception and insight perhaps rare among western Christians. I looked around at the rapt faces of believers who were intent, not with admiration of baubles, ribbon and tinsel - for such could have no meaning to the Sawi - but with adoration of the Peace Child who had been born, not only in Bethlehem, but within their own hearts as well." (p.271)… (altro)

This book gave me an increased burden to pray for people groups still unreached with the gospel, and to seek out opportunities to fund missions in those places.

It took a couple of chapters before I really got into the book, but I really liked that Richardson shared the historical account from the Yali perspective first, then added in the missionary perspective. I think understanding the beliefs and customs of the Yali really helped me to see why future events happened the way they did.

My only complaints would be that there are several typos, particularly with commas (appearing where they shouldn't, or not appearing where they should, making the reading a little more difficult). Also, the chapter lengths are very inconsistent; some chapters are 8 pages, others are 30 pages - this makes it difficult to gauge how long it will take me to get through each chapter and schedule my reading time accordingly. (I hate having to stop in the middle of a chapter!)

It was worth the read, though!… (altro)

Richardson shares many examples of God preserving memories of Himself in cultures around the world, readying peoples for the good news that Jesus died, was raised from the dead, and is able to forgive our sins and restore our relationship with God.

I loved all the stories of the parallels in other cultures to the Gospel message, and how so many different people groups have literally just been waiting for someone who knows about Jesus to come share what they know!

The second half of the book wasn't quite as interesting, especially the chapter Scholars with Strange Theories, which explores what secular anthropologists think about these vestiges of the One True God in various religious traditions.

Richardson does go through the Bible, as well, and shows how Jesus spent His ministry gathering "Gentiles" to Himself, and how God planned to bless these non-Jewish people all along, in an attempt to show that the "Great Commission" was not an afterthought on God's part.

There wasn't really an Introduction, which I would have liked, and the chapters tend toward the long side. In addition, the book doesn't have much white-space, so it's a little hard on the eyes.

The message, however, is a very exciting and encouraging one and continually reminds readers that God wants a relationship with people, that people desperately need God, and that we are the ones who can bring the knowledge to others of how to have a relationship with God!

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"Predawn prayer meetings in Korean churches characteristically overflow with thousands of earnest supplicants. Their main prayer request - the conversion of their brothers and sisters in North Korea from communism to Christ!

"And whenever winds blow from south to north along the demilitarized zone, Korean Christians range along hilltops and release balloons loaded with Bibles toward their brothers beyond the zone.

"Hananim [God] must have His witness there as well!" p 71… (altro)