Last Sunday, I had the honour to preach at Chungdong
First Methodist Church, the birthplace of Korean
Protestantism. Established and started in 1885 by the pioneer American
missionary Henry Appenzeller, the church has always been a vital meeting point
between East and West and a place where the beauty of diversity is celebrated
in God's unity. This important feature of the church has gained further
prominence when the English Ministry was launched in 1997 and had its first
service on June 1 in the historic Bethel Chapel.
I chose as my text, Matthew 27:54-56:
“So when
the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake
and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was
the Son of God!” And many women who followed Jesus from
Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among
whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the
mother of Zebedee’s sons.
Preaching on the theme, “A Chorus of Witnesses,” I shared
stories of transformation and Christian witness in the context of Fiji. I
included, apart from personal family testimonies of my parents, the story of
Hannah Dudley.
I also introduced the congregation to Ratu Elijah Varani:
The centurion in our bible reading for today must have
been a respected warrior in his day. Centurions led companies of between sixty
to two hundred soldiers. In battle they led from the front, occupying a
position at the front right of the century formation. Fighting alongside
the legionaries they commanded, they led and inspired their men by
example displaying the skill and courage that may have brought them to their
rank in the first place.
Yet this warrior, this warlord and his soldiers, were
humbled, moved, and forever changed by what they witnessed that day in
Jerusalem. His words echoed through the centuries, words uttered by
professional soldiers, pagans or gentiles. “Surely
he was the Son of God!”
Earlier this year I
visited Jeju Island and found myself at the St. Isidore Centre, a wonderful
Catholic community merging agriculture and contemplation. They have a special
meditation path which has large bronze sculptures portraying the life and
ministry of Jesus, including fourteen Stations of the Cross, which depict the
Passion of Jesus. The Stations are also known as
Via Dolorosa or Via Crucis and originated in pilgrimages to
Jerusalem. At the station of Jesus’ death is a striking depiction of the
event in our reading today.
The image of the centurion reminded me of the
story of another fierce warrior who encountered Jesus. However this warrior was
not a Roman centurion. He was a Fijian warrior chief by the name of Ratu
Varani.
Varani was the nephew of
Namosimalua, chief of Viwa who had converted in 1839 for dubious reasons. Before his conversion Varani, a chief who had
adopted this name, which was a Fijian corruption of the word “France” after his
capture of a French ship in 1834, was the known as “the human butcher” of
Cakobau; a treacherous, bloodthirsty and daring man, who had killed hundreds
personally and sent many more to the ovens of Bau for cannibal feasts.
Varani initially
approached the missionary, Rev.
John Hunt
to teach him to read. Hunt gave lessons
using passages from the only complete book available in Fijian, St. Matthew’s
Gospel.
The significance of some
of the passages in the Gospel, especially Matthew Chapter 27 was not lost on
Varani, nor was the honesty of Hunt’s prayers.
One day, Varani was found to be sobbing as he read
Matthew 27. “Why did Jesus suffer like
this?” he asked a Fijian convert who said, “For you, sir.” “For me?
Do you mean this?” asked Varani.
“Yes sir,” was the reply. “Then I
give myself to Jesus,” Varani said.
He sent word to Cakobau
of his intent to convert and Cakobau replied that if Varani did, he would kill
and eat him. Varani replied that although he feared Cakobau, he feared God
more.
On Good Friday, 21 March
1845, Varani made his public profession of faith at the early-morning prayer
service. As early as an hour after his
conversion, his deadly skills were called upon. He refused. Again and again he was called upon to kill
and he kept refusing, even when insulted.
When protecting missionaries or converts, he used only defensive
measures and whenever possible intervened to prevent the deaths of
innocents.
He was a candid and
influential preacher. His conversion had had caused mounting anxiety of an
upcoming war between Bau and Rewa to erupt into an emotional wave of Christian
revival with nearly 100 persons professing faith in the first week alone.
In 1853, Ratu Elijah, as
he was known after his baptism, went to Ovalau to quell fighting between the
Tui Levuka and rebellious mountain villagers.
His unarmed intervention was unsuccessful this time and after surviving
an ambush, was attacked and murdered as he rested. (Sources: John Garrett / A. Harold Wood)
Two public professions by two warriors, made on two Good
Fridays, separated by culture, context and time – but united in their belief in
Jesus as the Son of God.
Varani’s conversion, his transformation from violent
aggressor to peaceful protector shows that true, meaningful and lasting
positive change is possible. It is possible for a person. It is possible for a
community. It is possible for a country.
There are questions we must ask ourselves:
Are we committed to the natural process of transformation
– of metamorphosis?” Or do we fear change so much that we accept the status
quo?
What can inspire us to have the same surrender of the
negative and destructive elements of our personal traits, the traits in our
community?
Can we have the courage to remain true to our processes
of personal and communal transformation, like Varani, even when we are
threatened with violent reprisal?
“Simplicity, Serenity, Spontaneity”
ENDS
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