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The World Christian
Gathering of Indigenous Peoples took place in
Israel during September. Diane Norman of North America Indigenous Ministries (NAIM), sent this
account.
HOW CAN I capture even a glimpse of what we have
experienced during this world gathering of indigenous believers in Jesus?
There has been incredible variety in dance and worship
forms. From youth to elders, in all shapes and sizes and colours.
From the quiet, serene synchronized movements of the
Okinawans, to the exuberant, joyful, spontaneous jumping and shouting of
the Papua New Guineans.
From the single man who removed his shoes because he
was on holy ground, and then sat cross legged, singing in his own language
as tears rolled down his cheeks, to the energetic, colourful and wildly
entertaining Moluccans.
The only commonality has been the consistent worship of
Jesus, the one who values each culture and takes pleasure in the creative
expression of each group or individual. It’s not the drum; it’s
the heart of the drummer. It’s not the dance; it’s the heart of
the dancer.
Often, I was brought to tears and humbled by the deep
devotion of these people.
One time I was standing on the shore of the Sea of
Galilee, at sunrise. An elderly Navajo man was leading us in worship. All
of his songs were directly from scripture, set to the music of his people.
Near the end, he just broke down and cried because of the freedom he was
experiencing, allowing him to worship the Creator in his ‘heart
language.’
At that same service, just as the sun was rising, we
watched a native woman in her beautiful coastal regalia fall to her knees
next to her canoe as she worshiped. Minutes later, she was on her face
before the Lord.
This woman was in the very first NAIM Trails camp my
husband Dave led almost 20 years ago. Later during the conference, she
shared with him how significant his counsel had been to her as a young
woman seeking her identity at that camp. Today she is married to the
hereditary chief of his tribe, and they both are spiritual leaders.
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Another time, we witnessed 50-plus people being
baptized in the Jordan River – natives from all over the world being
baptized by other natives, some quietly with tears and others exuberantly
with a victory cry.
One highlight was at the Garden Tomb, considered by
many to be the empty grave of Jesus. All 400 delegates held a worship
service there. At this point in previous gatherings, participants
were given an opportunity to leave their hurts, their losses and their pain
at the foot of a wooden cross.
At this service, however, Australian aboriginals did a
dance without words, to the music of the didgeridoo. It depicted them
picking up the things which had been taken from them, and reclaiming them
– and using them to bring honour and glory to their Creator.
How appropriate: that at the place where Jesus was
crucified and buried and rose again, these people – who have suffered
so much and lost so much – should resurrect their culture and their
language and their dignity, and use it to honour the one who created them
in the first place.
For more info, call NAIM at 604-946-1227.
November 2008
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