Initially, all nations were essentially alike. New arrivals, both convicts and immigrants, sailed in, their eyes full of hope for a fresh start. Though well-intentioned, the religious leaders’ attempts to establish order proved unsustainable. The Indigenous people of the land endured the pain of stolen children, imprisonment, murder and suffering. The missionaries’ aim was conversion, leading them to spread across the world.
The wickedness was unconquered, its criminal violence continuing to exist in all the land. To this day, the vast majority of indigenous people remain unable to forget or forgive what transpired. The job hasn’t been completed, and the situation has deteriorated. We need a plan that goes beyond government, religion, and past approaches.
We were not ever tasked with converting anyone; our role was to accept people as they are and disciple them. The goal wasn’t to convert them to Catholicism, Christianity, Muslim or any other faith. “The Way” described the early church. Love is the way! With love, it is said to absolve all sins. I’m left to ponder whether love or control was the driving force behind these conversions. My experience suggests that today’s religions are intolerant of those who don’t align with their perspectives. That is definitively not God. That’s where their error lies, in my view. Control is the opposite of love.
I heard a story from a woman talking about her friend’s deathbed confession regarding his homosexuality. No one approached him; he was too ashamed to ask any religious group because he knew their thoughts on the matter. He died in terror. We should be ashamed if this is actually happening. This isn’t about sacrificing religious beliefs to allow gay men to be priests. Since engaging in sodomy is considered unholy, how can one be present in a sacred place while carrying this sin? My experiences have taught me that we must accept people where they are but not compromise our values.
When they desperately need God, they will surprisingly seek you out. It’s our representation of God, not a religion, that they recognize. In times past, the preacher was always encouraging people to bring someone to church on Sunday. Unfortunately, their encouragement was often to build their congregation with more people. More people meant more money in the plate on Sunday.
There it is again! Control differs from love. We are not responsible for changing others. The path to unconditional love is paved with conditions. Loving people as they are happens to be one of the conditions. Sunday church attendance should not be imposed on people. I write about God, yet I don’t go to church on Sundays. What I’ve seen within these establishments prevents me from going back and pretending I didn’t see what I saw.
Their well-intended plan ultimately had negative consequences. Five out of seven churches faced God’s displeasure; clearly, good intentions were inadequate.
We’re going to move past the status quo. The mantle of our King is to restore all things, so that becomes our mantle.
To overcome the past, we must forgive and understand the transgressions of our nation, religions, and government. Failure to do so will leave you grappling with internal conflict, unable to see beyond.
People want something real; they themselves want the freedom to be real! Twenty-one-year-old Nedd ran across Australia to raise a million dollars for the homeless. He raised $2.5 million in forty-five days. Many found his inspiration to be a catalyst for their own activity. He’s also committed to ending homelessness within a decade. Now, that’s a man. In just 45 days, young Nedd accomplished what the church, missions, and government failed to do in 250 years— housing the homeless. I’ve had my own bash at this mission field and only housed 70 men in fourteen months. Nedd to date has raised eight million dollars.
Success is possible if you don’t attempt to make people your clone. Allow them their liberty and avoid restricting or labelling them. Doing good isn’t the same as converting people. As one nation and one people, we can achieve more together. It’s not replacing the old, it’s bringing the old and the new out of His treasury together. Let’s abandon our attempts to possess things. If something is good, let it be good without possessing it. There’s a strong emphasis on ownership in this nation’s culture. My motel for homeless men, a gift from God for ten dollars a week, was targeted by five churches seeking to claim it. They aimed to have the mantle under their control. Their takeover bid was unsuccessful—God had me and the building in His hands. Ownership is impossible for things that are already free.
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