It has been our habit now for many years to send out a Christmas text message to all our island friends. Originally it was old-fashioned SMS. Now, it’s a bit more complicated as many friends prefer WhatsApp or Messenger, but whatever the medium, we send out a message to our island friends wishing them a merry Christmas and blessings on their family in the coming year. This years message (translated) said:
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| A couple weeks ago- celebrating with friends |
Every year I get a flurry of messages back. Most people are touched by it and send back many blessings in return. Some friends have even grown to expect it, so when I saw my old friend, Barak a few days before Christmas he asked me why I hadn’t sent him a message yet. I told him he just had to wait a few days.
But a funny thing happened this year. One of the friends who wrote back chose not to write a friendly note but rather wanted to engage me in some questions on religion—and not in a polite way either. Now I know sending out a holiday greeting with a clear expression of faith would be considered bold or even offensive in the West, but on the islands greetings and well-wishes are almost always tinged with aspects of faith. Most islanders and perhaps you too would consider it rude or disrespectful to respond to someone’s heartfelt good wishes with a counter-offensive meant to drag someone into a religious debate. I imagine that if, for example, a Jewish friend wished me a heartfelt happy Hanukkah—I would not see that as an opportunity to question their beliefs. But while most islanders consider it rude and disrespectful to respond like that, there seems to be small and consistent minority of islanders who will take any opportunity to start an argument.
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| New Christmas lego tradition? |
After a few deep breaths and a prayer I responded to my would be debate opponent in a polite way that put the questions back on him and avoided entering into a fray. A few more messages went back and forth, but there was no argument. I had not taken the bait.
Now while some may have questioned our island friend’s combative response to our holiday greeting, others probably think I should have taken the bait—taken a chance to engage in a strong debate. In the past I’ve jumped in. But more and more I’ve found things done over WhatsApp, SMS, Messenger don’t seem to have any strength. It’s too easy to ignore the person on the other end and write only what each of you care about. Plus, you lose all the empathy behind the words. How different if my friend were to sit down with me and ask the same things. I know his words would be tempered out of respect for me and mine would too, out of respect for him. We would be much more likely to listen to one another. It’s harder to ignore the person smiling back at you.
We do prefer those one of one interactions, and while our blanket, generic Christmas greeting may lack a personal touch, it is amazing how many islanders will point to it as a sign that we care for them. So we don’t engage in WhatsApp debates very much these days (at least not if we can help it), but we do make the most of the medium to spread a little love and good wishes.
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| Sporting holiday colors |
PRAYERS ANSWERED
All our friends who were traveling have been successful in their endeavors, getting negative tests and managing to arrive at their destinations, which is no small feat right now so we are very thankful. Most of the ones who had COVID last week have made a good recovery. Although some still have some lingering symptoms. Our teammates were able to have some nice prayer retreats and one of our teammates had a great time on New Year's Eve with her neighbors. We’re very encouraged with the inroads she is making with that family.
PRAYERS REQUESTED
We both have COVID! Megan got it a few days after Christmas and Tom on New Year’s Eve. It’s meant a week of isolating and feeling rather yucky, but nothing more severe than that. Pray that we can get through it and get back to some normal life. It seems like the whole island is getting sick right now, and in a place with limited health resources, pray for God’s mercy on this place and that this new wave would pass quickly. Keep praying for the team members who traveled for the holidays. They’ve made it to their destinations, but it may still yet be difficult to make it back without much prayer. The island has been unbearably hot this past week. We need some rain to cool things down. It is the end of the school trimester— pray for our sons and other island kids taking the end of term exams.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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