National Repentance Day: How Then Shall We Live??

By Ganjiki D Wayne
 
As we near the first National Repentance Day, let’s take some time to reflect on its significance. During the reign of the last government our then Acting Prime Minister and the National Executive Council became convinced that such a commemoration was pivotal to national change (and I could not agree more). And so, August 26 will be National Repentance Day for Papua New Guinea.
 
My humble question: Do Papua New Guineans understand the meaning of Repentance? And therefore do we understand the significance of this day?
 
What is REPENTANCE? It is quite a religious word these days. Perhaps its earliest usage in the English language (at least in the Bible) was when it appeared in the King James Bible exactly 400 years ago. It is an expression especially familiar with the Christian faith. “Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand!" Christians proclaim to this lost world, echoing the Lord Jesus and his announcer John the Baptist. I’m not sure if we really know what we are saying. Non-Christians or the irreligious would probably balk at this concept; concluding confidently that it does not apply to them. Christians would embrace it ecstatically; believing its high time the whole nation REPENTS or at least appreciates its eternal importance.
 
In chasing the definition of REPENTANCE the most obvious meaning jumps out: CHANGE OF MIND. The English word REPENTANCE comes from the Greek word matenoeo (metanoia—meta “after, with”, noeo “after one’s mind”), a compound word which simply means “a change of mind”, it can also refer to “change of conduct” and “change of consciousness” (but strictly speaking it refers to change of mind). Change of mind means changing beliefs and perceptions on a certain subject matter. If not believing something in the past, Repentance means now believing it.  In the Christian context repentance means believing in the Lord Jesus, having previously NOT believed and turning away from sin. If I did not think a certain way before, I would now embrace that way of thinking.  Change in the thinking is supposed to naturally show in the conduct.
 
In the Christian context repentance is associated with sin. True repentance is supposed to mean no longer allowing sin to reign in us. In the ordinary non-religious context repentance generally relates to changing the way we think. And on both notes I think PNG is well overdue for repentance. Never before has changing of the mind been so vital to national progress than it is today. We cannot continue in our way of thinking if we are to see real long-lasting change in our Nation. This is something that Patriots PNG has been campaigning for (changing of mindset) since its inception and which the Church has been pushing for since coming to PNG (repentance from sin and faith in God). Steve Biko, in the movie Cry Freedom, says it clearly: "Change the way people think, and things will never be the same."
 
I do not know exactly what stifles our progress as a nation. But I have a clue that it has a lot to do with our mindsets: individually and collectively. WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR MIND. Then and only then will we see changes in our lives and in our country. Repentance usually means change “for the better”. If we do not show signs of becoming better people, better citizens, better leaders etc. after 26/08; then we have missed the mark in commemorating a day dedicated to REPENTANCE and our mindsets would not have changed.
 
One thing for sure in the religious and irreligious context: true Repentance must be preceded by an understanding of that which you must change your mind about. If I used to think that spitting beetle-nut all over the streets was ok (or if I DO NOT THINK IT IS WRONG), before changing my mind about it I would have to first be convinced in my mind that it is indeed wrong. Otherwise there would be no basis on which I would then “change my mind” and stop such a habit. So if there has to be any real repenting, any real minded-change, there will have to be some real hard-hitting revelation (I tried to find a less-religious word but this is most appropriate) of the defects in our current way of thinking and conduct. The kind of revelation would cause us to swallow our pride and humbly accept that we need to change.
 
That part of the process (revealing our defective ways of thinking) has to be intensified in PNG. The people need to appreciate what need to be repented of. We need to appreciate what’s wrong with our current mindset, our current beliefs, our conduct, etc. before any successful effort can be made to improve or change.
 
Every person who understands the wrongness of a belief or conduct must make it his duty to inform others so as to help them change their thinking and conduct. And the Church must not slack of in speaking out against sin and what is morally wrong. And every individual has a duty to reflect on his current beliefs and perceptions, attitudes and conduct. Please do not assume that repentance is an exercise only for the religious. We all have things that we can and should change. Some honest self-reflection will reveal a lot. We ALL can do with some change of mind...some repentance...

As a facebook user posted so profoundly “no person or country can change until they face the hard ugly truth about themselves”. True.
 
For only then will you be compelled to truly repent.
 
REFLECTION PRECEDES REPENTANCE
 
God Bless PNG.
 
Heavenise Day!
 
gg
 
 

MOTHERS MYSTERIOUS

By Ganjiki D Wayne

This task got me seriously thinking
How mysterious is this amazing creature?
A mix of sweet strawberry motherly love
And dedication to make the Maker proud

I thought of great mothers, their deeds
Dr. Ben Carson’s mother, Moses’ mother,  
Jesus’, and St. Augustine’s, and mine
And even William Kapris’ mum!
Great mothers whose love out-value a million goldmines

Dad came down hard with a cane, belted
Mum came down with a soft heart, melted
Tears fell freely from mother’s eyes
Her children pained from being chastised

Tonnes of meals by mother’s hands we’ve had
A river-worth of water, detergent and sweat
A thousand hours spent cooking, cleaning, laundering...
Lives took shaped by mothers simply being

Even eternity’s secure salvation
By her faithful tears, constant supplication
She has drawn God’s Amazing Grace and Hand
By which now we call Jesus “Friend”

Can words surmise one of life’s greatest wonders?
A brilliant symphony of strength seemingly endless
And heart and soul truly tender, amazing softness
Amazing that in that softness we find shelter nonetheless

Only a mother could love a child the world hates
Longing to serve her children with divine grace
Seeing an angel while the world sees the devil
Only a mother only a mother...

Shall men be glad we don’t carry a mother’s load?
Oh but it’s not only just 'cause mothers are supposed to
It’s because they can take it and men cannot
Heap a mother’s burden on man’s lonely shoulder,
He shall not last long, that is the order

First to rise and last to lie
Almost like Master she seems to neither slumber nor sleep
Almost....
How did He think up such beauty, such strength, such devotion?
Mysterious beyond my simple comprehension

Be of good cheer oh dear mother!
You bear the complexity, love mysterious
Of the God who made this sweet Universe
In this short verse I have not justly described
Your infinite worth in this world in which we abide...

Have a glorious Mothers Day!

(8th May 2011)

The Case for Christianity in the Affairs of PNG

By Ganjiki D Wayne

As debate on reforms to our sex laws and other moral questions intensify, conversation often naturally flows on to Christianity and its application in our national legislative programs and social engineering projects. Why should its precepts and principles be applied in shaping our society? Why should it have prominent application over other religious/irreligious opinions? Why do we even call PNG a “Christian Country”???

Increasingly people question the merits of calling PNG a “Christian Country”. Christian leaders often say our Constitution declares PNG a “Christian country” so we must therefore adhere to Christian principles. They are mistaken. Our Constitution does not make such a declaration. However it does subscribe explicitly to the Christian principles.

I’d like to put forward the following argument in light of the Preamble of the Constitution—our “Declaration of Independence”. What does it really say?? The Preamble contains the “spirit” of the Constitution and by extension the Nation. In law the spirit of a document is a significant aid to interpretation. Without the letter the spirit is ineffective and dead; but without the spirit the letter is without ultimate meaning, without coherence and is vulnerable to abusive interpretation. Whilst many argue on the “letter” of the Constitution, few really understand its spirit.

Our founding fathers and the drafters of the Constitution—after nationwide consultation and affirmation from the people—put into the Preamble a pronouncement of certain fundamental beliefs and values that as a nation we would (or should) live by. These foundations provide a coherent ethos for our nation. Such an ethos is necessary for our society to maintain some coherence and, dare I say, order.

Some of those principles include: the declaration of being “united as one nation”; the memory of our ancestors; the people-power basis for our democracy; the prominence of the dignity of the human being and community; the rejection of violence and encouragement of peaceful consensus; and hard work and equitable sharing of benefits for all.

These are but few of the foundation pillars set for our country. Among them, the Preamble declares—in fact it pledges!—to “guard and pass on to those who come after us our noble traditions and the Christian principles that are ours now”. The writers included Christianity as a major facet for our national society. This has, through ignorance of the real wording of the Preamble, been taken to mean that the Constitution declares PNG to be a “Christian Country”. Perhaps it’s only a matter of argument whether it’s a declaration or not. But for me it’s quite clear. Our Declaration lays down a pledge to do two things for the Christian worldview in PNG: to guard it and to pass it on.

Christian principles form part of the fundamental philosophical makeup of our nation, meant to permeate not only the private lives of us the citizens but every objective strategy we think up for progress as a nation. As a people we are called by the supreme document of our land, to guard those Christian principles we had wisely adopted. So when challenged by philosophies and ideologies directly contradictory to those Christian principles, the Christian principles be given prominent consideration. That is our duty under the Constitution. And if our first Basic Social Obligation (under that same Preamble by the way) is anything to go by, we are called to “respect and act” in the spirit of the Constitution. Notice it does not say we must respect and act according to the “letter” of the Constitution. Our writers knew the fallacy of leaning on the letter alone. We must be guided by that “spirit”—and therefore by extension the Christian principles.

For those naysayers who insist we are not a nation built on Christian principles, our Constitution leaves no doubt (unlike the American Declaration of Independence which is not as explicit) that it is indeed part and parcel of our pillars. And a further reading into the writings of John Momis, Sir Michael Somare and late Bernard Narakobi will confirm this explicit subscription to the Gospel of Christ. And to say otherwise would be to disagree with the spirit of the Constitution...the same one that gives us the right to argue one way or the other.

Where there is a need for coherence in our society where shall we get it? Should we spin a bottle on every separate issue and apply that worldview to which it points; regardless of the contradiction and incoherence in society? I contend that we need no such exercise. Our Preamble—the Spirit of Our Nation—provides such a coherence, it defines us sufficiently. If we should look everywhere but there we may end up sufficiently confused, frustrated, without direction and without identity. And even if we gain so much ground yet we may effectively get nowhere...

God Bless Papua New Guinea!

Heavenise Day!

Gg