A Big View of Redemption

Have you heard of Cardinal Borromeo?   A story is told by Abraham Kuyper when he gave the Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1898.   A 16^th century plague had ruined the Italian city of Milan, and as the story goes, Cardinal Borromeo bravely stayed in that city to feed and pray for those who were dying.   Kuyper admired this Cardinal’s piety, but he admired John Calvin even more: During the plague, which in the 16^th century tormented Geneva, Calvin acted better and more wisely, for he not only cared incessantly for the spiritual needs of the sick, but at the same time introduced hitherto unsurpassed hygienic measures whereby the ravages of the plague were arrested. (Calvinism: Six Stone Foundation Lectures, 120)

Cornelius Plantinga Jr., former president of Calvin Seminary, reflects on Kuyper’s comments:  At their best, Reformed Christians take a very big view of redemption because they take a very big view of fallenness.   If all has been created good and all has been corrupted, then all must be redeemed.   God isn’t content to save souls; God wants to save bodies too.  God isn’t content to save human beings in their individual activities; God wants to save social systems and economic structures too. (Engaging God’s World, 97)

In a small village on Isabel Island in Solomon Islands I saw evidence of Reformed Christians taking a big view of redemption.  For about a week I joined an Australian team from Sydney and Perth along with Jair Duinkerke, one of our SWIM missionaries, another SWIM worker, and some local Solomon Islanders and travelled to Samasodu, Isabel Island, a trip that usually takes 22 hours by ferry from the capital city of Honiara.   With a much faster boat, we arrived at the village in a total time of about 8 hours. 

Why this trip to Samasodu?    Well, for many, many years SWIM, our mission in Solomon Islands, has been serving this country with compassion through Biblical teaching, equipping, and support in Jesus' name.   The gospel is preached on the radio.   Prison inmates receive biblical instruction.   Christians are equipped and built up in the faith.   But that’s not all!   In the words of Plantinga, "God isn’t content to save souls; God wants to save bodies too."

For this reason, almost 10 years ago, in 2006 a group of volunteers, mostly from the Wamberal CRC from the NSW central coast, partnered with SWIM and travelled to Samasodu and built a much need medical clinic.  Today this clinic services many nearby islands and a greater population of over 5000 people.   In 2008 another group of volunteers returned to provide sanitation, toilets, and electricity to the village school.    An education program was also conducted in the school.   In 2010 two homes were built for the two nurses who now live in the village.   And in 2012 more than 3 km of pipes were laid so that fresh drinking water sourced from a stream above a waterfall could be supplied throughout the entire village.    As I walked around this village the evidence was everywhere.   The Reformed Christians who had come to Samasodu were at their best; they had taken a very big view of redemption.  Not only was the gospel preached and souls reached for Christ; but bodies were being saved too!

The CRCA denomination recognizes that God has called us as churches to be engaged in cultural transformation.   Our second task, GROW, highlights that God has called us to "take further initiatives to penetrate the structures of society with the gospel."   In Samasodu we realise that there are structures in this village that need to be penetrated with the gospel.  There are deep moral and spiritual issues that need transformation.   Alcoholism, domestic violence, and the use of betel nut are widespread.   Sanitation and other ecological issues need to be addressed.  This is not only a prayer, but also a dream, that through quality secondary education, with supportive discipleship systems in place, and the promotion of a Christian world and life view in this secondary school, the Samasodu village could be a contrast society reflecting biblical values and godly obedience leading to the transformation of an entire village.   We pray for the peace (God’s shalom) of Samasodu! (Cf. Psalm 122:6)

The vision of SWIM underscores the key objective of any work done in Solomon Islands, and that is to "establish self-reliant communities in Solomon Islands...."   In our discussions with the village committee, the Isabel Island government official, and other village residents, the point was made numerous times that once this school is built, it must be maintained and developed further by the village as well as the Isabel Island government.  It was so beneficial to have local Samasodu villagers and an Isabel Island government official with us to ensure we were engaging with the local communities and not simply coming in to do our mission work or to do our own thing, what we think best.   It will be important for any and all mission teams coming to Samasodu that this partnership keeps being strengthened.  To help establish Samasodu village as a self-reliant community requires a strong and ongoing partnership of SWIM with the Samasodu village in the planning, design, building, and outfitting of this school.   The village health centre, the sanitation projects, and the water supply systems are a few indications that the SWIM mission is advancing and achieving this vision of "establishing self-reliant communities."

This project will require a huge commitment from SWIM and member CRCA churches.   The Wamberal CRC congregation, with its key members engaged in the ongoing work in Samasodu, is committed to ongoing fund raising and engagement in future building projects.   But this project is much bigger than one church or one state, and can I add, one country.   There will need to be churches who will form mission teams to assist in the building of this secondary school.   The plan would be to build in stages, with adding classrooms and teacher’s housing each year until the project is complete.   SWIM is prepared to assist in the training of any and all SWIM teams that are willing to go to Solomon Islands and be part of this Samasodu project.   SWIM will provide all mission teams with short term mission guidelines ensuring that cultural sensitivity and community engagement is in keeping with the core values and vision of SWIM.

I came away from this week in Solomon Islands deeply amazed to see God at work through his people in the villages we visited and in the team that went from Australia/Honiara to Isabel Island.  It was great to have Jair with us representing SWIM, giving us not only an informed perspective of doing mission in a cross cultural environment, but demonstrating anew that the mission in Solomon Islands is at its heart a partnership with the churches in Australia/New Zealand, the churches and people in Solomon Islands, and SWIM as a whole.   God truly has opened up a door of opportunity for SWIM and the churches in Australia and New Zealand through the Samasodu School Project to serve in Solomon Islands with compassion in Jesus’ name and in keeping with the core values and vision of SWIM.

Finally, SWIM values teamwork.  When we speak about teamwork we are referring a Spirit-empowered serving and a willing hearted involvement of every person.   This is vital to God's plan being accomplished.  From the very beginning and throughout this trip to Isabel Island, it was a such an encouragement to see the willing hearted involvement of every person on the team.   The effectiveness of this Samasodu School Project will depend a lot on this same kind of teamwork continuing as we persist in prayer and as we join God in His mission in Solomon Islands.   In all of this may God be glorified and his people strengthened in their godly resolve.  

And may we take a big view of redemption – where God not only saves human beings in their individual activities but witness God bring salvation to social systems and economic structures too – to see social and cultural transformation take shape in Australia, in Solomon Islands, and beyond.

A photo album of this trip can be viewed here.