Many Nations, One God

We walked quietly into the
courtyard towards the Maori voices calling us to them.  Excited and unsure of what was about to
happen I stood humbled in front of the local leaders who were inviting us to
take part in the Polynesian leadership conference.  A beautiful exchange of Maori words were flowing back and
forth between the local leaders and our group entering into their culture.  Once everyone came in, the men began
the powhiri haka, which is a part of the welcoming ceremony.  One would think that welcoming would
include a gentle invitation, a smile or kind gesture.  These men began to yell with a fierceness and fire in their
eyes that seemed anything but inviting. 
The passion for their culture and deep roots that are embedded into
their identity came roaring out of their mouth and eyes.  We then were invited to sit and
exchanged stories, speeches, and songs until both group were one.  The ceremony finished with the local
leadership sharing a hongi with everyone they had invited to attend the
conference.  Going down the line,
sharing the breath of life with these amazing people was not only humbling but
powerful.  The same people who
fiercely preformed the haka were gently putting themselves on the same level as
us and acknowledging us as their brothers and sisters.  We celebrated with a hangi, a
traditional meal in which a pig is buried in the ground and smoked for a number
of hours.

Over the next few days leaders from
Fiji, New Caledonia, Papa New Guinea, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga and New Zealand all
gave presentations on their country beginning with a time of worship.  Each country brought the richness of
their own culture, but we were all united by the BIG GOD WE SERVE.  The weight and power of that fact
really hit me.  God desires us to
be different, to take pride in our roots and culture, and yet we are all united
in Christ.  It is not about serving
with one organization or denomination. 
It is not about who is doing what or why one way is better than another.
IT IS ABOUT GOD and always has been. 
I was so floored at the fact that God brought me to New Zealand to serve
people from all over the world so they can be filled up to bless those in their
own country.  By making their beds,
cooking, making airport runs, and cleaning for them they were able to experience
God at the conference and in turn they will be able to bring God’s Kingdom to
the countries they live in.  I
realized this month was not about making beds.  It was about pouring into the body of Christ so they can
pour into others.  It was about encouraging
and filling up other believers.  It
was about seeing how HUGE God really is and how He moves all over this world
every day.