How Is it Someone Can Be So Afraid of Something So Beautiful?
"Our Creator would never have made such lovely days, and given us the deep
hearts to enjoy them, above and beyond all thought, unless we were meant to
be immortal."
- Nathaniel Hawthorn
"There those spirits go again! Don't look at it, it is a terrible sign!
Don't you realize a person could get sick from such a thing?! It is the evil
spirits walking stick!" These are the types of things you will hear whenever
there is a beautiful rainbow shooting across the sky in Dao such as the one
shown above (which was a picture taken right here in front of our house
recently!). Even their name for the rainbow demonstrates their fear of these
things as the word for rainbow in the Dao language is "paa tamo" which
literally means "spirit's walking stick" and they sincerely believe that it
is a tool of evil spirits used to harm them.
The Dao have similar reactions when the sky fills with color during a
beautiful sunset, as they believe it is because of these evil spirits that
would seek to kill them that the sky does these things. When we are walking
down a jungle trail alongside of them and stop to admire or pick a beautiful
flower they laugh and ask us "why do you guys like things such as these?"
and it is at times like these that I think to myself "This is one thing that
we will never get used to here; that the Dao people can be so incredibly
terrified at such beautiful creations."
But then as we are translating Bible lessons and scripture for the Dao
people and come across a verse like Psalm 119:130 which says "As your words
are taught, they give light; even the simple can understand them," we are
reminded that one day there will be a change here amongst the Dao. There
will be representatives from this tribe that for the first time in the
history of their people group finally realize the true significance of the
rainbow as they are listening to the God talk and hear Genesis 9:16 which
says "When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal
covenant between God and every living creature on earth."
Or as they are sitting on the porch of their little thatched roof house
watching the colors of the sunset and Psalm 19:1 comes to their minds, which
says "The heavens tell of the Glory of God. The skies display His marvelous
craftsmanship". Or when they are walking along the jungle trail and for the
first time when they see a flower, Luke 12:28 comes to their mind - "If God
cares so wonderfully for the flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow,
won't He more surely care for you?" It will be at these times that they will
smile to themselves and think..."Wow, God made that for me so I would think
of Him! How beautiful they are and how great my God is!" It will be at those
times that God finally begins to receive the glory that He deserves and
those breath-taking creations will be fulfilling their purpose amongst the
Dao people.
Please pray to this end; that God would receive the glory that He has
designed the Dao people to give Him. Pray that even now the Spirit would
begin to soften their hearts for the truth that is entering into their
language and that as we daily translate the Scriptures and Bible lessons
into their language, God would guide our thoughts and we would write the Dao
Scriptures in such an accurate way that God's Word will speak powerfully to
their hearts as they hear it!
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