"'Jesus Walks'
God show me the way because the devil trying to break me down
'Jesus Walks'
The only thing that I pray is that me feet don't fail me now..."
--Kanye West "Jesus Walks"
Symbols define our world. It would be impossible to imagine a day to day routine without some symbol. From the green light to the power button, from the crucifix to the dollar, there is no lack of "deeper meanings" to the objects we use to symbolize.
In preparation of our school-wide Christmas presentation, the campus minister of PCS asked that we plan our program around the idea "What if Jesus were born in Micronesia?" She asked, very appropriately, how Jesus would be received, what aspects of the culture would adhere to the His presence and what aspects would inhibit it. Sister proposed also that, in light of Pohnpei being an international island and PCS a international community, each culture represented at PCS play the role of wise-men and women and deliver the figurative Gold, Frankincense And Mir appropriate to their home lands.
In Pohnpei there could be no better symbol of the culture than Sakau. Sakau, a plant that is prepared as a drink, represents the adherence to community, reliance on the land, and right of forgiveness that represent the Pohnpeian's. In Pohnpeian society, no one, not even a chief, can deny the Sakau. If someone wrongs another they prepare and deliver Sakau to the individual to right the discrepancy. Interestingly enough, if the person denies the Sakau, which figuratively denies the apology, the community looks down upon the individual in defiance. Much more, the wrongs of the first offender are forgiven by the community and in accordance delivered to he who denies the Sakau. In effect, no one is bigger than the Sakau, and further, no individual bigger than the community.
Sakau, therefore becomes an incredibly important symbol to give the new born Jesus because it is not only a tool for forgiveness, but it also represents a cultural ideology, that no individual is bigger, better, or more important than the community.
Of course, each other island; Yap, Chuuk, Kosrae, Majuro, and the Philippines had similar symbols of their culture which, immediately became clear to the individuals speaking for each, and in turn, easily represented the core values of the given society.
"Luke, what symbol, what gift will you Americans give to the newborn Jesus?" My mind raced, surely the answer was right in front of me...I thought and I thought, and nothing came. Jokingly one of our teachers responded "Money!" Everyone in the room, including myself now embarrassed nothing had immediately come, began to laugh at the comment. Unable to stall much longer I told Sister I would need time to ponder the idea for awhile.
Here, in a country half way across the world, the last thing I thought I would have to confuse me would be American culture! Yet, Sister's question and the money comment had jostled me. Where these really the symbols of my culture? Money, stocks, goods, vales, supplies, demands, profit, loss, buy, sell? I scanned my thoughts for nostalgic remembrance of my home; yet, as I did so, I found that amidst my immersion into a completely new culture, what I was getting was an outsiders perspective into what America is and how it is perceived abroad.
Troubled, I took more time to think about symbols and their value. Would a newborn Jesus accept money as a symbol? What about pay to Caesar what is his and to God what is God's? A bit shook, I encouraged myself to be realistic.
Around the same time I passed a house near our JV house which was painted Red, White, and Blue. The house was having a party, and as Jo returned from it, I found out why. A relative of the family who owned the house had enlisted as an American soldier to fight and eventually give his life in the war in Iraq. To honor the man, the family had picked a symbol, the American flag, he died for to remember him with. As an American, I found this hard to swallow and felt incredibly humbled by the family and the Micronesian who had chosen to fight and die for what he felt was right. Whether or not one agrees with the motives of the war is irrelevant when considering this man, this man with a different culture, a different background, and a different world altogether, had given his life to defend the symbols I was struggling so hard to define.
Finally, after many discussions and deliberations Jo and I walked into Sister's office and explained to her that if we were to give one thing to the newborn King of King's that war a symbol of our culture it would be legal freedom. Laws and statutes that guarantee the rights of individuals to think, worship, speak, and often times strive to profit as much as they could. It took some time to explain why this was not a tangible gift, like a food, a drink, a basket, or some type of tool. However, eventually Sister accepted the it and put it in the script.
Symbols define our ideas, our ideals, our motives and our cultures. Yet, more than anything they make us take a cold hard look at what we represent. As I continue my two years I am sure many more will come up to accept, deny, but most importantly to examine. I encourage all to look deep into their lives and reflect upon what symbols represent them, to better see how they and in turn others may define them.
