Good Questions

“And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’” Matthew 18:3, NIV.

The Lua are a simple tribal people. They fear change, and enjoy the predictable. Even the idea of growing vegetables in a garden, as opposed to foraging in the jungle, is seen as a radical departure from the Lua way of life. As IMB missionaries to the Lua, Brooks and Brenda Harrell, have introduced the claims of Jesus they have encountered some interesting questions.

Brooks recalled sitting in the house of a village head man. This leader had four wives and he stood up in the middle of a meeting and asked, “If I become Christian, do I have to pick one of my wives and send the rest away?”

Alcoholism is a common problem among the Lua. Many men have asked, “Do I have to stop drinking alcohol to be Christian?” or “If I get an ulcer from drinking too much, will God heal me?”

“These are not the usual questions that seekers have in the U.S.,” said Brooks. “But, these are the questions that matter to the Lua, and these are the questions I have to answer to help them consider putting their faith in Jesus.”

The work among the Lua is slow, but God is opening hearts to receive the Gospel. “There are now three to five people who follow the Lord in every village where we work,” said Brenda. “I believe the villagers are watching these people to see what will happen to them.” The Lua are animistic, and greatly fear that a departure from tradition will result in calamity. It takes a great deal of courage for a Lua person to be the first to do anything different.

“I have asked many Lua men and women what they look for in a perfect spouse,” said Brenda. “The answer is always the same: the perfect spouse is someone who doesn’t want anything to change.”

Change may be slow, but it is coming. The Gospel is being sown among the Lua, and God’s word has a way of changing even the most stubborn hearts and minds.

Pray that:

Lua Christians will live in a manner worthy of the Gospel.

God will bless Lua believers to show the watching crowds that being Christian brings blessings, not calamity.

God will overcome the strongholds of fear and resistance to change among the Lua so they might receive the Gospel.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.