Do You Really Understand?

It is often humorous to see the English on hats and shirts of Sumatrans. This Penghulu man certainly looks like a die-hard Iron Maiden fan, doesn’t he? Another time a worker met with a Rejang man who had a shirt that said, “I’m an alcoholic”. When asked if he understood the meaning of his shirt, he said that he did not. It just goes to show that it is not wise to wear something in a foreign language if you don’t know what it means!

In a similar way many Sumatrans hold religious views without really understanding the meaning of what they claim to believe. For example, most Muslims on Sumatra believe that they will have to spend some time in hell before they will be able to get to heaven. They share this belief without any concern or emotion about the reality of what that means.

One worker likes to challenge this by asking for a lighter. Most Sumatran men smoke, so it isn’t too difficult to find a lighter. He then asks the man to hold out his hand. “What finger do you use the least?” he asks. When the man tell him, he says, “Okay, I’m just going to burn this finger for five seconds. Is that okay?” The man always jerks back his hand. The point is made.

Pray for Sumatrans to realize the gravity and reality of hell.

Pray for Sumatrans to see the beauty and reality of the Gospel.

Pray for a harvest of souls from among all peoples on Sumatra.