...because late last night I was on my church denomination's website looking for member churches aross the USA, particularly in Hawaii. I've been on this aloha trip of sorts ever since I created a Hawaiian-themed Christmas card last year called "Mele Kalikimaka" (Hawaiian for Merry Christmas), as shown above. It was very popular among those I sent it to.
My pastor's mom was born and raised in Hawaii, and she's very proud of her Hawaiian heritage. That, along with getting to know other island people over the years at work and at church, having a Hawaiian-born president in the White House, and the aforementioned Christmas card has rubbed off on me, thus the Lutheran Hawaiian church search.
I found a local congregation in Honolulu called Good Shepherd Lutheran, which has a lot in common with my own church besides the Hawaii connection. It is geared toward evangelism and outreach, meeting people in the community where they're at in the real world spiritually, practically and emotionally. Instead of expecting people to come flooding through the front door into the sanctuary, it's doing the polar opposite, going out into the community and sharing God's aloha through the witness of their lives, which is exactly how Jesus wanted us to do it via his Great Commission.
Thanks to "Lilo and Stitch", the culture at large, especially the kids, knows the meaning of the words ohana (family), mahalo (thank you) and aloha (love, hello, goodbye--but mostly love). Although I have never been to Hawaii, from what I have learned from my Hawaiian friends is that love, family and fellowship are deeply ingrained in the culture there. It's not the stereotypical easygoing, Manny Ramirez-type way of life influenced by the balmy weather; one would be a lolo (idiot) to believe that.
Such is the kind of aloha God had for all of us. So much, in fact, that He could not leave us in our wretched sinful state. He sent His own son Jesus to live among us and take the fall for us on the cross, so that all who would trust His sacrifice for their sins would not be cut off from God, but enjoy eternal life as part of His ohana, and not only in heaven, but even right now here in this life.
In Hawaii there is a version of the New Testament translated into Hawaii Pidgin English called Da Jesus Book, and its translation of John 3:16 is one of the best I have ever read. In Pidgin the word "believe" does not exist; instead the word trus (trust) is used. It's one thing to say you believe in Jesus. To actually put your trust in Him is another thing altogether, for that's what believing Him really is.
So what say you?
Mahalo for hearing me out.
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