The Ba'gays in Sulu

            Of all the places in the Philippines, why Jolo, Sulu? This was God’s answer though not immediate when Rev. Florentino de Jesus Sr., one of the key leaders of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches of the Philippines (CAMACOP, Inc.), prayed, “Lord, send me anywhere except Sulu.”(de Jesus & Cowles 1986, 22) Somehow, this is similar with what the newly graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) prayed for as well. After all, the command is not theirs. 

            It’s not new to all Filipinos as well as to all people in the world who kept themselves updated from the news about the occurrences that happened in Jolo, Sulu and other islands found in the Sulu Archipelago, located primarily in the Southwest Philippines between Mindanao and Borneo” where ninety percent (90%) of the people are Muslims and only ten percent (10%) are Christians  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolo, Sulu, accessed January 28, 2013). Killings, bombings and kidnappings frequently happen in this area. Bandits (e.g. Abu Sayyaf) with their victims spend a month or even months in their hiding place. Torture and the art of paying a ransom go hand in hand.  And, the story goes on and on. No wonder why many don’t want to be in that area. These unpleasant incidents have been happening for years already.
            

           Hearing Christian missionaries and priests who were kidnapped and killed adds fear to all Christians. It was actually a tough decision for Pastor Florentino de Jesus Sr. to be in the place where he doesn’t want to go and minister to. However, unlike Jonah, he responded to God’s call and committed to do ministries among the Tausugs and Badjaos. He was one of the pioneers who reached not only Jolo, Sulu but also in some of the islands in Tawi-tawi.           

            Until now, only a few missionaries commit to spend time with our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. Because of the war conflict in some major islands like Jolo, Christians are dispersed and transferred to a safer place like Zamboanga City. The pastors (though some died few years ago) I have known during my childhood years (for I have lived for 14 years in Tawi-Tawi) are still the current pastors today. One of them is my father who worked there for 25 years. Yet, they are growing older and there are still more islands in the Sulu Archipelago, waiting to be reached out.         


             A line from the song titled “We Speak to Nations” says, “Who will go for us? Who will shout to the corners of the earth that Christ is King?” (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/i/israel_houghton/we_speak_to_nations.html, January 28, 2013) Who will go for us?  There are a lot of challenges in the mission field but when the Lord calls and puts you there, He will make it sure that you can do the mission, that is, to reach our Muslim brethren. One of the basic things to do in the field is to establish trust and create a meaningful relationship with them. You won’t go there in order to change them. You just spend time, laugh with them and live as a blessing. By doing these simple acts, you are conveying God's love to them.  Majority of the people living in that area are actually good and pious people. Thus, it’s time to change our mindset and try not to generalize the way we see our Muslim brethren. As a matter of fact, they are the friendliest people I have been with. As I call them my ba’gay (friends), you can be a ba’gay to them if you wish to.


Questions to ponder:

1.      The dispersed Christians who were once Muslims can be effective in reaching out to them. What do you think are the contributing factors that deprived them from doing so?
2.      Would it be commendable if a particular evangelical denomination intentionally assigns pastors and missionaries to work for a short tem mission in a Muslim community?
3.      What could be the possible means in order to maintain and enlarge the ministries already established in those areas? 

SOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolo, Sulu, accessed January 28, 2013.
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/i/israel_houghton/we_speak_to_nations.html, January 28, 2013.
http://theislandsofpearls.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html, accessed January 29, 2013.
De Jesus, Benjamin & Deborah Cowles, A Man Sent from God. Manila: The Alliance Publishers, Inc., 1986.

Historically, persecutions are part of the Christians' journey. Many godly individuals stood in their faith until their last breath. However, some recanted. Now "the deaths of the previous emperors who persecuted the Christians ultimately strengthened the people's belief that God intervenes in history to ensure that the Christian church shall prosper" (Barnes 1981, 162.).  As of the moment, persecutions are now gone. The remnant Christians are free to read the Bible, to worship every Sunday, to build churches and to take roles in the society (Schaff 1914, 31.). All these happened during the reign of the Emperor Constantine the Great.

The conversion of Constantine to Christianity probably happened in the year 312 (Jones, 1962, 73.).  He played a role as he looked after the needs of every Christian. "After his victory over Maxentius, which left him master of the entire west, Constantine met Licinius, his surviving colleague in the east, and won him over to a policy of toleration. It was because of the Edict of Milan as approved by Constantine and Licinius that the Christians were given complete freedom of worship and exemption from all pagan ceremonies in all the Roman Empire. This decree was subsequently dishonored by Licinius, but it was reaffirmed in 323 when Constantine became sole emperor" (Cary 1965, 768.). How glad the Christians were when their freedom was fully expressed.

Two years later, a major theological issue occurred that made the Christian church split into a number of groups, each holding different views. The issue was created by Arius of Alexandria with regard to the nature of Jesus Christ. He strongly believed that Jesus Christ was not fully divine and therefore a created being only. The question is, was Jesus really God or was He the son of God? What was really the stand of the church at that time? Because of the confusion Arius made to the entire empire, Constantine needed to settle it. So, he convened all the bishops in the empire to meet at Nicaea. About 300 of them attended the Council and Constantine paid their living expenses during its entire duration (Barnes, 1981, 214.).

Though Constantine had limited knowledge concerning Christian issues, he presided over the Nicaean Council. He actively involved himself in the discussions until the final creed was made (http://www.essortment.com/constantine-great-nicaean-council-21913.html, October 25, 2012). It was then finally affirmed that Jesus' nature is both fully divine and fully human. As a result, the teaching known as Arianism was condemned as heresy and Arius was later on  exiled by Constantine (http://www.answers.com/topic/first-council-of-nicaea, October 25, 2012).

Finally, the Council of Nicaea produced a written creed in order to have a unified tenet for all Christians. It served as a standard of faith against heresies. Indeed, God was and will always be at work in the preservation of the truth. He used Emperor Constantine and the Bishops to somehow put an end to the wrong teachings that some heretics created. Until now, this creed is still widely used by most evangelical churches (like my church) as a foundation of their belief in the triune God. The creed was later called as the Nicene Creed.

"We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen" (http://traditionalchristianity.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/the-nicene-creed-origins-and-development/, October 25, 2012).

Questions for Discussion:

1. What do you think will happen if the bishops did not stand for the deity of Jesus Christ during the council at Nicaea? How will it affect our evangelism and discipleship today?

2. Many daughter churches were produced not as a result of the growing ministry of the church but due to unsettled issues. Some members of the church were somehow forced to leave because the church leaders did not try to solve it. What can you say about this matter?

SOURCES:
Barnes, Timothy D. Constantine & Eusebius. USA: Harvard University Press, 1981.                                                                                                                                               Cary, M. A History of Rome. NY: St. Martin’s Press, Inc., 1965. 
 Jones, A.H.M. Constantine & the Conversion of Europe. NY: Collier Books, 1962.

Schaff, Phillip. History of the Christian Church. NY: Charles Scribers’ Sons, 1914. 

http://traditionalchristianity.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/the-nicene-creed-origins-and-development/, October 25, 2012.
http://www.essortment.com/constantine-great-nicaean-council-21913.html, October 25, 2012.
http://www.answers.com/topic/first-council-of-nicaea, October 25, 2012.
Images: 

http://orthodoxword.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/sinod-niceea.jpg, October 25, 2012.

http://www.zazzle.ca/portrait_of_constantine_the_great_poster-228135704671231808, October 25, 2012.  

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om5SA6El3yA, October 25, 2012.