A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Dec 8, 2015 | Message from Kahu

PEACE ON EARTH

On Sunday, we read the story of the shepherds who were watching their sheep on the night Jesus was born. They were approached by an angel who told them about the birth of Jesus. Then a host of angels appeared, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.”

I talked about the shepherds and what their lives were like. They were a group of people who knew very little peace—especially at night while they guarded their flocks in the dark from dangerous predators. They were among the poorest of the working class; they did the job that no one else wanted. While everyone else was comfortably sleeping in their beds, the shepherds were wide awake and ready to protect their flocks from packs of wolves. Furthermore, they lived in a culture that didn’t know much about peace, for the Romans ruled with brutality and terror.

So news of peace came unexpectedly to the shepherds. They figured they must be the last people on earth to receive news of peace! Nevertheless, God chose them to be among the first people to learn of the good news that a baby was born who would bring peace to all.

My prayer this week for the people of Koloa Union Church is that we would all experience the peace of God, for God’s favor rests upon us all; and may we share God’s peace with others!

Aloha nui!

Kahu Alan Akana

A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Dec 1, 2015 | Message from Kahu

A BROKEN FAMILY TREE

On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about my family tree and how I discovered some things as I was doing research for my book about it—things that were more than a bit disappointing. I found severe religious intolerance. I also uncovered some unfortunate ways that some of the male ancestors treated women. I also learned about some bitter family disputes whereby siblings didn’t talk to each other for years.

I also talked about Jesus’ family tree—the one in Matthew’s Gospel. I mentioned the deception and unbrotherly conduct of Jacob, as well as the “unladylike” circumstances and behavior of the women mentioned in the genealogy. There is Tamar, the Canaanite who pretended to be a prostitute in order to sleep with her father-in-law Judah; Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute from Jericho; Ruth, the Moabite who seduced the man who eventually became he husband; Bathsheeba, the Hittite who had an illicit affair with King David (the king who then arranged for the death of his lover’s husband); and then there was Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph and pregnant with a baby that did not belong to him!

At first glance, Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus seems to be written to show that the infant to be born in Bethlehem was an appropriate choice to be the next “King of the Jews.”  However, since royal genealogies in those days were written to show that the person in question came from a pure and righteous bloodline, Matthew had to be up to something else! After all, more than a few of the names in the genealogy were foreigners and certainly not know for their righteous behavior.

So what was Matthew up to by including this “broken family tree” at the beginning of his Gospel? First of all, he seems to be giving hope to all of his readers: If Jesus’ family tree can be that messed up, then there is hope for the rest of us! We too are able to overcome the dysfunction and poor behavior of our own families in order to live well in this world. Secondly, Matthew is showing his readers how God’s grace extends to the furthest margins of humanity. Prostitutes, foreigners, adulterers, people living in shame and disgrace, all have a role to play and are included in the circle of God’s love.

If there is hope for Jesus, then there must be hope for us all! May we be filled with hope during this Advent Season; and may we share that hope with everyone—even those on the furthest margins of world.

Aloha nui!

Kahu Alan Akana