THE hasty deportation of three missionaries in separate suspicious circumstances should not go without a challenge. Where is the Christian Community?
Before you were fragmented into your respective denominations and build your religious walls around it, it is the missionaries who reached PNG in the first place. Hence touching a missionary touches the core of Christianity in PNG. It is expected that churches would be rising up and condemning such actions regardless of which church that missionary may come from. It should be considered an attack on Christianity in PNG.
It’s almost a week since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs purportedly deported the three missionaries. But the silence of the Church is deafening. Where is the so called PNG Council of Churches or the de facto Body of Christ?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may have some valid reasons to consider these missionaries as “persona non grata”, meaning unwelcome persons in the country and has deported them. Ironically though, I find foreigners who commit some of the most despicable crimes unworthy of remaining in this country are allowed to stay. Their crimes cry to high heaven for accountability right under the noses of those authorities yet no one notices them.
And these poor missionaries? Most of them live in some of the most remote areas of PNG –not to exploit our people off their resources and run away like other flyby predatory investors –but are committed to helping our disadvantaged people. They may see the need for social justice and hence help the community to pursue it. They may be doing so where their government seriously fails the people. That is part of their missionary work to liberate the oppressed and suppressed. Do you call that a crime? IT IS CALLED SOCIAL JUSTICE! I am therefore seriously doubting your judgement, Foreign Affairs.
How dangerous were the missionaries to the community, albeit, on the eve of elections?
I am proudly a product of the church and I cannot sit down and accommodate this outrageous ‘cleansing of missionaries’ exercises carried out by the Minister and his ministry. Redirect all your energy to go after the real persona non gratas. You cannot go far from your office to find them.
Leave the Missionaries alone!
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