[soft piano and guitar]
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This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me.
It's the first place in the
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world to see the sun.
The Chatham Islands - named
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"Rekohu" or "Misty Sun"
by the island's original
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settlers. Population 600.
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It's a part of New Zealand
and it's 840 km or about 500
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miles east of Christchurch
in New Zealand's South Island.
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Today, the Chathams are home to
farmers and fishermen and some
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of the biggest crayfish
you're every likely to see.
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At 373 square miles
the Chatham Islands -
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an archipelago of ten
islands - is a quarter
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of the size of Rhode Island.
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Life moves slowly here, kind
of how you might wish the rest
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of the world would be.
It takes about a day to get
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around the main island,
but there's plenty to see and
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even more to discover.
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The Chatham Islands are the
scene of one of the greatest
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environmental success stories
of the last hundred years.
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In 1980 there were
five Chatham Island Black
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Robins left in existence.
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And among them,
only one breeding female.
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But through the hard
work and genius of government
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conservationists, led
by a man named Don Merton,
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the Chatham Islands
Black Robin was pulled back
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from the brink of extinction.
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Today there are around
250 Chatham Islands Black
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Robins alive,
living out there on Little
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Mangere and South East Islands.
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But 200 years ago here
on Chatham Islands it wasn't
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the birds facing
extinction, but the people who
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lived here. The most
painful chapter in this
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island's history shines a light
on a remarkable stand taken
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hundreds of years before
by a leader here, and on the
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convictions of a people who
considered a sacred covenant
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to be of far greater importance
than even their own physical
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well-being.
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Maui Solomon is the
grandson of Tommy Solomon,
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the last full-blooded Moriori,
and he's the chairperson of
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the Hokotehi Moriori Trust.
Maui is one of the driving
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forces behind the
revival of Moriori culture.
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Moriori were the first to settle
these islands seven to eight
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hundred years ago,
and Rongomaiwhenua and his
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younger brother Rongomaitere
came from eastern Polynesia
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and came
directly to these islands.
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We have two
threads of settlement,
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one directly from eastern
Polynesia and another from
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Aotearoa. Rekohu
literally means to gaze
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at the sun through the mist.
When Moriori first arrived on
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these islands, it would have
been a shock, because they'd
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come from tropical Polynesia
to a very temperate climate
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here on Rekohu.
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But they rapidly adapted to
this environment , and they used
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local materials, flax
and bull kelp and local trees
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to construct their
canoes, and their canoes were in
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a very similar model
were shaped to a European
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rowing boat.
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Over 600 years ago,
Nunuku-whenua, the last in this
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line of spiritual leaders, had
witnessed from the mouth of his
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cave two warring factions.
He decreed that the people lay
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down their arms and that from
that time forward they live in
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peace and share the resources
of the land and the sea.
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He laid down the
curse, "The day you disobey,
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may your bowels rot." And
from that day forward, there
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was no further killing.
That worked for them in on these
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islands for centuries .
And, of course, that experiment
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was put to the ultimate
test when Ngati Tama and
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Ngati Mutunga
invaded these islands in
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November 1835.
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In 1835, everything
changed for the peaceful Moriori
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society. To call
what happened here a
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tragedy would be to
under- represent the magnitude
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of what occurred.
This was a catastrophe.
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In fact, it was genocide.
And while a catastrophe can
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sometimes bring out the worst
in people, it can also bring
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out the best. And
this one did both.
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900 - men, women and children
were brought in two boatloads
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from Wellington
in the "Lord Rodney,"
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an English sailing
vessel. When they arrived,
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they were very unwell;
it had been a rough journey.
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The people were
looked after by Moriori.
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They were fed, sheltered.
Not long after that, the newly
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arrived Maori from New
Zealand began to "takahi"
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- walk the land -
and killing and enslaving
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Moriori as they went.
And it was obvious what the
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intensions were,
was to wipe Moriori out.
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[distant rumble] To
understand the magnitude
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of what happened here,
you really need to keep
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in mind the era
in which it occurred.
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In 1835, invasion meant
subjugation and it meant
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slavery. Blood would be shed,
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lives would be
lost, it would be ugly.
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The practice of the invaders
was to cannibalize their
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enemies. So the
invasion of the Moriori
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here at Rekohu would
involve unspeakable horrors.
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Now, at that same time the
musket wars were taking place
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among the Maori tribes
on mainland New Zealand.
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So for the invaders,
the thought of coming
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to an island, taking it,
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and killing the
inhabitants was nothing out of
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the ordinary. The
Moriori held a council at a
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place called Te Awapatiki
to discuss what they should do.
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Some of the young men urged
that they should fight back.
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After all, two thousand Moriori
and about a thousand fighting
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men against nine hundred
invaders gave them a pretty
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good shot at victory,
even though they weren't
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a fighting people. Not to win?
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Well, that would mean they'd
be killed, eaten, enslaved, and
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wiped out altogether. So
two thousand against nine
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hundred, you'd think the
outcome might be certain.
00:07:04.52\00:07:08.36
Except it wasn't that
simple, because of Nunuku's Law.
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[Maui Solomon] The
ancestors brought with them
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the traditions and the
customs from eastern Polynesia,
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so they were a warrior
people, a war-like people.
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They also practiced cannibalism.
They came to the conclusion that
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if we keep killing one another,
we'll wipe each other out.
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They recognized that there's
always going to be conflict
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when you have humans.
So how do we manage that
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conflict? So
they evolved their own
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covenant of peace.
Combat was ritualized using
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a wooden staff.
First blood drawn,
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honor satisfied, fighting was to
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cease. There
shall be no killing.
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Thou shalt not kill.
About 500 years after Nunuku
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lived in this very
cave, the Moriori discovered
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they had invaders
in their backyard,
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and their very
existence was threatened.
00:08:00.64\00:08:03.45
So what would they do?
They could honor Nunuku's Law,
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which defined them as a
people and ensured that life was
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treated as sacred, or
they could defend themselves
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and abandon a vital
principle of their society.
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Whatever their decision
would be, it would have enormous
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consequences. So
what would they do?
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Find out in just a moment.
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[soft ethereal music]
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World history has
taught us to associate the word
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"surrender" with thoughts
of defeat, shame and loss.
00:08:41.05\00:08:45.02
But what if it were the
road to ultimate victory?
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What if surrender meant
letting go of your sin or your
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dysfunction in exchange
for freedom and integrity?
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What if your conqueror offered
you healing, wholeness and
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power? When
you're used to being in
00:08:58.80\00:09:01.57
charge, surrender to
God may be a struggle.
00:09:01.57\00:09:04.34
But I guarantee you surrender
to God is the greatest victory
00:09:04.34\00:09:07.51
you'll ever win. If
you'd like to understand
00:09:07.51\00:09:09.91
more, request our free
booklet, "The War is Over."
00:09:09.91\00:09:13.62
Simply call 800-253-3000
and ask for your free copy
00:09:13.62\00:09:17.89
of "The War is
Over." If the line's busy,
00:09:17.89\00:09:20.99
please try again.
Or you can write to
00:09:20.99\00:09:23.59
It Is Written at P
O Box 6, Chattanooga,
00:09:23.59\00:09:26.23
Tennessee, 37401. We'll
mail a free copy to your
00:09:26.23\00:09:30.63
address in North America.
It Is Written is a faith-based
00:09:30.63\00:09:34.20
ministry, and your
support makes it possible for us
00:09:34.20\00:09:37.27
to share God's good
news with the world.
00:09:37.27\00:09:40.21
Your tax-deductible gift can
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00:09:40.21\00:09:42.44
screen, or through our
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00:09:42.44\00:09:46.51
Thank you for your
continued prayerful support.
00:09:46.51\00:09:49.02
[deep rumbling tones]
00:09:49.02\00:09:52.99
[John Bradshaw]
This is It Is Written.
00:09:55.52\00:09:58.63
I'm John Bradshaw.
This is a rugged and often
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windswept place:
the Chatham Islands.
00:10:02.30\00:10:05.90
Five-hundred miles
east of New Zealand in the
00:10:05.90\00:10:08.17
southern Pacific
Ocean. Almost 200 years ago,
00:10:08.17\00:10:11.74
this was the scene of
an incredible tragedy,
00:10:11.74\00:10:14.91
one that very nearly
resulted in the extinction
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of the people who lived here.
00:10:17.45\00:10:19.05
[Maui Solomon]
Nine-hundred Maori in
00:10:21.62\00:10:23.85
total arrived and
landed at Port Hutt.
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It was clear to the people
at that time that the invaders
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intended to wipe
them out, to enslave them.
00:10:33.46\00:10:39.63
We're told that a thousand men
met at Te Awapatiki to debate
00:10:39.63\00:10:44.84
over three or four days what
the response would be to the
00:10:44.84\00:10:48.54
invasion by Ngati
Tama and Ngati Mutunga.
00:10:48.54\00:10:52.11
So the young men urged
resistance, but the elders
00:10:52.11\00:10:54.52
forbade breaking their covenant
of peace, and said that the
00:10:54.52\00:10:59.22
covenant wasn't something
that could be varied to
00:10:59.22\00:11:02.22
suit the dictates of
the time, and it would be a
00:11:02.22\00:11:04.66
complete loss of
mana for them as a people
00:11:04.66\00:11:07.40
if they violated
that sacrosanct law.
00:11:07.40\00:11:11.00
So this covenant of peace was so
sacred to Moriori they put their
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spiritual beliefs
above their physical needs.
00:11:15.17\00:11:21.04
The will of the elders won out.
Two chiefs, Torea and Tapata,
00:11:21.04\00:11:26.25
are quoted as having
said, "The law of Nunuku is not
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a strategy for
survival, to be changed as
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conditions vary. It
is a moral imperative."
00:11:34.02\00:11:38.76
Nunuku's Law was a
sacred covenant, and it would be
00:11:38.76\00:11:41.86
treated as such. The
consequences for the Moriori
00:11:41.86\00:11:45.77
were disastrous.
Initially, 226 were murdered.
00:11:45.77\00:11:50.61
Hundreds more
were taken as slaves.
00:11:50.61\00:11:53.01
Many of the slaves
were killed and eaten.
00:11:53.01\00:11:56.95
Some died from despair, while
many others died as a result
00:11:56.95\00:12:00.68
of diseases
introduced by the invaders.
00:12:00.68\00:12:04.55
In thirty years or so,
the Moriori population fell to
00:12:04.55\00:12:09.46
just 101. Ninety
percent of the Moriori
00:12:09.46\00:12:14.46
population had been killed.
00:12:14.46\00:12:18.80
Here in the Moriori
marae is a memorial to those
00:12:19.90\00:12:23.00
who perished. At the
Auckland Public Library,
00:12:23.00\00:12:26.57
the names of all the Moriori
who died during that time
00:12:26.57\00:12:29.74
are recorded. So that
while their lives were
00:12:29.74\00:12:32.75
lost, the
memory of them was not.
00:12:32.75\00:12:36.48
And on the memorial are carved
the names of those who died
00:12:36.48\00:12:40.69
during and
following the massacre.
00:12:40.69\00:12:44.96
Now here's a question: Who would
choose to lose their life rather
00:12:46.76\00:12:52.90
than to fight
trying to defend it?
00:12:52.90\00:12:56.71
What kind of person or people,
knowing the seriousness of the
00:12:56.71\00:13:01.14
consequences, would consider
a law so important, so utterly
00:13:01.14\00:13:06.75
inviolable, that they
would choose to honor that law
00:13:06.75\00:13:11.19
rather than
preserve their own life or,
00:13:11.19\00:13:15.19
essentially,
their entire culture?
00:13:15.19\00:13:19.09
Is a law ever so important that
a person should die rather than
00:13:19.09\00:13:24.67
violate that law? When
we go to the Bible we find
00:13:24.67\00:13:28.20
again and again references
to people who chose to put a
00:13:28.20\00:13:31.71
greater cause above
their own welfare, and even
00:13:31.71\00:13:35.04
ahead of their own lives.
00:13:35.04\00:13:37.25
Let's look in Revelation
12. It's a discussion of God's
00:13:37.25\00:13:40.52
church, God's people
down through the ages from the
00:13:40.52\00:13:44.15
time of the birth of Jesus.
00:13:44.15\00:13:46.49
The church is depicted as
a woman - a figure God often
00:13:46.49\00:13:50.43
uses in the Bible
to represent the church
00:13:50.43\00:13:52.89
or His people.
She delivers a child -
00:13:52.89\00:13:55.73
that's Jesus. Then the
devil is represented as
00:13:55.73\00:13:59.40
a red dragon. He
deceives a third of the
00:13:59.40\00:14:02.80
angels in heaven
and goes on the attack
00:14:02.80\00:14:05.57
against Jesus. Jesus'
ascension to heaven is
00:14:05.57\00:14:08.48
mentioned, and then a time
of difficulty for the church.
00:14:08.48\00:14:12.08
For 1,260 years - now, remember,
a day represents a year in Bible
00:14:12.08\00:14:16.92
prophecy -- for 1,260 years,
the church is in the wilderness.
00:14:16.92\00:14:22.16
But God's people are ultimately
triumphant, and there's a
00:14:22.16\00:14:25.69
description of at least some
of God's people in Revelation
00:14:25.69\00:14:28.66
12:11. It says,
"And they overcame him
00:14:28.66\00:14:32.93
by the blood of the Lamb and
by the word of their testimony.
00:14:32.93\00:14:36.74
And they loved not
their lives unto the death."
00:14:36.74\00:14:40.74
"They loved not
their lives to the death."
00:14:40.74\00:14:46.68
Is a cause ever so great that a
person should be willing to lay
00:14:46.68\00:14:51.25
down his or her
life for that cause?
00:14:51.25\00:14:55.12
Here on the Chatham Islands,
back in the 1830s, the answer
00:14:55.12\00:14:59.33
given to that
question was 'yes.'
00:14:59.33\00:15:04.73
Throughout history there have
been accounts of people who've
00:15:04.73\00:15:07.17
given their lives for others.
During World War II, a U.S.
00:15:07.17\00:15:11.94
Army transport
ship, the "Dorchester,"
00:15:11.94\00:15:14.94
was carrying hundreds of
American troops to Europe.
00:15:14.94\00:15:18.48
This was a dangerous business.
And while the ship was traveling
00:15:18.48\00:15:21.95
to Greenland it was torpedoed
and sunk by a German warship.
00:15:21.95\00:15:26.39
In the chaos, there
weren't enough lifejackets
00:15:26.39\00:15:29.59
to go around. But
the four chaplains on the
00:15:29.59\00:15:32.49
ship - a Catholic, two
Protestants and a Jew --
00:15:32.49\00:15:37.43
encouraged the troops, helped
them off the ship, and then
00:15:37.43\00:15:42.14
gave their
lifejackets to the soldiers.
00:15:42.14\00:15:47.41
They went down with the ship
into the frigid water singing
00:15:47.41\00:15:50.98
and praying
together, and they died.
00:15:50.98\00:15:57.09
A 43-year-old Gulf War veteran
retired from Fort Campbell,
00:15:57.09\00:16:01.46
Kentucky, and now he had the
kind of time he always wanted
00:16:01.46\00:16:04.76
to have for his wife
and their 5-year-old boy.
00:16:04.76\00:16:08.10
He'd been in the Gulf
War, he'd been involved in the
00:16:08.10\00:16:10.47
invasion of Afghanistan.
But now, with the rest of his
00:16:10.47\00:16:13.60
life stretching before
him, he decided that he'd take
00:16:13.60\00:16:16.44
care of some projects
he'd been wanting to get to
00:16:16.44\00:16:18.54
for some time. And one
of them was to cut down
00:16:18.54\00:16:21.11
a tree in their backyard.
He and his 5-year-old son went
00:16:21.11\00:16:24.61
out in the backyard, and
they would clear that tree.
00:16:24.61\00:16:27.65
As the tree was falling to
the ground, the 5-year-old boy
00:16:27.65\00:16:32.42
walked out into the
path of the falling tree.
00:16:32.42\00:16:35.82
Now, this solider, this retired
soldier, knew what to do.
00:16:35.82\00:16:38.96
He'd been awarded the Soldier's
Medal for bravery for rescuing
00:16:38.96\00:16:42.93
soldiers from a helicopter crash
in Haiti, and he would save the
00:16:42.93\00:16:46.47
life of his son as well.
He rushed into the path of the
00:16:46.47\00:16:49.77
falling tree and
pushed his son to safety.
00:16:49.77\00:16:53.64
But tragically,
the tree fell on him.
00:16:53.64\00:16:56.51
They airlifted him to Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, but
00:16:56.51\00:16:59.48
he was dead by the time
he arrived at the hospital.
00:16:59.48\00:17:04.19
That little boy would grow
up with only hazy memories of
00:17:04.19\00:17:08.62
his father. But
there's be one thing he'd
00:17:08.62\00:17:11.56
always know about his dad: he'd
know forever that his father
00:17:11.56\00:17:16.50
loved him enough to
die so that he would live.
00:17:16.50\00:17:22.14
[music] Now,
chaplains dying for men
00:17:22.20\00:17:30.85
under their spiritual care
and on their side during a war,
00:17:30.85\00:17:35.02
that's probably not
altogether surprising.
00:17:35.02\00:17:38.35
A father dying for his son
is incredible, it's heroic, but
00:17:38.35\00:17:43.19
that's something
we can understand.
00:17:43.19\00:17:45.29
Now, the Moriori of New
Zealand's Chatham Islands
00:17:45.29\00:17:47.56
died for an ideal. And
in Revelation 12, people
00:17:47.56\00:17:50.80
died for someone
that they had never seen.
00:17:50.80\00:17:53.60
What would drive
a person to do that?
00:17:53.60\00:17:56.57
And what would you do if
you ever found yourself in a
00:17:56.57\00:17:59.41
similar situation? I'll
be back with more in just
00:17:59.41\00:18:03.21
a moment.
00:18:03.21\00:18:05.11
"Every Word" is a one-minute,
Bible-based, daily devotional
00:18:08.68\00:18:12.09
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw
00:18:12.09\00:18:14.19
and designed
especially for busy people
00:18:14.19\00:18:16.16
like you. Look
for "Every Word" on
00:18:16.16\00:18:18.66
selected networks, or
watch it online every day
00:18:18.66\00:18:21.16
on our website, ItIsWritten.com.
00:18:21.16\00:18:25.40
[upbeat music]
00:18:25.40\00:18:29.34
Some verses of the
Bible cause you to really stop
00:18:31.61\00:18:33.61
and reflect. If
you were honest with
00:18:33.61\00:18:36.11
yourself, what would
you say is the driving
00:18:36.11\00:18:38.51
force of your life?
What is the thing that you're
00:18:38.51\00:18:41.28
most passionate about?
Paul wrote in Philippians 2:21,
00:18:41.28\00:18:44.89
"For all seek their
own, not the things which are
00:18:44.89\00:18:47.86
Jesus Christ's." Of
course, you can't exist in
00:18:47.86\00:18:50.19
this world without
being involved in certain
00:18:50.19\00:18:52.06
things. You wouldn't be a very
00:18:52.06\00:18:53.66
interesting person if
you didn't have interests
00:18:53.66\00:18:55.23
and pursuits and so on.
But what is it that drives you?
00:18:55.23\00:18:59.27
What's really the most
important thing to you?
00:18:59.27\00:19:02.10
Paul wrote that the problem
people have - and interestingly,
00:19:02.10\00:19:04.64
he said all people -- is
that they put God's interests
00:19:04.64\00:19:07.98
behind their own.
Could it be that many people
00:19:07.98\00:19:11.38
need to adjust their priorities?
00:19:11.38\00:19:13.58
If you're one of those people,
ask God to help you to put
00:19:13.58\00:19:16.02
His things first.
I'm John Bradshaw for
00:19:16.02\00:19:19.32
It Is Written. Let's
live today by every word.
00:19:19.32\00:19:22.79
[Music]
00:19:24.13\00:19:32.40
What if surrender meant
letting go of your sin or
00:19:33.23\00:19:35.44
your dysfunction in exchange
for freedom and integrity?
00:19:35.44\00:19:39.57
If you'd like to understand
more, request our free
00:19:39.57\00:19:41.94
booklet, "The War is
Over." Simply call 800-253-3000
00:19:41.94\00:19:47.22
and ask for your free
copy of "The War is Over."
00:19:47.22\00:19:50.65
If the line's
busy, please try again.
00:19:50.65\00:19:53.25
Or you can write
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P O Box 6,
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00:19:54.99\00:19:59.86
We'll mail a free copy to
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00:19:59.86\00:20:03.23
It Is Written is a faith-based
ministry, and your support
00:20:03.23\00:20:07.14
makes it possible for
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00:20:07.14\00:20:09.67
with the world. Your
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00:20:09.67\00:20:12.81
sent to the address on your
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00:20:12.81\00:20:15.48
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Thank you for your continued
00:20:15.48\00:20:18.85
prayerful support.
Again, our toll-free number is
00:20:18.85\00:20:22.35
800-253-3000, and
our web address is
00:20:22.35\00:20:26.52
ItIsWritten.com.
00:20:26.52\00:20:28.79
[ominous music] In
1835 a society was attacked
00:20:30.99\00:20:43.04
without provocation. Many
were brutally murdered, and
00:20:43.04\00:20:47.08
of those, many were cannibalized
and the survivors were enslaved.
00:20:47.08\00:20:52.51
Almost 200 years later,
that society no longer exists.
00:20:52.51\00:20:58.65
Remnants of that
civilization can still be seen.
00:20:58.65\00:21:01.99
Centuries-old carvings made
by the Moriori are still visible
00:21:01.99\00:21:06.06
on the trunks of trees,
ancient living artifacts
00:21:06.06\00:21:10.67
from another era.
[melancholy piano music]
00:21:10.67\00:21:20.18
[Maui Solomon] I
don't judge the ancestors
00:21:20.18\00:21:22.71
for what they did at
the time they did it.
00:21:22.71\00:21:25.35
That was the right thing
for them to have done, because
00:21:25.35\00:21:27.48
that was their custom,
that was their tradition.
00:21:27.48\00:21:30.65
And by holding fast to those
traditions, they have passed
00:21:30.65\00:21:35.32
on to this present generation
of Moriori a legacy of peace,
00:21:35.32\00:21:40.23
of hope, of
making a sacrifice that
00:21:40.23\00:21:42.80
left a lesson for
humanity. They're not forgotten.
00:21:42.80\00:21:46.47
The legacy of
peace and hope lives on.
00:21:46.47\00:21:51.71
[chimes]
Geographically, Chatham Island
00:21:56.81\00:22:02.52
is a stunning place
filled with incredible features,
00:22:02.52\00:22:06.89
including these basalt
columns reminiscent of the
00:22:06.89\00:22:10.69
Giants Causeway in Ireland.
It was here in this stunning
00:22:10.69\00:22:15.50
place that a peaceful society
met a violent end, because it
00:22:15.50\00:22:21.54
chose to adhere to principles
that put values even above
00:22:21.54\00:22:26.01
life itself. For
the Moriori, it was more
00:22:26.01\00:22:29.61
important to do the
right thing than to dominate
00:22:29.61\00:22:33.05
or to conquer another people.
00:22:33.05\00:22:36.72
The Moriori would choose
the right path and make a bold
00:22:36.72\00:22:40.69
stand for peace. Like
God's people in Revelation
00:22:40.69\00:22:45.03
12:11, they loved not
their lives unto the death.
00:22:45.03\00:22:51.23
What motivates a
person to live by that creedo?
00:22:51.23\00:22:56.64
A famous Revolutionary War
figure paid for his dedication
00:22:56.64\00:23:00.11
to his country with his life,
and is quoted as having said,
00:23:00.11\00:23:04.11
"My one regret is that I
only had one life to give for my
00:23:04.11\00:23:08.92
country." Now,
while that quote is
00:23:08.92\00:23:11.59
disputed by some,
that's patriotism.
00:23:11.59\00:23:15.29
The night before he died,
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
00:23:15.29\00:23:19.33
was speaking at Mason
Temple in Memphis, Tennessee, on
00:23:19.33\00:23:22.36
behalf of striking
sanitation workers.
00:23:22.36\00:23:25.00
There had been threats
made against his life; in fact,
00:23:25.00\00:23:27.27
the pilot of the plane
that carried Dr. King and others
00:23:27.27\00:23:30.77
to Memphis, Tennessee, told
the passengers on board that
00:23:30.77\00:23:33.81
plane that the plane had
been guarded the night before.
00:23:33.81\00:23:38.18
During that speech, Dr.
King said, "I don't know what
00:23:38.18\00:23:42.08
will happen with me now.
We've got some difficult days
00:23:42.08\00:23:45.32
ahead. But it
doesn't matter with me
00:23:45.32\00:23:47.76
now, because I've been to
the mountaintop...I just want to
00:23:47.76\00:23:52.06
do God's will. And
He's allowed me to go up to
00:23:52.06\00:23:54.73
the mountain, and I've
looked over, and I've seen the
00:23:54.73\00:23:58.30
Promised Land. I'm
not fearing any man now.
00:23:58.30\00:24:03.10
Mine eyes have seen the glory
of the coming of the Lord."
00:24:03.10\00:24:09.24
The next day, outside room
306 of the Lorraine Motel, the
00:24:09.24\00:24:14.62
unthinkable happened.
Now, what is it that drives a
00:24:14.62\00:24:19.02
man to go to those lengths,
to consider a cause to be
00:24:19.02\00:24:22.56
more important even
than his own well-being,
00:24:22.56\00:24:25.33
even than his own life?
Well, for Dr. King it was
00:24:25.33\00:24:29.40
justice. It was
human rights, it was
00:24:29.40\00:24:32.30
the plight of his people.
But let's consider Jesus of
00:24:32.30\00:24:37.27
Nazareth. The Bible
says of Jesus, "While
00:24:37.27\00:24:40.48
we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us" - Romans 5:8.
00:24:40.48\00:24:45.78
And why? John 3:16:
"For God so loved the
00:24:45.78\00:24:51.19
world, that He gave
His only begotten Son."
00:24:51.19\00:24:55.16
Love, the great motivator.
Now, there's something important
00:24:56.89\00:25:01.03
to consider here. God had a law.
00:25:01.03\00:25:04.60
Human beings
had broken that law.
00:25:04.60\00:25:07.84
The only way for human beings to
be reconciled to God was through
00:25:07.84\00:25:11.71
the death of His son, Jesus,
although if God had simply
00:25:11.71\00:25:16.58
set aside His law, the death
of Jesus wouldn't be necessary.
00:25:16.58\00:25:22.85
That would have been the easy
way out for God, a way out of
00:25:22.85\00:25:25.49
a terrible situation that
no parent wants to endure.
00:25:25.49\00:25:30.39
But just as the Moriori
considered their law too
00:25:30.39\00:25:32.79
sacred to be set
aside, God considered His law
00:25:32.79\00:25:36.97
to be too
important to set aside also.
00:25:36.97\00:25:40.57
And as a consequence,
Jesus willingly went to
00:25:40.57\00:25:44.74
the cross for you and
me, because God so loved
00:25:44.74\00:25:49.48
the world. John
15:13 says, "Greater love
00:25:49.48\00:25:54.65
hath no man than this, that
a man lay down his life for his
00:25:54.65\00:25:57.95
friends." I've heard
people say they don't
00:25:57.95\00:26:02.56
believe they have the
faith necessary to be a martyr.
00:26:02.56\00:26:06.43
Well, there are people in this
world paying the ultimate price
00:26:06.43\00:26:09.00
for their faith in God, and the
Bible does say that there are
00:26:09.00\00:26:12.53
challenging times
ahead for planet Earth.
00:26:12.53\00:26:15.60
But the truth is, God's
not asking most of us to die
00:26:15.60\00:26:19.07
for Him. Instead,
He's asking us to live
00:26:19.07\00:26:23.01
for Him. And that
involves death -- dying
00:26:23.01\00:26:26.75
to one's own self-interest,
dying to one's own self-will.
00:26:26.75\00:26:31.92
In holding to Nunuku's Law,
the Moriori gave more to the
00:26:31.92\00:26:35.89
world in their destruction
than many civilizations
00:26:35.89\00:26:38.26
give to the world
in their existence.
00:26:38.26\00:26:40.80
An example of what it means to
be truly committed to a worthy,
00:26:40.80\00:26:44.13
to a noble cause. An
example of what it means to
00:26:44.13\00:26:47.77
consider something so important
that it's more important than
00:26:47.77\00:26:51.91
life itself. That's
how committed Jesus was
00:26:51.91\00:26:54.74
to you: so committed that
He gave His life so that you
00:26:54.74\00:26:59.38
might live. What are
you planning to do with
00:26:59.38\00:27:02.12
that gift Jesus
died to give you?
00:27:02.12\00:27:05.52
Let's pray. Father in Heaven,
00:27:05.52\00:27:08.46
thank you today for
Jesus, your gift to the world.
00:27:08.46\00:27:12.16
Salvation was purchased at
an infinite cost to yourself.
00:27:12.16\00:27:15.40
When you could have spared
the life of Jesus, your son,
00:27:15.40\00:27:18.43
you didn't. When
Jesus could have walked
00:27:18.43\00:27:20.74
away from the cross, He didn't.
00:27:20.74\00:27:23.54
Today as you offer that gift
to the world, I pray for those
00:27:23.54\00:27:26.11
hearing me right now. In
light of all you've done,
00:27:26.11\00:27:29.21
grant great grace to those
who need to respond to your
00:27:29.21\00:27:32.11
mercy and goodness. Grant
that they would do so now.
00:27:32.11\00:27:36.55
Will you receive Jesus as
your Lord and Savior, friend?
00:27:36.55\00:27:39.65
Will you accept
eternal life right now?
00:27:39.65\00:27:41.96
Lord, thank you for the
certainty of a life of meaning,
00:27:41.96\00:27:44.96
an eternal life with
you. We accept it in Jesus'
00:27:44.96\00:27:49.26
name, Amen.
00:27:49.26\00:27:51.73
Thanks for joining me. I
look forward to seeing you
00:27:52.53\00:27:54.84
again next time.
Until then remember,
00:27:54.84\00:27:57.24
it is written:
Man shall not live
00:27:57.24\00:27:59.74
by bread alone
but by every word that
00:27:59.74\00:28:03.35
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:28:03.35\00:28:06.82
[majestic music]
00:28:10.75\00:28:29.30