After we wrap up, everybody took off to take care of other business and I found myself alone at the Church. Before long I saw a small pick-up come down the driveway and stop in front of the church. After a short time the truck started backing up, so I went out to see if there was any way I could help. A man got out of the truck and I greeted him with the Tongan greeting: “Malo e Lelei.”
He introduced himself as the electrical inspector, and told me his name was Asta. He had heard there was work going on at the church and wanted to make sure the permits were in order. I didn’t know how strict the Tongan government is about enforcing permits, so I figured a conservative response would be best. I told him Sakini was making drawings, but nobody was actually doing any work.
He grunted and looked around for a minute. Then he said something I didn’t expect: “So, the Orthodox Church is the first Church, the oldest Church?”
I answered, “Yes.”
He asked, “Older than the Catholic Church?”
Again, I answered in the affirmative.
He paused for quite a long while. I waited.
“That’s good,” was his response.
Fr. Paul had explained to me that Tongan people place a very high value on tradition, so his answer made sense to me. Sakini’s water glass example, which I described in the previous blog post is a different illustration of the same thing, really. If you want to be part of the tree, you need to connect to the root. This is self-evident to Tongan people.
Asta told me where he lives, which is one of the villages Sakini drove me through the day before, and I learned that village is mostly Methodist. If I remember correctly, he was Catholic originally, but then he moved to a different village which has no Catholic congregation, so he started going to the Methodist Church. I gather that’s pretty common in Tonga – perhaps they value being a part of the village community more than they worry about doctrinal differences among the various denominations found on the island.
After talking for a few minutes I remembered that when Asta arrived I had been just about to make a cup of the delicious Greek coffee Fr. Paul had brought. I invited Asta for a cup of coffee and he agreed. I served his coffee, sat down, and he started peppering me with questions Orthodoxy. I did the best I could to answer his questions, and after 15 minutes or so he told me he had to go. I wished him well, and after he left made another cup of coffee.
When His Eminence, Fr. Meletios, and Fr. Paul returned from their business I told them about my visitor. Fr. Paul replied, “See, you gave him his first Orthodox catechism!” I hadn’t come to Tonga with any intention of preaching to the local people, but it seemed God wanted Asta to speak with me that day. Glory to Him who knows all things and directs our steps!
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