How do I relate to faith? How did Don Richardson relate to Faith? How do the Sawi relate to faith?

         Personally, I believe that faith is the justification that people use when solid proof is not possible. With this definition, not all beliefs involve faith. All sane people have very similar beliefs such as the importance of logical thinking, the value of life, and the necessity for peace and order. These beliefs cannot be disputed: solving problems logically is better than doing so emotionally which usually leads to insults and blows, living is better than dying, and a “chaotic society” is simply one small step away from a “ruined society”. The special characteristic of faith is that it cannot be proven or disproven. A classic example is the existence of life. Most religious groups have faith in the fact that there exists this/these divine being(s) which created and control humans. Atheists have faith in the fact that life is pure accident. Existentialists have faith in the fact that life is for living and the origin is as irrelevant as it is mysterious. I am of the faith that for anything worldly there is reason and for everything else there’s God.

         With Don Richardson, faith was the source of his strength and hope. The Sawi lived in an area largely untouched and unexplored by modern civilization. Their language was completely unknown and their culture could not be further from the “modern culture” and their religion could be said is the exact opposite of Christianity. Any reasonable person would have said that Don Richardson would be killed in less than a month much less convert these people to Christianity. Even though Don Richardson’s chances of bringing Christianity to these people seemed zero, his faith in the Will of God gave him confidence and willpower so that he succeeded.

         As for the Sawi, their faith in demons and deception became the basis of their lifestyle and stood in place of science and reason. Just as it is logical for us to be logical, the Sawi thought that their way of fattening another with friendship was equally logical. This faith became embedded into tradition and soon it became doctrine to the point that when Don Richardson said that in the “modern world” people do not fight wars all the tim,e the Sawi regarded this peace as a godly thing. For the Sawi before Don Richardson came, faith was dogma and logic held no sway among these people.