_     One area that has always interested me is the intersection of faith and politics.  It interests me so much in fact that I majored in Political Science and Religion.  Ever since I declared in these two majors, I have always heard, “Well, that’s an interesting combination.”  It’s a long story how I ended up studying these two topics which are touchy alone, but completely explosive when combined.  Part of the story involves my affinity to debate.  Those who know me know I love to debate (not to be confused with arguing) and I often said throughout college that I was studying the two topics that were the catalyst for the most “spirited conversation.”  In retrospect however, I see my studying of politics and religion as a great decision, for two central reasons.

    First of all, I learned how to think critically and write.  I can’t imagine two skills more essential for success than these.  Confronting conflicting theories and paradigms forced me to think for myself, draw my own conclusions and articulate my ideas.  Secondly, what I have realized while here in Pohnpei about these two areas is by studying Political Science and Religion, I essentially majored in “Institutional Studies.”  As I mentioned in my last post, studying political science involved learning about political institutions and the principles and conduct of government.  What is more “institutionalized” in the truest sense of the word than government?  There are clearly set rules and regulations with various laws and policies that dramatically impact the citizenry under control of that government.  Religion also is encased in institutions, with various faith traditions producing their own rituals, governed by their doctrine, ultimately seeking to influence people’s lives.  It’s important to note here that when I say “religion,” I’m referring to the institutionalized framework, such as the Church, rather than an individual’s personal faith journey.

    Here’s what I find fascinating – government, in its most basic form, is seeking to organize and establish order in a chaotic world.  It does this through creating laws and allotting power to groups and individuals to be held responsible for upholding stability.  Religion on the other hand, sees a chaotic world and seeks to establish order through faith in things we cannot see, or rituals which will transcend the mundane of this world and create order in either this world or the next.  While most Americans are familiar with the separation of church and state, it’s interesting to note that in a way, the “church and state” (read: religion and government) are seeking to address the same fundamental need.

    Some of you are probably wondering, “What does this have to do with Pohnpei?”  Well I have found here that there is no separation of church and state whatsoever.  First, some background – almost the entire population is Christian and most are “active” in their faith by being involved in a church.  Actions outside of Sunday morning for many though provoke questions of how genuine their faith is.  I have seen mostly Protestant churches, though there are plenty of Catholic churches revealing the Spanish influence on Pohnpei.  My experience so far has showed the churches here to be extremely institutionalized.  It has been disheartening as a Christian to see churches feud over petty differences, demonizing their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, while raising themselves up as “better” than those “other” people.  My theory is that because there is such a small population to evangelize that churches become extra competitive, dividing for silly reasons and condemning all those who aren’t part of their church.

    Despite the differences between the churches, there are signs of religion everywhere.  Examples include Bible verses posted in government offices, prayers being recited before government meetings and everyone saying “Merry Christmas” in December rather than the politically correct “Happy Holidays.”  I have also noticed religion’s influence in the schools.  The most notable example is when we went to a school and the entire school was going to Catholic mass for the morning.  Perhaps I should remind you that we work in public schools.  That was a real eye-opener for me.  I’ve also witnessed plenty of signs in the schools like the one above, signs you would expect to see in a Christian school.

    Given the pervasive nature of religion in Pohnpeian culture, I have come to the conclusion that Pohnpeians are more inclined to look toward religious institutions rather than government institutions to create order.  I believe this is the case for multiple reasons.  First, the current government isn’t “theirs.”  Yes the Federated States of Micronesia have an official Constitution and are a sovereign nation.  Their National Constitution details how there are three branches of the government, executive, legislative and judicial, with checks and balances throughout.  Each State has its own government while it is also part of the national government as well.  Does this sound familiar?  Without mixing words, the FSM essentially copied the United States Constitution.  Hey, it’s not a bad template, but again, it’s not “theirs.”  Something that is “theirs” is the traditional leadership, which still has an extremely large influence, arguably more so than the elected leaders.  The Nanwharki (nan-war-kee), i.e. the Chief of each municipality, along with the other respected leaders, have considerable power and represent a critical part of Pohnpeian culture.

    Christianity might not be “theirs” either – after all, the locals had their own religion(s) before the white man appeared.  This is true, but missionaries arrived more than 30 years before Spain claimed Pohnpei as a colony in the 1880s and overall, Christianity has been adopted as part of Pohnpeian culture.  As Pohnpei is a homogenous society I don’t see a particular problem with the amalgamation of religion and government.  In America, the melting pot of the world, what I see every day with the influence of religion in government and daily life here in Pohnpei would not be tolerated.  For now, witnessing this dynamic in Pohnpei is yet another cultural experience for me.

    I know I mentioned at the end of my last post I would discuss the largest obstacle to education reform in Pohnpei.  I decided though it’s nice to mix up my posts rather than just post every week about education.  So I’m going to hold you in suspense for another week. 

_     One of the first things I read about when researching Pohnpei was Nan Madol.  As I noted last week, Nan Madol is the site of an ancient kingdom.  The whole complex of Nan Madol is constructed of very large, heavy rocks.  Nobody knows how these rocks got there and how this immense rock city was constructed.  The first thing I thought of when I was reading about Nan Madol was how it is like the Stonehenge.  I then made the large leap to call it the “Stonehenge of the Pacific.”  While walking around Nan Madol last Saturday, I became more convinced that my title was fitting.  The whole complex is expansive and I only saw a small part of it as you can only navigate the channels within Nan Madol by kayak or paddleboard.  I also was shocked at how tall parts of the wall are – I measured one section at easily 25 feet using an old Boy Scout trick.  Calling some of these rocks immense is an understatement.  I have been told there are rocks over ten tons.  All of this brings us to one question: how in the world was this place constructed?

    No one has an exact date on when this city was inhabited, but the construction dates range from the 8th – 13th century, with inhabitation through the 15th century.  However, some carbon dating has shown the construction to have started as early as 200 BC.  What makes this even more interesting is that the rock used to build Nan Madol is found on the other side of the island.  The Pohnpeian myth is that the ruined city was built by magic.  After witnessing the landscape and size of Nan Madol, I can’t blame them for scoffing at the notion this complex was built simply by human strength and ingenuity. 

    Believing in magic and superstition is not uncommon in Pohnpeian culture.  While I’m not an expert on local beliefs, I have witnessed several individuals give warnings to heed local tradition.  We have been told not to camp on Ahnd (an outer island an hour away from Pohnpei) because it is the home to demons.  It was also interesting to be warned not to visit the river behind our house.  Apparently, there is an old Pohnpeian lady with white skin and wears a red lava lava (a local dress) who walks along the river at nighttime.  I suppose on an isolated island in the vast Pacific Ocean, it’s easy for myths to flourish. 

    As a history buff I’m a fan of learning and knowing as much as we can about the past, but there is something intriguing about the unknown.  There are those who will look at Nan Madol and come up with several theories based on science and reason on how this rock city was built.  There are others who will let their mind wander, believing structures such as the Stonehenge or Nan Madol must have been built by aliens or some mythic creature.  I don’t know where exactly I fall on this spectrum, but I love the debate.  The best part: no one will ever definitely know the answer to these mysteries.  In between all of the speculation though, I hope we never forget to cherish these beautiful pieces of history and marvel at what can be created when we harness the limitless potential of human (or perhaps alien?) ingenuity.

Next post: Education Update!

Click here for pictures from hiking up Mt. Kupwuriso (the second highest peak in Pohnpei) two weekends ago, all of the Manta Ray pictures, and the full collection of shots of Nan Madol!

     In the public eye, there is a clear distinction between non-profit organizations – faith-based or secular.  The former engage in proselytizing activities while the latter focus on providing basic human services or raising awareness for a cause.  Often however, the distinction is not so black and white.  MAHI International is one of the organizations that falls in the gray area.  Described as a “Christian-driven” organization, MAHI focuses on providing for the needs of the islanders, in areas such as healthcare, education and energy. 

    From a personal perspective, I believe sharing the Gospel is one of the most valuable services you can provide.  In the same breath, I believe it’s possible to live out the Gospel by helping others in different ways.  MAHI has done this by donating beds to a hospital, working to improve literacy in the schools, and installing solar panels on outer islands, just to name a few.  This reflects one of my favorite quotes from St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”

    This past Wednesday, the MAHI team assisted in the delivery of new dictionaries donated by the Rotary Club to all 8th graders on Pohnpei, visiting over 15 schools.  Many of the kids were absolutely stoked to receive their early Christmas present.  In one school, the teacher told all her students on Monday that they needed to have a dictionary by Friday.  We asked how many had purchased one yet – we saw no hands.  Shortly thereafter, the teacher said we were “sent from above!” 

    That wasn’t the first time I have heard such a comment.  Indeed, as a Christian-driven organization fulfilling secular needs, I always smile when I’m reminded that we are doing God’s work.  While it would be great to hand out Bibles, the majority of these students are reading three grades or more below grade level, as found by our student reading level assessments.  Mind you, that assessment was only testing if the student could read the words – comprehension wasn’t even a factor. 

    Distributing dictionaries won’t educate these students and send them to college, just like handing out Bibles won’t immediately lead to spiritual revival.  Both are only mere steps in a long journey.  I went to college in a campus that can fairly be defined as liberal, like most college campuses.  Every year the Gideons came to town and handed out free pocket Bibles.  I was always excited to receive a free Bible, but was disappointed to see other students take the Bible and throw them out, or openly ridicule the people distributing them.  While in theory handing out “the good Word” is never a bad thing, it was obvious that it was going to take a lot more than handing out a book to convert anyone that day.  Similarly, we have a lot more work on our hands to combat illiteracy on Pohnpei than just handing out dictionaries.  There is no silver-bullet solution, but these dictionaries are another tool in our arsenal.

    We are moving forward in our education program, working out logistics regarding our community night with all the schools, where we plan to present all our results and galvanize support for education among the parents and community leaders.  The Christmas spirit is in the air, which is weird for me given it's over 80 degrees every day!