The conference began with a welcome dinner were our Hawaiian brothers and sisters shared the update of all that the Lord is doing in their islands. This began with welcome to the islands from none other than the Chairperson for the Department of Hawaiian Affairs, Collette Muchado. The department of Hawaiian Affairs is the entity officially recognized by the state government as representing the interests of the native Hawaiians. The chairperson is the elected official who heads that department. This was not just a formal execution of protocol, but a passionate heart cry inviting the spirit of Christ to bring transformation to her people. After this welcome Colette Muchado's niece, Tracy Ah Mook Sang, preformed a beautiful hula to a psalm of worship and prayer composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani the last queen of Hawaii.
Ed Silvoso, Colette Muchado and Tracy Ah Mook Sang
To understand the significance of this, you need to know some of the history of the Hawaiian islands. When the gospel first came to Hawaii it made a powerful impact. At one point 96% of the islanders were believers, including Queen Lili'uokalani and many of the royal family. Then a group of Americans and Europeans with the aid of the American government deposed the queen, overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom and sought annexation by the United States. Unfortunately many Christians supported the coup. Queen Lili'uokalani was even betrayed by her own pastor, a grandson of the original missionaries to the islands. He participated in the coup and helped put her under house arrest. Following this the white church leadership demonized the Hawaiian culture, forbidding their native dress, music and dance in the church. These offenses precipitated a mass exodus from the church by the native believers. The song preformed was one that the Queen wrote while she was under house arrest-it was her prayer forgiving her captors and pleading with God that her people would not mistake God for the white man.
Colette Muchado Honors Ed Silvoso with a Gift of the Hawaiian Flag
When Colette Muchado welcomed us, her niece danced and then Ed Silvoso explained the history so we could put it all in context, there was a tangible sense that we had entered into the presence of the Lord. I doubt there was a dry eye in the room.
This was significant not just because reconciliation took place but because something even deeper was happening. We have on many occasions facilitated prophetic acts of reconciliation and repentance to address historical acts of iniquity that are the root of pain and division we encounter in our society and church today. However, if all we do is repent and become reconciled, we have still fallen short. Once we are reconciled that is just the beginning, then we need to go back to where the breech was and do what we should have done in the first place, that is work together as brother and sisters in the Lord, on the solid foundation of the gospel to see the lost saved and our cities and nations transformed.
Ed Silvoso, Colette Muchado and Chief Jay Swallow
This is what the welcome from Colette Muchado meant: it came from the place of a relationship, from a heart transformed by the love of Jesus. It was an invitation to Jesus to heal what only he can heal and it was an out-stretched hand inviting us as her brothers and sisters to walk together with Jesus, working for the transformation her islands! WOW! What a historic moment. What a way to begin the conference, and it gets even better!
