On Sunday I received an SMS from West Papua. It read “The days are coming declares the Lord when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and will do what is just and right in the land.”
This text is from the Hebrew Bible and it speaks out of the experience of an ancient people living in exile who longed for justice and peace in their homeland.
The SMS was accompanied with the words “Selamat memasuki Adven” or “welcome to the entering of Advent”.
Advent is the period we celebrate before Christmas and it marks a time of waiting and expectation as the “Prince of Peace” is born among us.
My friend, the Rev Herman Awom (pictured), sent me this SMS. Herman is a minister with the Evangelical Christian Church in the Land of Papua. He is a passionate man committed to justice and peace for his people. Herman has been instrumental in setting up a clinic on his home island of Numfor to care for his people and supportive of livelihood initiatives of the Relief and Development Unit of UnitingWorld. He has spoken out, often at risk, to raise concerns about human rights abuses in West Papua and he has been an active mediator in the community to ensure peaceful outcomes to very tense and often explosive issues.
Thursday December 1st will be a critical day in West Papua as many Papuans gather to mark the first declaration of independence some 50 years ago in 1961. People are anxious about the future while Indonesian security forces are ready to act. History indicates their responses could be violent and brutal.
My friend, Herman Awom, is deeply committed to a peaceful resolution to the emerging crisis. Justice and peace will come at a cost. Hermon knows this.
What can you do?
1. Pray and Advocate
Pray for our sisters and brothers in West Papua this week as they, like the ancient people of Israel, cry of for justice and peace. Remember our friends in 
West Papua as they wait with hope and with expectation for their true liberation. For a resource for prayer and advocacy Click Here
2. Give West Papua related Christmas Gifts
The West Papua Livelihood project is featured in this years Everything in Common Gift catalogue. Use these gifts this year to share the story of West Papua and work to provide one part of the solution to deeply entrenched poverty.
I feel deeply about the issue confronting the indigenous people of Papua, who have had their sovereignty ‘stolen’ from them. We should look at the Island of New Guinea as one, where all Pacific Melanesians can adopt freedom and religion of their own choice. These people are passionate believers of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I am thinking about moving my base from Bali, to be amongst them because they should know there are others concerned about their cause.
I came to Australia in 1949, at a time when only the Missions were concerned about the indigenous peoples welfare. Glaucoma and Leperacy was a scourge in the North West.If there is room for me to do anything, I would graciously accept. God bless a beautiful branch of the vine.