July 14, 2003
Paradise lost and found
Maui, Hawaii, felt and looked like paradise the moment we stepped off the plane. We were surrounded by palm trees and warmed by gentle trade winds. A hundred yards from our hotel in Lahaina the sea rolled onto a carpet of white sand. Alisa and I spent a week on the island in April 2002 to celebrate 10 years of marriage. Everything was blissful the first day until we looked around and realized that all is not well in paradise. Maui is a melting pot of spirituality.
Most stores in this old whaling town sold carved, wooden images of Polynesian gods. One hotel had a giant statue of Buddha parked in the lobby. As we drove the scenic Road to Hana a narrow, winding highway through tropical rain forest we noticed a Mary shrine built into a rock wall. Our destination was the Seven Sacred Pools. We encountered New Age and Old Age. But we kept our focus on Messiah Yeshua.
Before we left Seattle, the Lord told me He had a surprise for me on the island. One day as we walked the streets of Lahaina, my wife took my arm and pulled me into an art gallery. I protested, "I dont want to go in there," but ten years of marriage has taught me to listen to my wife. As I rounded a corner in the store, I froze when I spotted the Ten Commandments written in Hebrew on two clear acrylic tablets, flanked on each side by brass Shabbat candle holders. The artwork, displayed in a glass case, took my breath away. Today it sits on our piano at home. It was so amazing. Here we were surrounded by every idol under the sun, and Yeshua led me to this treasure His Word hidden away in an art store. The natural beauty of Maui is breathtaking, but it is no different spiritually than any other place God gives man the choice to walk in darkness or light.
Addendum One side note about our drive to Hana: As we navigated the many hairpin turns and one-lane bridges, we'd occasionally see a building with the sign, "Dengue information." We thought to ourselves, "What's up with that dang infomation? Can't those Hawaiians spell?" We learned later there was a Dengue Fever alert on the island. Dang! Here we were driving through an insect-infested jungle in a convertible Mustang, wearing short sleeves and shorts. We must have looked like fresh meat to the mosquitos. We escaped unscathed, probably because our white skin blinded any bug looking for a free lunch. On our flight home, Alisa had fun scribbling in a journal she dubbed the "Dang Report," chronicling all our zany encounters.
