Hu Waru
(Love Your Enemies)
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44
The Basic Bible Truth
Jesus taught the people many lessons that were hard to accept. To love enemies flies in the face of our human nature. We would much rather seek revenge. We see Jesus called the Redeemer in the New Testament. To the Hebrew, that word is better known as kinsman-redeemer. According to the Old Testament Law, if you were harmed, it was the responsibility of your kinsman-redeemer to seek out and administer justice. If Jesus is our Redeemer, then He holds the responsibility of disciplining our enemies; we can afford to love them knowing He will handle punishment eventually.
The Object
A Visual Story Titled Hu Waru
Placards Of Each Name Used In The Story
(Love Your Enemies)
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44
The Basic Bible Truth
Jesus taught the people many lessons that were hard to accept. To love enemies flies in the face of our human nature. We would much rather seek revenge. We see Jesus called the Redeemer in the New Testament. To the Hebrew, that word is better known as kinsman-redeemer. According to the Old Testament Law, if you were harmed, it was the responsibility of your kinsman-redeemer to seek out and administer justice. If Jesus is our Redeemer, then He holds the responsibility of disciplining our enemies; we can afford to love them knowing He will handle punishment eventually.
The Object
A Visual Story Titled Hu Waru
Placards Of Each Name Used In The Story
This is a fun little story that is a never-ending play on words. The visuals help the audience see the puns being used. I have a large “map” of Hu Waru that I place in the center and then place the placards around it as the names and titles are used.
The Lesson
Hu Waru
Once upon a time, far, far, away, in the furthermost reaches of the South Pacific, a very small chain of islands rose from the sea. Their beauty lay undisturbed by the civilization of modern man for many years. Quite by accident, early explorers happened upon these pearls of the Pacific. And their maps from those days until now reflect the discovery of an island chain known as Hu Waru. A close examination of their maps reveals the fact that this tiny string of islands is actually composed of three tracts of paradise rising from the surrounding balmy ocean waters.
On the east, we find the isle of Naym, so-called for the famed Dutch explorer of the 16th century, Gwatno Naym. To the west lies the much smaller gem, Watz, named of course after Sir Ampsund Watz of the Royal British Navy, a valiant hero and servant of Her Majesty the Queen of England. Between these two wonderful emeralds of the Pacific lies the much larger and grandest of all, the island nation of Yoore. Legend has it that the first visitor to this tropical dream land was none other than the Viking Crusader Yoore Seally. Although there is no tangible proof of him ever actually having been there, the legend was enough to justify naming the island after him.
Hu Waru received its name from the island natives’ traditional greeting to newcomers. As visitors would arrive on the beaches, the island’s inhabitants would invariably come running out to greet them and would enthusiastically say, “Hu Waru, Hu Waru.”
History records that a fabled, fantastical, almost mythological, creature at one time inhabited the island of Watz. Documents salvaged from the recently discovered 15th century shipwreck, the Juslu Kin, tell of the early explorers encounters with the beast. Known only to inhabit this island, the descriptions recorded are all eerily similar. Imagine if you will, a creature with the body of a camel, the ears and trunk of an elephant, the legs, hooves, and horns of an antelope, the bill and wings of a pelican, and the beautiful yellow plumage of a canary. Today we commonly refer to this mysterious, magnificent animal as a camelephantelopelicanary. But many years ago, before our science stepped into the picture, the natives had their own name for this amazing creature. The iridescent yellow feathers were absolutely stunning to look at. In the language of Hu Waru, the word for “yellow” is “dat”. And everyone who saw the creature, and lived to tell about it, invariably described its eyes. Steely, dark, and piercing, they seemed to look right through you. The word for “eyes” in Hu Waruvian, is “luka”. All of the ancient texts of Hu Waru refer to this creature as “Luka Dat”. Sightings of the camelephantelopelicanary are very rare now. But when the residents of Hu Waru observe one of these shy animals, they will excited point and say “Luka Dat, Luka Dat!” In recent years, because it is only seen on the island of Watz, it is sometimes referred to as the “Watz Dat”.
Due to their diminutive size, the islands of Watz, Yoore, and Naym would have faded into obscurity were it not for one very notable resident: the king of Yoore—Yuno Mi.
Yuno Mi was determined that this island nation should be remembered for all time. And that the island of Yoore should be considered with respect above his two neighbors. The king spent many days considering how to accomplish this feat. After much thought, he brought an idea to his people. The decree went out to all of island’s inhabitants: they were to gather together the very next day!
Early that next morning, while the sun was glistening on the ocean waves, Yuno Mi addressed the curious crowd of onlookers who had gathered for the most auspicious occasion. With confidence and resolve, the king proudly proclaimed that what Yoore needed was something great. Something big! Something magnificent! Something monstrous! The crowd gasped at the mention of the idea. Such a thing had never been done before! But they did agree that it would be wonderful to be the most notable island in Hu Waru.
So at the king’s command, and the full support of the people, the tiny island nation assembled the brightest and most intelligent scientists. Charged with this most ambitious venture: they were to design and erect the greatest, the grandest, the most magnificent “National Monstrosity” ever built. The National Monstrosity Engineers began planning the most monstrous project ever attempted in the nation of Yoore, much less the whole island chain of Hu Waru.
The “Monstrosity”, as it soon came to be known, was the obsession of the entire nation, and especially to the “National Monstrosity Engineers”. But the engineers took their charge from the king a bit too seriously. The total concentration of the nation was upon the “Monstrosity”. This elevated the scientists to a level of power and influence, and in their yearning for success, they fell prey to an all too common human frailty. They became demanding and oppressive, exacting huge requirements upon the people of Yoore. But Yuno Mi’s decree to build the “Monstrosity” prevailed and dominated the attention of the nation.
As days turned into weeks, the “National Monstrosity Engineers” only became more demanding, and began using their position of influence to secure their own personal goals. Falling even further, they would often taunt the residents of Yoore. These attacks served no real purpose except to make them feel superior to the “common people”. Their behavior degraded to the point that they would mercilessly ridicule the people who did not know the various mathematical formulas, especially those used to determine volume. You see, the “Monstrosity” was a very substantial project, requiring the use of many of those formulas. And few of the people had any education in that area.
Tension continued to grow as the “Monstrosity” began to take shape. The nation began to divide. The horrible attitudes of the “National Monstrosity Engineers” only caused more dissention among the people. What was most irritating of all, was their constant chiding and taunting about mathematics. Even the king began to notice the declining spirits of his people.
Things continued to get worse. Now the “National Monstrosity Engineers”, also known as N.M.E.’s, went even a step farther in their quest for dominance. Most of the materials for the “Monstrosity” came from a mine located on the island of Watz. Delivery was delayed often by the tensions among the people, and in desperation, the N.M.E.’s took things into their own hands. Much to the horror of the people of Yoore, they commandeered the mine on Watz, taking complete control of the facility. In the middle of the night, a large group forced their way into the mine and said, “We want this mine and it will be ours!” Well you can just imagine the headline in the newspaper the following morning decrying the atrocity. “Watz Mine Is Yoore’s”.
The N.M.E.’s continued to terrorize the land, all in the name of the “Monstrosity”. But a bright spot appeared in the scenario. A brilliant mathematician, named Mr. P. Smayker, proposed a most daring idea. Mr. P. Smayker knew how the N.M.E.’s berated the natives of Yoore, usually involving formulas for determining the volume of common geometric shapes. Taking his proposal to the common people, he was not well accepted at first. But with tact and assurance he began to sway public opinion. “We need to be kind to our N.M.E.’s”, he said. “We need to show them that we truly care about them and treat them with consideration, even if they treat us badly. Let’s embark upon a national campaign to teach our citizens all of the mathematical formulas for determining volume. And let’s bring our N.M.E.’s cookies and milk.”
Some gasped. Some frowned. But soon all agreed it was worth a try. Soon the process began, with a most catchy advertising campaign: “Let’s Understand Volume.” It was everywhere! On billboards, signs, television, even t-shirts: all emblazoned with the “Let’s Understand Volume” logo. Formulas were posted on light posts and street corners—everywhere you looked—formulas! Formulas for determining the volume of a cube, or a sphere, or a cone were found everywhere. And the islanders learned them well. Very well. And they milked their cows and baked cookies.
Now, when the N.M.E.’s ridiculed the islanders, the natives would simply and respectfully recite the appropriate formula, and offer each of them milk and cookies. The “Let’s Understand Volume”, or the L.U.V. program, brought looks of astonishment and surprise to the N.M.E.’s. Their condemning disposition changed from disdain to wonder. The tension that had so long plagued this national endeavor began to quickly evaporate. The L.U.V. program worked incredibly well, and Mr. P. Smayker was hailed as a national hero.
The people of Yoore eventually finished their “Monstrosity”, drawn together by their mutual respect and admiration of one another. Was it notable? Well, I am telling you about it today. What is more noteworthy, though, is the fundamental truth about human character that was displayed in Hu Waru. It can be summed up quite simply in the phrase, “It is always best to L.U.V. Yoore N.M.E.s”
So the next time someone comes up to you and says “Hu Waru”, remember the story of Yuno Mi and the great “National Monstrosity” of Yoore, there in the islands of Hu Waru
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Lesson
Hu Waru
Once upon a time, far, far, away, in the furthermost reaches of the South Pacific, a very small chain of islands rose from the sea. Their beauty lay undisturbed by the civilization of modern man for many years. Quite by accident, early explorers happened upon these pearls of the Pacific. And their maps from those days until now reflect the discovery of an island chain known as Hu Waru. A close examination of their maps reveals the fact that this tiny string of islands is actually composed of three tracts of paradise rising from the surrounding balmy ocean waters.
On the east, we find the isle of Naym, so-called for the famed Dutch explorer of the 16th century, Gwatno Naym. To the west lies the much smaller gem, Watz, named of course after Sir Ampsund Watz of the Royal British Navy, a valiant hero and servant of Her Majesty the Queen of England. Between these two wonderful emeralds of the Pacific lies the much larger and grandest of all, the island nation of Yoore. Legend has it that the first visitor to this tropical dream land was none other than the Viking Crusader Yoore Seally. Although there is no tangible proof of him ever actually having been there, the legend was enough to justify naming the island after him.
Hu Waru received its name from the island natives’ traditional greeting to newcomers. As visitors would arrive on the beaches, the island’s inhabitants would invariably come running out to greet them and would enthusiastically say, “Hu Waru, Hu Waru.”
History records that a fabled, fantastical, almost mythological, creature at one time inhabited the island of Watz. Documents salvaged from the recently discovered 15th century shipwreck, the Juslu Kin, tell of the early explorers encounters with the beast. Known only to inhabit this island, the descriptions recorded are all eerily similar. Imagine if you will, a creature with the body of a camel, the ears and trunk of an elephant, the legs, hooves, and horns of an antelope, the bill and wings of a pelican, and the beautiful yellow plumage of a canary. Today we commonly refer to this mysterious, magnificent animal as a camelephantelopelicanary. But many years ago, before our science stepped into the picture, the natives had their own name for this amazing creature. The iridescent yellow feathers were absolutely stunning to look at. In the language of Hu Waru, the word for “yellow” is “dat”. And everyone who saw the creature, and lived to tell about it, invariably described its eyes. Steely, dark, and piercing, they seemed to look right through you. The word for “eyes” in Hu Waruvian, is “luka”. All of the ancient texts of Hu Waru refer to this creature as “Luka Dat”. Sightings of the camelephantelopelicanary are very rare now. But when the residents of Hu Waru observe one of these shy animals, they will excited point and say “Luka Dat, Luka Dat!” In recent years, because it is only seen on the island of Watz, it is sometimes referred to as the “Watz Dat”.
Due to their diminutive size, the islands of Watz, Yoore, and Naym would have faded into obscurity were it not for one very notable resident: the king of Yoore—Yuno Mi.
Yuno Mi was determined that this island nation should be remembered for all time. And that the island of Yoore should be considered with respect above his two neighbors. The king spent many days considering how to accomplish this feat. After much thought, he brought an idea to his people. The decree went out to all of island’s inhabitants: they were to gather together the very next day!
Early that next morning, while the sun was glistening on the ocean waves, Yuno Mi addressed the curious crowd of onlookers who had gathered for the most auspicious occasion. With confidence and resolve, the king proudly proclaimed that what Yoore needed was something great. Something big! Something magnificent! Something monstrous! The crowd gasped at the mention of the idea. Such a thing had never been done before! But they did agree that it would be wonderful to be the most notable island in Hu Waru.
So at the king’s command, and the full support of the people, the tiny island nation assembled the brightest and most intelligent scientists. Charged with this most ambitious venture: they were to design and erect the greatest, the grandest, the most magnificent “National Monstrosity” ever built. The National Monstrosity Engineers began planning the most monstrous project ever attempted in the nation of Yoore, much less the whole island chain of Hu Waru.
The “Monstrosity”, as it soon came to be known, was the obsession of the entire nation, and especially to the “National Monstrosity Engineers”. But the engineers took their charge from the king a bit too seriously. The total concentration of the nation was upon the “Monstrosity”. This elevated the scientists to a level of power and influence, and in their yearning for success, they fell prey to an all too common human frailty. They became demanding and oppressive, exacting huge requirements upon the people of Yoore. But Yuno Mi’s decree to build the “Monstrosity” prevailed and dominated the attention of the nation.
As days turned into weeks, the “National Monstrosity Engineers” only became more demanding, and began using their position of influence to secure their own personal goals. Falling even further, they would often taunt the residents of Yoore. These attacks served no real purpose except to make them feel superior to the “common people”. Their behavior degraded to the point that they would mercilessly ridicule the people who did not know the various mathematical formulas, especially those used to determine volume. You see, the “Monstrosity” was a very substantial project, requiring the use of many of those formulas. And few of the people had any education in that area.
Tension continued to grow as the “Monstrosity” began to take shape. The nation began to divide. The horrible attitudes of the “National Monstrosity Engineers” only caused more dissention among the people. What was most irritating of all, was their constant chiding and taunting about mathematics. Even the king began to notice the declining spirits of his people.
Things continued to get worse. Now the “National Monstrosity Engineers”, also known as N.M.E.’s, went even a step farther in their quest for dominance. Most of the materials for the “Monstrosity” came from a mine located on the island of Watz. Delivery was delayed often by the tensions among the people, and in desperation, the N.M.E.’s took things into their own hands. Much to the horror of the people of Yoore, they commandeered the mine on Watz, taking complete control of the facility. In the middle of the night, a large group forced their way into the mine and said, “We want this mine and it will be ours!” Well you can just imagine the headline in the newspaper the following morning decrying the atrocity. “Watz Mine Is Yoore’s”.
The N.M.E.’s continued to terrorize the land, all in the name of the “Monstrosity”. But a bright spot appeared in the scenario. A brilliant mathematician, named Mr. P. Smayker, proposed a most daring idea. Mr. P. Smayker knew how the N.M.E.’s berated the natives of Yoore, usually involving formulas for determining the volume of common geometric shapes. Taking his proposal to the common people, he was not well accepted at first. But with tact and assurance he began to sway public opinion. “We need to be kind to our N.M.E.’s”, he said. “We need to show them that we truly care about them and treat them with consideration, even if they treat us badly. Let’s embark upon a national campaign to teach our citizens all of the mathematical formulas for determining volume. And let’s bring our N.M.E.’s cookies and milk.”
Some gasped. Some frowned. But soon all agreed it was worth a try. Soon the process began, with a most catchy advertising campaign: “Let’s Understand Volume.” It was everywhere! On billboards, signs, television, even t-shirts: all emblazoned with the “Let’s Understand Volume” logo. Formulas were posted on light posts and street corners—everywhere you looked—formulas! Formulas for determining the volume of a cube, or a sphere, or a cone were found everywhere. And the islanders learned them well. Very well. And they milked their cows and baked cookies.
Now, when the N.M.E.’s ridiculed the islanders, the natives would simply and respectfully recite the appropriate formula, and offer each of them milk and cookies. The “Let’s Understand Volume”, or the L.U.V. program, brought looks of astonishment and surprise to the N.M.E.’s. Their condemning disposition changed from disdain to wonder. The tension that had so long plagued this national endeavor began to quickly evaporate. The L.U.V. program worked incredibly well, and Mr. P. Smayker was hailed as a national hero.
The people of Yoore eventually finished their “Monstrosity”, drawn together by their mutual respect and admiration of one another. Was it notable? Well, I am telling you about it today. What is more noteworthy, though, is the fundamental truth about human character that was displayed in Hu Waru. It can be summed up quite simply in the phrase, “It is always best to L.U.V. Yoore N.M.E.s”
So the next time someone comes up to you and says “Hu Waru”, remember the story of Yuno Mi and the great “National Monstrosity” of Yoore, there in the islands of Hu Waru
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.