The film ‘The Other Side of Heaven’ shows the story
of John, a Mormon missionary who when to the Kingdom of Tongan, in the Pacific,
to learn the language and built the
kingdom. As a missionary, John, who was fondly called Kollipoki by the
locals, did several actions worthy of examining. These actions will be
classified in three categories in this review; Acts he did that I will do, Acts
he did that I will not do, and Acts he did not do that I will do.
Mens sana in coprpore sano.
Kollipoki did care for the social aspect of the Catholics in Tongan. One
instance in the movie that showed this care is the scene with Tomasi. Kollipoki
cared for Tomasi, not just for his spiritual well being but also his bodily
health. Kollipoki let him had a haircut, took a bath, wore clean clothes and
avoided drinking alcohol, then fed him with word of God. This tells us that
spiritual well being involves the wellness of the body too. After all how can
one preach to persons incapable of receiving the message of Christ because of
physical and social impediments?
Waiting for the
mails.
Kollipoki often waited for the mails to arrive in the island, mails from his
girlfriend whom he had left behind in the mainland. By waiting, Kollipoki
failed to be in proper disposition to do mission, sometimes. His heart was
divided between love for the people of Tongan and his love for his GF. How
could his mission been better, should Kollipoki gave his full attention to the
people, after all doing mission is about giving one’s attention to the people;
being there, listening, counseling, preaching, caring, etc. It is a ministry of
presence.
Dialogue with
the other religious leader. Together with Kollipoki in the island
of Tongan is another religious leader of
different sect. They barely spoke with one another. They had several encounter,
but such were characterized by hostility and
antagonism with one another. They did talk with one another, but it was
at the religious leader’s dying hours. They did so, I believe, out of necessity
and dictates of conscience, but to understand one another’s differences, I do
not think so. How could their missionary works in Tongan, in building the
Kingdom of God in that corner of the world been better, should they had strove
to understand one another. It could have deliver the message of unity to the
people of Tongan, to work together and live peaceful in the midst of
differences and uniqueness of one another.
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