One Incredibly Powerful Way To Show Love

Nana Amat’u was loved by her people. She was an amazing scholar, and whatever good thing she had, she wanted her people to have, too.  1 John 3:18 reminds us, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”  And Nana Amat’u understood that love is most powerful when we show it.

She was well-educated and made sure all the other women around her were, too. When she began teaching her people religious studies, she wanted to create opportunities for other women to do the same.

But soon there was a BIG problem.

Many of her people in rural areas couldn’t get religious education because colonizers were forcing many to worship the European ways.  Colonizers were whitewashing and destroying her culture.

In 1830, Nana Amat’u formed a group of women to go into rural areas and help the locals learn to read and practice their religion for themselves.  The “yan-taru,” as they were called, helped transform the lives of all they touched. 

Nana Amat’u was also a prolific writer whose works are still used in education and worship worldwide. Revisionists and appropriators are constantly attacking our culture, but love in action was Nana Amat’u’s defense. How do your actions reflect the love you have for our people?