My roots

It's been a hectic weekend. On Friday, we buried my nephew. The funeral was really moving. To see the outpouring of love and support was to see the hand of God at work. There were so many people at Thursday family service that it was standing room only. And on Friday, it was packed for a midday funeral on a workday. It became a mini reunion as so many of our friends came from around the state and some from as far away as Samoa. We were all there to help comfort the parents and the family. And to some extent, we were there to comfort each other.
We practiced the unity in spirit and body that Paul spoke about. When one member of the body hurts, we all hurt together. We all grieve together.

It was a unique experience because my brother is married to a palagi lady. Her family were all there. And for many of them, this was their first taste of Samoan culture. And they were really moved and touched. First off was the singing. The choir sang and they really were moved by the voices. Different experience for them. Then they saw how we were like a big family. Most of us were not related by blood, but came out because a fellow Samoan needed help. They were amazed at the cultural presentations and gifts that were exchanged during the funeral and really like the way we came together as a village.

I was proud to be a Samoan that day. Not a boastful, xenophobic pride. But I was thankful to God that I was born into a culture that treasures family and comes together in times of need. The fa'aSamoa gets a bad rap sometimes, often due to misunderstanding the culture or the bastardization of the culture. But at the core of fa'aSamoa is reciprocal living, where we live for each other. When one family is in need, all the other families pitch in. We share our burdens. In many ways, we epitomize the Christian ethos of helping one another, all being part of the same body. The fa'aSamoa and Christianity go hand in hand. I saw it on display, again, on Friday.