Aborigines and Character Building

The Bible says some important things about people having or growing in ‘character.’ Ruth is called a woman of noble character. The book of Proverbs talks about a wife of noble character. Paul writes to the Corinthian believers about ‘bad company corrupting good character.’

Character is not something people possess. Character is something that is either forged or not forged in a person’s life. Paul wrote to the believers in Rome about the development or forging of character in a person’s life. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. (Romans 5:3-4 NLT)

For 5000 years the aborigines of Australia practiced a form of ‘initiation’ or ‘right of passage’ from childhood to manhood with their young men. When a boy entered into the early years of manhood, he was taught about weapons, hunting and power. As part of the initiation process the young man was required to make his own axe. For a man the axe was a multifaceted tool. It was used for protection, hunting, gathering and building. While making the axe he was taught about the uses and the dangers of the axe. He was also instructed in the uses and the dangers of power. When the time was right, the young man would finish his axe, go on a ‘walkabout,’ and when he returned it was expected that he would be responsible with his axe and with his ‘power.’

In the late 1800’s, as the colony of Australia was being developed, the government observed that some aborigines had the necessary axe and others did not. The lack of having an axe limited their capacity for work and for providing for themselves. The government decided that they should provide each man with an axe.

Anthropologist and sociologist look back at that moment as a significant point in the collapse of the aboriginal culture. Soon violence, rebellion and crime erupted among the aboriginal people in ways never seen before.

The problem? The axe was given without the time, attention and expectations built into the young men. They were given the tool without the necessary character being ‘forged’ in their lives. They now had a weapon but didn’t know how to control and correctly utilize the power behind the weapon.

Character is part of what God is doing in each of our lives. He is at work through the tough times and through the good times, building character in our lives. Privileges, independence and power without character lead to destruction. Are you letting Jesus forge character in your life?