Islands of “Paradise” in the Pacific

SWAYING coconut palms, sandy beaches, blue-green waters, fruitful fields, calm moonlit evenings​—does that sound like paradise? Here in Micronesia, in the western Pacific, we have all of this and more. In this troubled 20th century, many persons would like to “get away from it all” and live somewhere peaceful and beautiful. Might an island in the Pacific be the ideal refuge?

Micronesia is made up of 2,000 islands​—97 of which are inhabited—​scattered over three million square miles (7,770,000 km²) of ocean. From the air, they resemble broken pieces of an exquisite emerald necklace on the blue velvet of the Pacific Ocean. Each district has its own special beauty, from the magnificent sunsets of Guam and Belau to the coconut groves and sun-drenched white beaches of Kiribati; from the emerald mountains and lush waterfalls of Ponape to the bejeweled waters of the Truk lagoon.

Is it your dream to live in a paradise? Then come with us and visit some of these beautiful regions. Perhaps you can choose which version of “paradise” you prefer!

Belau and Yap

Let’s begin with what some consider the most beautiful: the district of Belau (formerly, Palau), the westernmost of the Caroline Islands.

As you approach by plane, your first view from the air is almost unbelievably beautiful. Gigantic jade-colored mushrooms seem to spring up from the aquamarine and sapphire waters​—waters so clear that you can see right to the bottom, even in depths of 30 or 40 feet (9 or 12 m). When you land, you find that the island lives up to the promise of that first view. Foliage is lush. There are heavily wooded rolling hills. The soil is fertile, giving rich crops of breadfruit, oranges, sugarcane and other tropical produce. Mangrove trees grow in the shallow coastal waters, providing shelter for an abundance of marine life. And here, as in most of the Micronesian islands, you will notice the SILENCE.

But we aren’t going to linger here. Let’s move on to Yap​—another unusual type of “paradise,” a land of coconut groves and quiet beauty. There are no paved roads here. The pace is slow and the soil is rich.

What makes Yap unique is its money​—the famous large stone disks. In some places, the streets are literally lined with money! Today, stone money is not used for trade, but it is still considered to have cultural value. This value is determined less by the money’s size than by its age and history. There are a number of village-owned “money banks” having huge stone disks with holes in the center lined up along the road to the “bank,” and leaning up against the sides of the buildings.

The bright-eyed children in Yap are very appealing, as they are in all of Micronesia. And they have most interesting names: Radio, Love Me, Nothing, Careless, Twinkle, and even Adolf Hitler. Some are named after visiting celebrities, nicknames and all!

You want to stay here? Well, let’s complete our tour before you finally decide.

Truk, Ponape and Kiribati

To save time, we will spend only a few minutes over the magnificent Truk lagoon. More than 30 miles (48 km) in diameter, this lagoon is large enough to hold all the islands of Micronesia. Its azure waters provide a special kind of paradise for diving enthusiasts. Here is a historic underwater cemetery, where fantastic forms of marine life have made their homes among the sunken warships of World War II.

But now, on to Ponape, in the east Caroline Islands. Ponape abounds with cascading waterfalls of great beauty and boasts the highest peak in the Carolines​—over 2,500 feet (760 m). It is a land of heavy rainfall and dense upland forests. But these are rarely visited, as Ponapeans prefer living beside the coastal coves and bays.

The people are rather shy and speak a soft language. Their “Casalelia” (“Welcome”) is one of the loveliest greetings of Micronesia. By the way, Ponapeans greatly admire a large-hipped woman; so if you feel you are rather “hefty,” this may be the island “paradise” for you!

Off the coast of Ponape is an intriguing archaeological treasure, the deserted city of Nan Matol. Called the “Venice of the Pacific,” this city was built of colossal blocks of basalt on more than 100 islets in a swampy lagoon. No one today knows how or when the city was built.

Far to the southeast of the Micronesian chain are the picturesque Gilbert Islands (Kiribati), with the main atoll of Tarawa. Here we can see what most people would consider to be true Pacific island homes: quaint thatched roofs on houses made from coconut trunks and fronds, bound together with twine from the coconut husks.

The people are unusually warm and hospitable. Abundant coconuts and breadfruit make up their staple crops, supplemented by a large quantity of seafood. A feeling of tranquillity descends on you as soon as you land on Tarawa. The unhurried pace of the people is contagious, and a visitor may really begin to feel that he has succeeded in ‘getting away from it all.’

Here there is public bus transportation, lacking on almost all the other islands of Micronesia. This is a boon, as distances are great on this long, narrow atoll. But don’t try to catch a bus on time. Buses do not run on a schedule​—remember, we are in the tropics.

The palm-fringed lagoon mirrors the true Micronesian colors of azure blue and green by day, while at night the moon and the stars seem near enough to touch. The soft lapping of the sea on both sides of the atoll and the gentle trade winds can easily lull you to sleep. Even though Tarawa is on the equator, the trade winds keep the air pleasantly cool, at least for some months of the year.

Have you decided yet which of these exotic areas you want to escape to? Before you make a final decision, there is something else that you should know.

Problems in “Paradise”

WE FEEL you should know that, although the islands have a paradisaic appearance, there are problems. For example, do you like insects? We hope so, because there are plenty here​—mosquitoes, flies and also ants, especially the little red stinging ants.

Another problem is that sometimes, instead of blue skies, we have typhoons. These are common throughout the western Pacific islands. In recent years, devastating typhoons have wrought tremendous destruction in the Marianas. Many of the homes here are made of wood with corrugated-metal roofs that collapse in typhoon winds​—winds so strong that small splinters are driven through large trees. Happily, people are now turning to concrete structures for their homes.

By the way, there is at least one active volcano, Mount Pajaros. And don’t forget the earthquakes. Yes, we have those too. Fortunately, most are not too severe, but the occasional one shakes things up a lot. In 1902 an earthquake destroyed most of the concrete buildings in the main town of Agana, Guam, and raised the entire island two feet.

Well, you can sleep under a mosquito net, avoid the ants, take precautions against typhoons and act sensibly during a volcanic eruption or an earthquake. You may have greater difficulty with the tropical fungus, however. In the warm humidity, clothes and shoes can mildew overnight. But there are other problems harder to deal with.

Pollution in “Paradise”

While the air in Micronesia is still magnificently pure, often those blue-green waters are not. Sewage disposal is still undeveloped, and in many districts the wastes are left for the tides to wash out to sea. As a result, local inhabitants who eat the fish from the reef are plagued with parasites, dysentery, diarrhea and stomach problems. Sicknesses can also result when drinking the water that comes, not from crystal-clear waterfalls, but​—as often happens—​from rainwater collected as it runs off the roof. And most places do not have a corner drugstore to run to for medicine to cure these sicknesses.

The 20th century has also contributed noise pollution in some areas, shattering that beautiful silence. On one island, about 12 miles (19 km) in circumference, disco music blares day and night from pickup trucks. Young people pile into the backs of these trucks, especially on those beautiful tropical moonlit evenings, and sing along to a disco beat as they drive up and down the island until daybreak. On almost all the islands, disco music is now heard in small restaurants, and in the hotels, especially on weekends, into the wee hours of the morning.

In some cases, even the physical beauty is being marred by strip-mining. Nauru and its neighbor, Ocean Island (now called Banaba), as well as Anguar, Belau, have been exploited and despoiled by phosphate strip-mining. Banaba was so exploited that the people rose up in protest, and a scandal was revealed that reverberated all the way to the British House of Commons.

Mining is still going on full scale in Nauru, although it is felt that the phosphate rock will be largely gone by the end of the century. Meanwhile, if nothing is done about it, Nauru is in danger of becoming an ugly, barren waste.

Unhappiness in “Paradise”

However, phosphate-mining at least brings income to Nauru. What about districts with no phosphate to mine, and no other source of income? Sadly, poverty is all too well known. Often, the diet is limited. There is little industrial development, and the people depend on the sea for sustenance.

Spiritism is rampant on all the islands of Micronesia. Some tourists may be fascinated by the “spirit houses” where spirits are supposed to live, but such beliefs mar the enjoyment of life of those who hold to them. The spirits are feared, and are thought to cause illness and death if not appeased. Magic is practiced, and love and hate charms are still used.

Drunkenness is another problem, especially among the unemployed. This is often accompanied by family abuse and crime. And, surprisingly, there are many suicides. Recently, on one small island with a population of only 3,000, there were eight suicides among teenagers in just three months. Obviously, it takes more than living on a beautiful island to make a person truly happy.

Finally, man’s age-old enemies sickness and death are as devastating here as they are in other parts of the world. They add to the unhappiness and grief that detract from what, in many respects, is physically a paradise.

Fear in “Paradise”

Events in the outside world make many here feel insecure. Micronesians have been subjects of four great world powers, and the coming of each has led to oppression. Some of the bitterest fighting of the last World War took place here, and these lovely islands still have battle scars. Rusted hulks of partially sunken ships, partial skeletons of downed aircraft, moldering antiaircraft guns, vine-covered artillery barrels protruding from musty caves, huge potholes in the landscape and roads​—all of these bear silent testimony to the horrors that the islands witnessed a few decades ago.

After the war, a politician of the Truk district, where one of the heaviest and bloodiest naval battles was fought, pleaded: “If the United States ever decides to fight another war, please do not have them fight it in Truk!” This man had seen the one road around his island stained red from those killed in bombing raids, and tides ran red with human blood. Two years after the battle, oil from the sunken ships still washed onto the shorelines.

Does anyone listen to such pleas? Seemingly not. On the Kwajalein atoll, in the Marshalls, stands a missile site, to counter the presence of Russian submarines rumored to be seen nearby and warships that would like to spy on American military installations. Because Guam is strategically located in the Pacific, it is surrounded and guarded by the United States military forces.

In 1946, the horrifying reality of the nuclear age burst into the consciousness of the gentle inhabitants of Micronesia when the United States conducted atomic bomb tests on the island of Bikini, which is part of the Marshall chain. Because of radiation hazards, the island is still off limits to the Bikinians, and may be for many years to come. In other parts of the Pacific, Britain and France have also used beautiful islands to test their nuclear weapons.

Alarm and concern developed recently over a new proposal. Japan suggested storing chemical and nuclear wastes in barrel containers in the Pacific Ocean, near Guam. So far, however, such plans have been postponed because of the opposition of the government of Guam.

Now, please do not misunderstand us. These islands are truly beautiful, and you would doubtless enjoy visiting them. The sun still rises over the blue ocean and sets behind palm trees swaying to the gentle rhythm of the trade winds. The wooded hills, the leaping waterfalls and the sandy beaches are still there. But it is not completely paradise. Problems, many of them man-made, prevent that.

Does this mean there is no hope of living in a real paradise​—where nature is beautiful and man does nothing to spoil it, where people all show genuine concern for one another and where life is truly satisfying?

[Pictures on page 6]

STINGING ANTS

TYPHOONS

VOLCANOES

[Pictures on page 7]

NOISE AT NIGHT

RAVAGED LAND

SPIRITISM

[Pictures on page 8]

DRUNKENNESS

SCARS OF WAR

OLD AGE AND ILLNESS

Will There Ever Be a Real Paradise?

“TRULY I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” These words, uttered nearly 2,000 years ago, show that man’s interest in Paradise is not new. People have been talking about it for a long time.

However, this promise was spoken on what might have seemed a most unpropitious occasion to someone who perhaps would appear to be an unlikely candidate for living in Paradise. The speaker was Jesus Christ. He was slowly and painfully dying as he spoke, impaled on a stake in the Roman manner. The one he spoke to was a convicted criminal, also dying on a stake.

Was this promise of Paradise mere wishful thinking? Or could it be that one day there will exist a real paradise that will cover the earth? Well, consider some facts.

A Potential Paradise

Our tour of Micronesia has revealed three outstanding things. First, the earth has the physical potential to be a paradise. In spite of the depredations and mistakes of men, these islands are still truly beautiful. And while the beauty of a tropical island is something special, beauty itself is earth wide. From the majesty of snowcapped mountains to the splendor of green rolling valleys, from the special serenity of the Arctic tundra to the lush tropical jungles, there is so much beauty in the earth that the heart swells in appreciation! Under the right conditions, it could all be a paradise.

We also see evidence that the earth has a built-in healing power, so that it can cure the scars left by men. In the Truk lagoon, for example, the grim hulks of sunken warships are being colonized and even made beautiful by strange and wonderful forms of sea life. Worldwide, when pollution of air, water and land cease, natural processes of restoration bring amazing transformations.

Finally, for the most part it is man who is ruining his surroundings. Whether by pollution, by crime and violence, by despoiling the land for material wealth, or because of military rivalry between world powers, it is man who is gradually destroying his environment. And this is true not only in the Pacific but all around the world.

A Question of Government

Hence, if a real paradise is to exist, it is man who has to change. His wrong tendencies must be controlled and his constructive abilities must be directed into the right channels. This sounds as though it should be a job for government, but the problem is that no government has been able to stop man’s gradual ruining of the earth.

In view of this, it is interesting that Jesus’ promise of paradise was in answer to a comment about government. The criminal impaled alongside him had noticed this sign above Jesus’ head: “This is the king of the Jews.” So he said: “Jesus, remember me when you get into your kingdom.” It was in answer to this that Jesus promised: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.”​—Luke 23:38-43.

Can Jesus as a king accomplish something no other ruler can? Can he make all the earth a real paradise? Yes, because Jesus’ kingship is heavenly, not earthly. And it is backed up by God’s own power.

If we consider Jesus’ own nature, we can better appreciate this. The Bible says that by means of him God created the earth and all life on it. (Prov. 8:22-31; Col. 1:15-17) Hence, Jesus fully understands its ecology. He knows how to use its resources properly. When on earth, he actually demonstrated control of natural forces by calming a windstorm and by telling his followers how to get a full catch of fish after they had labored all night without results. (Mark 4:35-41; John 21:4-8) Surely, under the rule of such a king, men will not be harmed by typhoons, earthquakes or volcanoes, and all living things will be in proper balance.

Humans themselves will also be taught to live together in peace. Regarding what God will accomplish by means of Jesus’ kingship, the Scriptures state: “He will certainly render judgment among many peoples, and set matters straight respecting mighty nations far away. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.” (Mic. 4:3, 4) Under such a rule, earth’s beauty will no longer be scarred by wars.

Will It Really Happen?

‘But wait a minute,’ you might say. ‘Jesus died shortly after making his promise of Paradise.’ That is true, and this would seem to have ended any hope that these wonderful promises would be fulfilled.

However, something marvelous happened on the third day after Jesus’ death. Jehovah God raised him to life again. Amazing though it may sound, this is a well-attested fact of history. Some 500 people saw him alive again. (1 Cor. 15:3-22) Thus, the hope of a paradise under Christ’s rulership became realizable. His promise to the dying criminal could actually be fulfilled.​—Acts 17:31.

Since that momentous event, things have moved inexorably toward the time when Jesus will have full authority over the day-to-day affairs of this earth. (Dan. 2:44) It can be proved that the present dangerous world conditions are evidence that we are living very close to that time.a Hence, in fulfillment of prophecy, the “good news of the kingdom” by Christ is being preached in all lands of the earth, including these Pacific islands. (Matt. 24:14) Many, although now living in what may appear to be paradise, look to a real paradise earth wide in the future. They rest their hopes for this in God’s kingdom through Christ.

Inhabitants of Paradise

Jesus’ teachings show us the kind of people who will live in Paradise under his government. First, he emphasized that persons who would gain such life must truly love God. “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole strength and with your whole mind.” (Luke 10:25-27) A community of people with such love of God would obey all his commands. They would not be drunkards or immoral; neither would they selfishly ruin God’s creation, the earth, for material gain.

Further, Jesus said to his followers: “This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends.” (John 15:12, 13) Jesus sacrificed his human life out of love for mankind​—for people of all races, nations and tongues. He taught his followers to put the interests of others ahead of their own. Worldwide there are already millions of persons who are sincerely endeavoring to do this. In a community of people with this quality, crime, thoughtless noise pollution and similar problems would soon become things of the past. Even poverty would not last long if everyone showed unselfish interest in others.

‘But,’ you might feel, ‘there is always a serpent in paradise. However successful Christ’s kingdom is, someone will come along and spoil things.’ Well, that may be true of man’s reforming efforts. But we are talking about the accomplishments of God’s heavenly government with Christ as king. No one will spoil the Paradise that this will bring about.

First, remember that God can change people. Saul of Tarsus was a violent opposer of Christianity. But when he accepted the truth of the Christian message, his personality changed dramatically, and he became the Christian apostle Paul. Similar changes are taking place today.​—Acts 22:1-11; Col. 3:9-14; 1 Thess. 2:5-12.

One elderly man in Nauru, for example, was greatly grieved at losing his three children due to malnutrition during the Japanese occupation of his island in World War II. Can you imagine how he felt toward the Japanese? However, he studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, and when learning about God’s kingdom through Christ, his attitude changed. When a Japanese tourist recently was stranded, he offered him refuge in his home. He said he has had no thought of retaliation in his heart since studying the Bible.

God’s kingdom is changing the personalities of people all around the world. Violent men are becoming peaceful. Criminals are becoming law-abiding. Bitter or disillusioned folk are finding comfort and joy. Moreover, people of all sorts​—some located in physically beautiful surroundings, and others in poor and squalid neighborhoods—​are experiencing what even now has been described as a spiritual paradise.

How so? Because of their association with true Christians, persons who put Jehovah God first in their lives and enjoy his blessing, persons who look to Jesus Christ as earth’s new king and who are known because they speak freely to others about God’s kingdom and have love among themselves. Regardless of their physical surroundings, they know the “peace of God that excels all thought.” (Phil. 4:7; Eph. 4:20-32) Just think what life on earth will be like when it is transformed into a physical paradise and populated by such people!

‘But not everyone will change,’ you may object. That is true. However, life on earth under God’s kingdom is only for those who will change. God will “bring to ruin those [who insist on] ruining the earth.” The Bible emphatically says: “Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.” (Ps. 37:10, 11; Rev. 11:18) What happiness these meek ones will have!

A Real Hope

But they would not be completely happy if they and their loved ones still got sick and died, would they? It is therefore noteworthy that when Jesus was on earth, he healed all kinds of sickness, cast out demons, and even raised the dead. (Matt. 8:28-32; 11:2-5; John 11:43, 44) In casting out demons by means of God’s spirit, Jesus showed that he is more powerful than wicked spirit forces. Hence, in that paradise there will be no need to fear such things as witchcraft and demonism. And in healing the sick and raising the dead, Jesus demonstrated clearly that it is God’s purpose for him, as earth’s new king, to relieve mankind forever of sickness and death.​—Isa. 25:8.

Thus the criminal who died with Jesus will see the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to be ‘with him in Paradise.’ Of course, if he wishes to stay in Paradise, he will have to change his course of conduct to conform to Jehovah’s ways.

So, then, do you really want to enjoy life in Paradise? You can. And you do not have to come from the other side of the world to these tropical islands in order to do so. Soon, both physically and spiritually, Paradise will cover the earth. In the meantime, regardless of where you live, you can enjoy the spiritual paradise that exists even now.

Why not read the Bible and see these things for yourself? Jehovah’s Witnesses will be delighted to help you to do this. Prove to yourself that this hope is realistic. See what God wants you to do in order to inherit it. Then you will be a witness of the fulfillment of the remarkable promise: “God . . . will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:3, 4) At that time, all the earth will be a real paradise.

[Footnotes]