TSUNAMI PRAYERS Matara Miracle Man Tx Date: 3rd August 2005 This script was made from audio tape – any inaccuracies are due to voices being unclear or inaudible 10.00.00 Theme music 10.00.15 Title Page TSUNAMI PRAYERS 10.00.24 Music 10.00.34 Father Herath Behold, I will do a new thing now. It shall spring forth. I will make rivers in the desert. 10.00.46 Music 10.00.52 Man in hat It was a wall of water. 10.00.54 Music 10.01.00 Man in hat I see nothing else water. 10.01.01 Music 10.01.05 Man in hat Just run! 10.01.07 Music 10.01.12 Father Herath Don’t worry, we will pray. 10.01.15 Music 10.01.18 Father Herath The Lord will believe. You have power over the sea, Lord, to stop this water in the name of Jesus, I repeat this is the power of Satan. 10.01.32 Music 10.01.40 Man Subtitles I saw the wave coming. I saw it destroying houses. I saw people dying. We all feared we were going to die. 10.01.49 Music 10.01.55 Father Herath Lord I believe you are the Almighty; you are the miracle performing God. I believe in thy miracles, Lord. 10.02.05 Music 10.02.09 Father Herath I rebuke this water. 10.02.10 Music 10.02.16 Father Herath Then I touch the water. This is the power of Satan, an evil power in the name of Jesus. 10.02.27 Music 10.02.37 Father Herath I claim a victory for us. Thank you Lord, thank you Lord, you are the miracle working God. You have protected us, Amen, Amen and Amen. 10.02.51 Music 10.02.54 Title Page Matara Miracle Man 10.03.03 Music 10.03.18 Narrator In a small Tsunami devastated fishing village, Matara, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka there have been a growing number of rumours of miracles happening in a small Christian church there. 10.03.33 Congregation singing 10.03.40 Narrator Indeed the very survival of the church through the Tsunami is reported to have been due to a miracle of God summoned by the chief priest in residence, the Almighty’s man on the ground, Father GSK Herath. 10.03.58 Father Herath Subtitles We ask for your kindness with great need. You can help us God. You can assist us. You can do everything Lord. 10.04.19 Narrator Since the Tsunami devastated the area and left many people homeless and hopeless, Father Herath’s congregation has been on the increase. For some the Tsunami served to reaffirm their ailing Christian faith while others have come from different religions, eager to share in the glory of God and drawn by the offer of protection from disasters yet to come. 10.04.47 Father Herath Subtitles Bible says that there will be more disasters. In this section about the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ it claims that… …more disasters will happen before his arrival. I am not only talking about tsunamis but also tornados, flooding… …landslides, thunder and lightening. 10.05.13 Aston Bridget Church helper Voice over That was a new person that joined today. They came because of what they saw going on here. That’s two more Buddhists who have joined because they started believing. 10.05.29 Father Herath Subtitles No man, no weapon, no power can protect you like God does… …because he does miracles. 10.05.41 Father Herath I must say it’s a miracle of God because normally everywhere people got two waves but here we’ve got five waves. 10.05.53 Music 10.06.00 Father Herath The two waves came from this side. Two waves came over this road here and another one wave came this way. 10.06.14 Music 10.06.21 Father Herath All five waves hit this wall here. The wall was broken. This miracle is there is no damage for our church building and no damage for our believers. 10.06.46 Aston K A Gunadasa Voice over The Tsunami did not affect my house, the church or the house in front. The water came and went through where it could. People who had the strength survived. 10.07.00 Narrator Gunadasa has been living opposite the Christian church ever since Father Herath moved in over twenty-five years ago. His house is even closer to the sea then the church yet it also managed to survive the destructive force of the Tsunami. 10.07.19 K A Gunadasa Voice over I know a lot about construction technology as I have done research into traditional architecture. These houses are built to last a long time because they were well designed and built with minimum defects. That’s why this house is still standing. That’s the miracle I see, nothing else. 10.07.42 Narrator After losing its battle with the church’s front wall the Tsunami wave was diverted through to the back of the church yard and was cornered in a dead end. 10.07.51 Father Herath You can see the level here… 10.07.55 Narrator As the water level increased the congregation worried about their safety but the Lord Almighty had one more trick up his sleeve. 10.08.03 Father Herath Suddenly we saw a big hole, a pit like. You can, can see. All the water came here and drained through this pit. Everybody’s wondering how it happened because this earth is very hard soil so we believe it’s a miracle of God. God made it to protect us and save us. Thank God for it. 10.08.39 Music 10.08.57 Aston H Y Gamini Voice over When I was a Buddhist I never experienced any miracles so I became a Christian. Since then God has performed so many miracles for me. 10.09.14 Narrator After forty-one years a Buddhist Gamini converted to Christianity and joined Father Herath’s church three years ago. Now a devout Christian he was in the congregation the day the Tsunami hit and prayed to God for a miracle all his own. 10.09.32 H Y Gamini Subtitles Lord please save my daughter from this wave. Save my daughter who is pregnant. 10.09.40 Music 10.09.49 Buddima Voice over I was in a panic and I ran with the others. I was holding my baby as I ran. All I could think about was my baby. 10.10.03 Music 10.10.12 H Y Gamini Voice over At that moment Father Herath went out and faced the wave. 10.10.17 Father Herath Lord in the name of Jesus I command this water to stop right now. 10.10.24 Music 10.10.33 Buddima Voice over The water came crashing over here. One by one we fell into the water and were carried away with the current. The water level rose above my head and I went under. I went down. 10.10.48 Music 10.10.53 H Y Gamini Voice over At that moment Father touched the water and prayed. 10.10.58 Father Herath Oh Lord I believe in you, Lord … this person, release this person and protect this person. 10.11.08 Music 10.11.12 Buddima Voice over Suddenly I felt somebody was lifting me up. 10.11.16 Music 10.11.25 Buddima Voice over I survived. I think I survived because my father prayed for me. He was praying to God for me at the church. 10.11.42 H Y Gamini Subtitle She should be ready by 7.30am. 10.11.52 H Y Gamini Voice over My daughter’s husband is a Buddhist and so are all his family. Her Buddhist in-laws discouraged her from going to church so she stopped coming. 10.12.11 H Y Gamini Subtitles I told you several times. Don’t you have an alarm at home? I got up at 5.50am 10.12.22 Aston Buddima Voice over My father follows his religion more strongly than ever before. He is convinced his prayer saved my life. 10.12.37 H Y Gamini Voice over When the Tsunami struck us I saved her life. So it was my duty to bring her back to face God. 10.12.47 Buddima Voice over If I had gone to the church on that day I would not have faced the wave. Now I go to church every Sunday because I believe. Now I pray because I have faith in God. 10.13.08 Father Herath Subtitles In the name of Jesus Christ, we defeat the power of Satan. We defeat all dark forces. 10.13.18 H Y Gamini Voice over After the Tsunami people talk about the success we’ve had. When they hear about it more and more new people join us. The attraction is God’s miracles. The people who come here were all Buddhist, all have converted from Buddhism. 10.13.37 Father Herath Subtitles We hand all these people to you God. Show them your kindness. Give them your blessing. Show us a miracle. 10.13.48 Narrator Like so many of his congregation Father Herath too followed a road to conversion. 10.13.53 Music 10.13.57 Narrator Thirty years ago he and his family were devout Buddhists. But their troubles began when Buddhist astrologers came to bless the family. 10.14.08 Music 10.14.11 Narrator Instead they revealed that an evil curse was upon them and predicted a day when the entire family would die. Out of desperation the family abandoned their Buddhist beliefs and threw themselves at the mercy of every God they knew. Finally they turned to Christian priests who prayed with them through their dark days. 10.14.32 Music 10.14.43 Narrator When they survived the day of reckoning one by one the family gave themselves to God and converted to Christianity. Their belief that only the true Christian God could offer them the protection they needed was sealed and Father Herath’s mission in life began. 10.15.00 Father Herath God can do everything, he is Almighty, he is so powerful, he is wonderful, he is marvellous, he can do everything, whatever you… 10.15.14 Narrator As a Christian convert Father Herath now faced his brethren from opposite sides of the religious fence. 10.15.23 Music 10.15.25 Narrator Resentment and suspicion led to conflict a few years back when a group of local Buddhists paid Father a visit to offer him some religious instruction of their own. 10.15.36 Music 10.15.38 Father Herath It was a terrible attack, the Buddhist thought we are converting by force and they started to stone on the church and they thrown our bibles away and they hit our people, broke their teeth. It was like war in the morning to evening. 10.16.06 Narrator Some rather uncomfortable reading has just landed on Father Herath’s desk. A Sri Lankan national newspaper has published a derogatory article accusing the church of conspiring to convert the entire local Buddhist community. The potential for damaging Father Herath’s reputation is clearly a serious concern. 10.16.28 Father Herath reading article Trying to mislead Matara Tsunami victims. They are trying to convert people to Christianity and give some aids to them.’ 10.16.42 Father Herath This is a lie. These people are not religious people. Maybe from hell or they are the, as agents of Satan. Satan is the father of lies. 10.17.00 Music 10.17.03 Narrator Sri Lanka’s indigenous population practice Buddhism and they have never been overly welcoming of evangelical Christian incomers. But since the Tsunami local Buddhists have flocked to Father Herath’s church in their droves, particularly when vital food parcels are freely available. However, some Buddhists are still suspicious of the Christian incomers’ real agenda. 10.17.29 Father Herath There is a story the Christian church is helping the people are in need and trouble, their aim is to convert Buddhist to Christianity. So we know that accusation so therefore when people comes to the church for helps and aids we are very much careful to, not to talk about Christianity, about miracles because if we do so people thinks oh these people are trying to convert by helping these people. I just help, that’s all. 10.18.07 Narrator Apart from providing free meals every day Father Herath’s church has become the first choice for relief agencies to distribute aid locally, regardless of religious denomination. 10.18.20 Aston Razik Lanka Shakthi, Aid/Media Organisation Our Executive Secretary is a Buddhist but he never selected Buddhist temple, he selected the church here because Father Herath has a lot of contacts and he gets done things necessary for the people. I think ninety-five percent of them here are Buddhist. So all of them have willingly come here. 10.18.46 Lady Thank you very much. 10.18.49 Razik The rest there is a Buddhist temple just close by. 10.18.53 Music 10.19.03 Woman 1 Subtitles Let’s check in here. Nobody wants these. Chandani, here is a good skirt. It suits your daughter. 10.19.17 Woman 2 Subtitle No, it’s too big. 10.19.26 Aston Wimala Head Monk Voice over To comfort the people we preach the teachings of Buddha, how else can we comfort them. We have received some aid from the Divisional Secretariat but no one wants to take these clothes. They’re from abroad and are much too big. 10.19.48 Woman 1 Voice over We’ve not received much aid here, just old clothes. 10.19.53 Interviewer Voice over What have you received from the church down the road? 10.19.57 Woman 2 Voice over Bags of food. 10.19.59 Woman 3 Voice over What they provided was very useful; there were chick peas and mung beans. Not only that; lentils and rice. They did a good job. 10.20.14 Woman 3 Voice over There are two or three families who have become Christians because the church helps them a lot. It attracts people more than the temple so poor people join the church. 10.20.23 Singing 10.20.38 K A Gunadasa Voice over Hugo’s looking for people who can be converted to his religion. People with problems are the easiest to convert. A hunter will always hunt the weak. 10.20.55 K A Gunadasa Voice over Most of the people in this village are fishermen; they’re not educated. When you help people like that they will happily receive it. If they’re asked to pray to God so that they get healed then they will do that too. And if they do get healed then they will start to believe. 10.21.21 Father Herath Your husband will be there until two thirty I think, no, but within another thirty minutes… 10.21.27 Narrator Father Herath has organised a meeting at his church for local Buddhist families to discuss the re-housing problems they are facing. However, a lone motorcyclist seems to be the only Buddhist who’s bothered to turn up. 10.21.41 Father Herath Subtitle Is there no meeting? 10.21.44 Man Subtitles That’s right Father, it looks like it. The article in the newspaper Father, is it directed at this place? 10.21.55 Father Herath Subtitles Well, it’s like this, it doesn’t refer to me directly. 10.22.06 Father Herath The people promised to come and meet here today and they didn’t come because of that journalist report, maybe and it is a peculiar thing, they all promised to come but they didn’t turn up. 10.22.21 Music 10.22.25 Father Herath If people believes our church is going to convert Buddhists to Christianity it is very bad for our relationship and we need the peace at this time and there won’t be peace because of this kind of report and religious conflicts will be a very much serious thing. 10.22.51 Music 10.23.11 Priyanthi reading newspaper Subtitles This is a five year programme which involves… …influencing innocent people into converting to other religions. 10.23.23 Aston Priyanthi Voice over It is not the truth. Father Herath is not trying to convert people into Christianity; his motive is to help the Buddhist villagers. 10.23.33 Man It is ridiculous… 10.23.44 Priyanthi Voice over People were not that close to Father in the beginning but after the Tsunami Father Herath has provided food and drinks at the church. After that everybody in the village has got to like Father Herath. 10.23.59 Priyanthi He’s a good, good person. 10.24.01 Music 10.24.07 Narrator Father’s confidence seems to have taken quite a knock. His concern about the potential damage the accusation of converting could do to his relationship with Buddhists has even led him to pull out of an important aid ceremony for the Tsunami devastated families in the area. 10.24.27 Father Herath I decided not to attend. Even though people have invited me I’m very much concerned about the reaction of the people from the area. Therefore I decided it is better not to attend the ceremony. 10.24.48 Singing 10.25.01 Narrator Since the Tsunami, religious tensions have all but disappeared in the village. 10.25.08 Narrator However, lingering suspicions about Father Herath’s real agenda has made him miss this valuable opportunity to support the local Buddhist families devastated by the Tsunami. Or has it? 10.25.21 Music 10.25.22 Woman 1 Subtitle Has Father come? 10.25.24 Woman 2 Subtitle Yes he has. Over there. 10.25.26 Music 10.25.32 Father Herath God told me in my spirit he will look into this matter; this article. He knows better than me how to do and what to do so he will take everything under control of him. Some people they were talking to me very friendly way, they accepted me and they were so happy about my participation in the ceremony. 10.25.57 Music 10.26.03 Father Herath Subtitles In the newspaper there was a small article discussing… …how some people have misled Tsunami victims. It says a church in Matara converts people to Christianity. 10.26.24 Monk Subtitles There are some crazy people. Just ignore it. 10.26.31 Father Herath I discuss with the Buddhist priest about this article and he said let anybody write anything or let anybody speak anything but we’ll work together, he said. These are encouraging words. So… 10.26.50 Speaker Subtitles I now call upon Father Herath to hand out some donations. 10.26.59 Father Herath When I participate here people felt I’m with them and they are comfortable. 10.27.07 Speaker Subtitles We would like to thank Father Herath for his participation. 10.27.12 Father Herath Now I’m a little bit free about this allegation. 10.27.17 Music 10.27.19 Monk Thank you very much. 10.27.23 Father Herath Maybe I must thank God for this because he made this, you know, it is God’s work. 10.27.29 Music 10.27.38 Narrator Keeping good relations with the local Buddhists is clearly important to Father Herath but he can’t escape his absolute Christian belief that these Buddhist villagers, like all non-believers, remain in desperate peril from further natural disasters. As judgement day draws nearer with the second coming of the Lord. 10.28.01 Father Herath The Lord I pray for this water. Stop this water, stop it Lord. Protect these innocent people and I command this water to not to kill or destroy any life or any property after this, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Amen. Amen. 10.28.28 End music Credits 10.28.36 Narrator AMANDA ST. JOHN Dubbing Mixer NIGEL READ Colourist BOYD NAGLE Online Editor ROD HUTSON Graphics LYNN WILSON Subtitles MATT RALPH Fixer RUVEEN DIAS Production Team VICTORIA MISSELBROOK LADONNA HALL NICK DODD Production Manager JANE WILLEY Unit Manager SUSAN CRIGHTON Assistant Producer DAVID SAVILL Film Editor ANDREW RUSHTON Executive Producer KAREN O’CONNOR 10.28.57 Filmed and Produced by STEVEN GRANDISON BBC © BBC MMV 10.29.02 End BBC Tsunami Prayers: Matara Miracle Man 1 1