Conversion of Varani in Fiji

Sam Tamata wrote

Hunt was a remarkable man. He was formerly a plough-boy in Lincolnshire. He had not trained as a linguist (unlike Aberdonian David Cargill), yet he quickly learned the Bauan dialect (which later became the standard for written Fijian).

By the time of his early death, aged 36 years in 1848, he had translated the whole New Testament into Fijian and had begun translating the Old Testament.

In 1845 an important breakthrough occurred. A formerly bloodthirsty and treacherous man named Varani became a Christian. He was nephew of the high chief of Viwa and comrade-in-arms of the feared Cakobau. It happened like this.

Hunt was reading aloud one day the account of the crucifixion of Jesus from the newly translated Gospel of Matthew. He noted that Varani was visibly stirred. He then taught Varani to read the Bible for himself. Soon Varani began to follow Hunt's example of going into the bush to pray alone.

Important convert

Varani told his friend Cakobau that he was going to be a Christian. Cakobau threatened to kill and eat him. Varani replied, 'I fear you, but I fear the great God much more'.

Thankfully, Cakobau did not carry out his threat. On Good Friday, 21 March 1845, Varani publicly 'bowed the knee to Jehovah'. He then joined a baptismal class.

Those early missionaries were not willing to prepare anyone for baptism, even if they were chiefs, unless they showed clear evidence of godly sorrow for sin. While they realised the strategic importance of Fijian chiefs professing Christ, they looked for evidence of a real change of heart.

But Varani's conversion was thorough. Again and again his life demonstrated that the great change had taken place.

He renounced violence and became a man of integrity and peace, one of the finest Christians of that era. He was clubbed to death in 1853 while trying to settle a quarrel between others.