What Is Your Attitude?

The other day, I saw a post on my Facebook page that deeply grieved me. It was a picture of a Forever Stamp celebrating the Islam holiday Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. I Googled the issue and these were the first five sites that I found, and look at the 'issue' from two different, and very divergent, perspectives. They are from Fact Check.org, Bare Naked Islam.com, The American Muslim.org, The Huffington Post, Creeping Sharia. Yes, I did read through those posts. And, to be honest, their perspectives did not surprise me at all. For those who don't know me, I have been deployed to Iraq three times, two of which I volunteered for. I first went to Iraq from 2003-04, when we went north into Iraq, while with the 82nd Airborne Division. The second time, I found out of an open slot with 867th Quatermaster Battalion, of the Nebraska National Guard. They needed an intelligence analyst, which is what my background was, and I was happy to volunteer. The third time was because I transferred from one unit to another. I transferred to the 192nd MP Detachment L&O (Law and Order) in 2009, knowing full well that they were going to deploy to Iraq in a few years. In fact, we deployed to both the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) (most of the unit) and a few of us (including myself) were stationed at the International Zone (IZ). Especially during the third deployment, I interacted with many people of very diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures. And, I had a lot of fun! You see, I have had many rich experiences throughout my high school, college and seminary careers working with people from other countries and with other religious beliefs. Although I might not agree with their cultural and/or religious perspectives, I seek to understand them and to respect them. Because, just as my faith and cultural beliefs are extremely important to me, their beliefs are important to them. In at least trying to understand their perspectives, I find that I earn the right to be heard and respected. Let me share some of the examples that I have personally experienced... While I was in seminary, there were several students from different countries studying at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, including one from Pakistan and two from Africa. One of the things people will note about a lot of people from Africa is that they often do not use deodorant. Contrary to what many think, they do have hygiene standards and keep themselves clean. But, since they don't use deodorant like we do, they have an odor about them. In fact, at least with the two gentlemen that I knew at seminary, they have a distinct odor. In fact, I bet we all do, if we didn't use deodorant! I remember one evening in particular... I was cooking some food in the basement kitchen of the dorm that we lived in, when I heard someone enter the room behind me. I then noticed a smell other than I what I was cooking. After thinking a few seconds, I said, "Hello, Joshua..." (Not his real name.) I then turned around and, sure enough, it was him. And, he had a very surprised look on his face! When asked how I knew, I can't remember what I said. But, I didn't specify why I had recognized him. Although I did find their odor annoying at times, especially in close quarters, I learned to 'get over it.' I accepted it for what it was, a part of their culture. I'm sure they might have sometimes wondered why we smelled like we did! I worked with the Nebraska Department of Corrections, at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI), from January 2006 until about July 2011, and again from March 2013 until present. Years ago, I started reading a book One Church, Many Tribes, and was very interested in learning more about the Native American perspective of faith, Christian or otherwise. I was working as the Gym Corporal at the time. Once or twice a week, a group of Native American Inmates would use one of the music rooms, located in the gym, to do their traditional drumming and chanting. I tried to strike up a conversation with several of them to learn more about what they were singing, what language they were singing in, etc. Most of them didn't care why I wanted to know, and didn't say much at all. However, one individual did. I'll call him "Backbear." (Again, not his real name.) At first he was very uneasy with talking with me. But, when I shared what little I knew of their culture and my desire to learn more, he started to open up. After about a month or so, Blackbear would often stand next to me before or after their Native American drumming and chanting, and we'd chat. Although he still felt uneasy at times being seen with me and talking about faith and culture (Blackbear was, I believe, a traditional Native American of the Lakota or Cheyenne tribe), but willing to endure it so that we could learn from each other. Many times, we just talked about current events, or life in prison, not just about our faith backgrounds. Soon after I started working at TSCI again, I applied for the new position of Religious Coordinator Assistant. And, because of my previous work experience there, and because my very rich experiences working with people of diverse backgrounds, I received the position. Although I have only worked that position about 3 weeks out of the last three months, I have thoroughly loved working it. Even during the hard and frustrating days, I loved what I was doing. One day, I was going to oversee the Muslims doing their weekly 'religious study.' The young man, an African American, who was going to be leading the lesson, came in. As I was doing my customary search of an Inmate coming into or going out of an area, I greeted him in Arabic with, "Salam." He looked at me with great surprise on his face for a few seconds, then said, "Oh, yeah.... You're the guard who actually cares about what others believe..." (Or, something like that.) We then proceeded to talk about Ramadan, which they were currently celebrating, and any issues that they may be having. It was a short but interesting conversation. Several other Inmates showed surprise when I shared with them what little I knew about their religious background (Ma'at, Thelama, etc.) and many have been willing to share what they believe, as well as listen to my perspective. While in Iraq, I really enjoyed learning from the many Muslims that I interacted with. Quite a few of them, including the Muslim translators that we had, often didn't call themselves Shia or Shite, only Muslim. They hated the sectarian violence that was going on and wanted all people to live in peace with each other. Yes, there are some that practice extreme Islam and teach hatred of others who don't believe exactly what they believe. Many other faiths, including some Buddhist and Hindu sects, do the same thing. In fact, there are some Christian churches that teach to devalue, even hate, anything that doesn't match their brand of theology. I do not know how God has used me through my interactions with people of other cultures and faiths. While taking various Gifts of the Spirit tests, two that always rank in the top five are evangelism and missions. Because of my many very positive experiences with people of other cultures and faiths, this is not surprising. These two Gifts work well together, being able to articulate my beliefs, and why I believe them (evangelism), and being comfortable among people of divergent faiths, cultures, traditions, etc. (missions). A Scripture passages concerning this is very meaningful to me. It reads:

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 12 "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the Lord for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." (Isaiah 55:6-13, NKJV)

This tells me that, what ever I do in response to God's leading, God will honor that and bless it. Even if it is done very imperfectly, even with my foot shoved deeply into my mouth, God will still honor and bless it. Yes, there are those of different faiths that believe in, practice, and rigorously teach hatred of those who believe differently. But, that is not the case with all of the people who share that particular faith in general. Do we respond in kind to the hatred, or do we respond by teaching love and peace? I believe that Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is a very good indicator as to what God calls us to do. I will always protect myself and others from those who seek to do harm. However, if one is not currently actively seeking harm towards myself of someone else, then I would be a fool to respond in any other way than to share God's love. And, the most effective way that I have found to share God's love is to show respect towards and seek to understand what others believe. In showing that respect to them, over times, I have found many doors opened to me over time. Doors of opportunity where others are willing to hear what I say when I share what I believe. I rarely see much more than either a nod of respect or appreciation of knowing what we have in common. But, since God will honor and bless what I do in faith, when I get to Heaven, I'm sure God will greatly surprise me with what He did through me. How you view other people's beliefs and customs will greatly influence how they will view yours. Show respect to them and what they believe, then it is very likely that, at least eventually, they will respect what you believe. Show noting but contempt towards what others believe, guess what you'll receive back.... Do you really want to be part of the problem?

Lent and Sacrifice

When you think of the word 'sacrifice,' what comes to your mind? Giving up a favorite hobby or food, giving up a freedom once enjoyed, giving up opportunities for something else that's important? Or, does it mean something else for you altogether?

This past Wednesday, February 20th, was the start of Lent for most Christians. It is a time of reflection, of giving something up, and preparation for Easter. Last year, I gave up coffee, except for one cup in the morning, for Lent. A few weeks into Lent, I was let go from my church position. Because of the anger that I felt and all of the turmoil in my life, I didn't bother to continue giving anything up for Lent. Honestly, I didn't see the need because I had been 'forced' to 'give up' my employment. And, in all honesty, last year was the first time that I even did give up something for Lent.

Having been deployed three times since 2004 and having changed jobs several times since leaving Active Duty in 2005, I have not really thought about 'what to give up' for Lent, just contemplating the meaning of Easter as I continued about my life. Merriam-Webster Online dictionary defines sacrifice as:

1.      an act of offering to a deity something precious; especially: the killing of a victim on an altar

2.      something offered in sacrifice

3.      a. destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b. something given up or lost

4.      loss

Keeping this definition of sacrifice in mind, let's look at a couple of examples of sacrifice in our day-to-day lives, and some examples that some of you reading this might not be familiar with. With how busy people are with work and family, something that is often sacrificed for the sake of getting money, or ahead at work, is time with the family. Many people in high school and college will 'sacrifice' sleep so that they can get their studying (or cramming) done. And, yes I've been down the road way too many times in my life, in college and while in seminary!

Others will 'sacrifice' their grades so that they can participate in the sports (or other something else outside of school). On the flip side of work and family, some people will 'sacrifice' a prestigious promotion so that they can continue to spend quality time with their family. Having worked with the Nebraska Department of Corrections, I have dealt with many people who 'sacrificed their futures' when they committed a crime. 

I have but sacrifice in quotes several times in the previous paragraph because of one perspective of 'sacrifice' is very different from another. For some people in our society, 'sacrificing' coffee or chocolate for Lent, time with the family for a promotion, a promotion for more time with the family, sleep for studying, etc., is all they can really understand in a personal way of what sacrifice means. And, yes, those are 'sacrifices.' But, I now encourage you to really take a deeper look at sacrifice and what it means to others.

As some of you either know, or may have guessed, I have been in the military for many years. I joined the Army in May of 2001, left Active Duty to join the Nebraska National Guard in May of 2005, and will soon celebrate 12 years of military service. Having spent this long in the Army has enabled me to enjoy three deployments to Iraq. The deployments alone have given me a deeper understanding of the word 'sacrifice,' but talking with Christians from other countries has deepened/enriched it even more! But, I'll get this later.

First, with the military.... If you have served in the military, or someone close to you has, you may already have some understanding of what I am about to share. My first deployment to Iraq, I didn't really think about Easter, let alone Lent, until Easter was practically upon me. My second and third deployments weren't much different. Although I knew ahead of time about the upcoming season of Lent, I decided that I was already sacrificing enough with being away from friends and family that giving up any comforts like coffee, chocolate, deserts, etc., was out of the question. Some soldiers did give up something for Lent. I did not.

For those of us who have are presently in the military, sacrifice is a significant part of our lives. We sacrifice a lot of time with friends and family to do our training. I remember back when I was with the 82nd Airborne Division. We would spend at least 7 days each month in the field training. Being a tactical unit, being proficient in field work was essential. But, it required us to sacrifice a lot of time with friends and family, and favorite hobbies, worship time, etc., to prepare for the field, go to the field, and then clean up gear from the field. And, that was just training!

For those of us who have deployed to a combat zone, things get even harsher. I remember my first deployment, where I spent over a month in Kuwait, awaiting the order to go north into Iraq. Long days of great boredom in high heat (at it was very early spring, too), with some training here and there. The occasional SCUD attacks were a serious threat and a welcomed relief from the monotony that we had to endure. But, there's always greater sacrifices than that. I have friends who have been injured because of rocket attacks, being shot at, etc. A very good friend died while deployed to Afghanistan several years ago. Hearing about his death really took the wind out of me, and made getting through work that morning (I worked nights) that much more difficult. But, for those of us who volunteer to protect our rights and freedoms that others are able to enjoy in comfort, it's a reality.

We are prepared from Basic Training and all the way through our military career about the realities of our work, and that it can come at a very, very high cost. Still, for some others, sacrifice of freedoms, even one's life, is just a part of everyday life. I receive a daily E-mail from a Christian organization called Open Doors (serving persecuted Christians worldwide). Every month, they take devotions written by Christians where Christianity is persecuted or share their writings. Some are still alive, but some of the writings are taken from people who have already laid down their lives for their faith. There are Christians facing very harsh persecution in Muslim countries, but those are not the only places. Cuba is a place very close to us where Christians are harshly treated. Also places in South America are hostile to Christians. Did you know that the government of North Korea is trying very, very hard to eradicated all Christians from within their boarders?! I was invited by a senior person in a non-profit organization that specifically ministers to North Korean Christians to apply for a position within the organizations. Although I did not get that job, I have not forgotten the things that I learned while researching for that position.

Although I had read a lot about the persecuted church for many years now, that was a real eye-opening experience! During my last deployment to Iraq, I worked in an office that created security placards for vehicles in the International Zone. It was a challenging but fun and fascinating job. One of the real eye-opening experiences that I had while working there was meeting several Chaldean Christians. According to Fox's Book of Martyrs, (Doubting) Thomas stopped in what is now southern Iraq and started several house churches with descendants of the Chaldean Empire. These people eventually developed into the unit ethnic of Chaldean Christians.

In October of 2010, when they started experiencing very harsh persecution, I had the privilege of talking with several of them about their feelings and reflections. Again, their ethnic groups' experiences with persecution and sacrifice made my knowledge and experiences seem very pale and superficial. You can read more about the Chaldean Church here and the history of their denomination here. I would like to share some relevant Scripture passages. In John 15:12-14, Jesus says: "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you." (NASB) And also, a quote for Paul's Letter to the Romans:

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”  (Romans 5:6-10 NASB)

As we go through Lent and prepare ourselves for Easter, I highly encourage you to think about some of these different perspectives of sacrifice. Right now, I am leading the adult Sunday school class that I teach through Dietrich Bonhoeffer's 'Cost of Discipleship.' I highly recommend that you read a book or do some of your own research on the lives of various martyrs, the persecuted church, or things that soldiers deal with on a daily basis pertaining to 'sacrifice.' No matter what each of us may have experienced in our lives, there is so much more we can learn from the lives of others. It is so easy to think that our understanding of 'sacrifice' is deep and profound. But yet, someone else's experience can easily change that. I highly encourage you to learn more so that, by God's grace, you can experience a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus.

RC