References:
- An Amish Murder
- 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 NAS
The other day, I watched a very interesting movie on Netflix called, "An Amish Murder." In a nutshell, a young lady grows up in the Amish community, a traumatic event happens in her life, and she leaves the Amish community to pursue a career in Law Enforcement. Years later, after making detective, she returns to a small town in Ohio near where she grew up as the police chief. While she is home, a series of murders take place. These murders are eerily like the ones that were committed when she was growing up.
One of the reasons why I enjoyed the movie was because it was a very good thriller. Throughout the movie, one thinks that the serial killer might be one person. Then, maybe someone else. The end is a bit of a surprise. I always enjoy movies like that because it challenges me to be observant of the facts. Most thriller movies like this one will have the clues needed to make the right connection at the end. It's just that many of them are very subtle. At least for me, it's a fun game to see if I can guess correctly. With this movie, I have to admit, I almost didn't catch on to who the real culprit was until near the end.
Having been a military analyst and currently being a MP (Military Policeman), I enjoy a good crime thriller at times. It was also good in that two of the main characters were wrestling with different traumatic events in their lives. Different but similar enough that they were able to relate and help each other. At least to me, that gave it a more interesting and human twist. How many of us have experienced major difficulties, even a traumatic event, and then the growth and healing that we experienced was then used to help someone else? I know that God has used difficulties that I've experience to be a blessing to others. There has also been times where God used lessons that I learned while not dealing with a situation well to help someone else facing a similar situation. Although it was extremely painful to deal with at the time, seeing how God has helped others always gives me a good feeling.
Something else that I really appreciated about this movie was the theme of being an ambassador between two very different cultures. As I have mentioned several other times in my blog, I have had the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world. Most of my experiences have been in Europe and Iraq. But, I have gotten to know people from many other cultures, too. There have been times when I did not represent myself well to others. We all do that. Over the years, I have made it a point to learn from my mistakes and to better understand the cultural background of others.
Because of the lessons that I have learned over the years, I am typically able to interact with those from a foreign country. This is not always easy. There are things that some cultures do on a daily basis (or don't do) that many Americans find offensive. An example that comes to my mind has to do with deodorant. I had several friends in seminary who were from Africa. Both of these men had good hygiene habits, but neither of them used deodorant. Because of this, they both had bo (body odor). In my conversations with fellow students, I found out that many of them found this annoying or even extremely aggravating. I'm not sure if any of them talked with these two individuals or not. But, they were definitely vocal about it to fellow students.
Although I wasn't happy about their bo, I did understand that in their home country, deodorant wasn't often used. So I accepted them as they were. Something interesting, though, was that I noticed that both men had a unique scent. This made for a few amusing situations when one of them approached me and I was able to correctly identify who it was without looking.
When I was working in Iraq in 2010-11, I was interacting with people from all over the world. Not just Iraqi government officials and Iraqi military personnel, but business people from Iraq and many countries all over the world. Each of them had their own cultures. I was able to do my job well because I strove to treat each person that came into my office with respect as a person and to their native culture. This enabled me to not only get my job done effectively, but it also helped to foster positive relationships between the US Army and those who did business or worked for other governments. Several people were so touched by how I did my best to respect their cultures that they asked to work with me or even gave me unique gifts from their business or embassy.
To touch on the Scripture passage from 2nd Corinthians, that is what God calls us to do to everyone around us. God calls each of us to be His representative to others in this world. The Greek word that Paul uses in Galatians 6:20 and the 2nd Corinthians passage is προσβευο (pres-byoo'-o), which means: 1. to be older, prior by birth or in age, or 2. to be an ambassador, act as an ambassador. It is used only twice in the New Testament, with both being the second definition. But, how can we do this?
An ambassador must be highly knowledgeable of two different cultures and (often times also languages). Of course, he has to fully understand his native culture and language. That is a given. But, the ambassador must also be highly knowledgeable of the culture and language of the country that he is living in. He or she must understand both extremely well so that they can effectively translate what his or her native country wants to something that the host country can understand. And, since some things that are acceptable in country may be extremely offensive in another one, he or she needs to keep this in mind as they work with their host country in understanding what their native country wants.
When we become a Christian, our new residency is now in Heaven with God, though we still live in this world. As we grow as a Christian, we need to learn as much as we can about who God is and what He expects of us and Followers of Christ. As we learn more about our adopted homeland (Heaven) God expects us to tell others of this world about Him. To do so, we have to understand the language and culture that we live in. That is often a given, having grown up in a particular state or town and, now as a Christian, teaching others about Christ. However, God often guides us to someplace new. When this happens, we have to learn about the new culture, traditions, and language. Because of regional slang being different throughout any country, there are things that one always has to learn that are unique to that area.
Each of us has become a Christian because God used someone to introduce us to Christ. God has also used many people and circumstances in our lives to teach us more about Him. Some people sought to purposely direct us towards Christ. Others sought to do evil to us, but God used the circumstances to bring about His good will. As followers of Christ, God expects us to direct others to Him. He wants us to be His ambassadors to this fallen world so that others can receive His salvation. That requires us to not only understand His Word (the Bible), but to understand those with whom we interact with, as well as seek to teach others about God. All of this requires time and effort.
I have seen all to often people visiting a foreign country and, either because they lacked interest in learning about another culture or arrogance that their culture was superior, they caused friction, ill will, or even caused severe problems. And, that particular person or group of people may not have suffered the consequences of their laziness or arrogance, but someone who was totally innocent of the previous event. There have been a few times during my travels that people have not wanted to be respectful towards me because of what others have done. Sometimes my actions and attitude help them change their minds towards Americans or towards Christians. But, that isn't always the case. Should we not strive to be the best representative of God to the world? Should we not live in such a way that others will want to know Christ as we have come to know Him?
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
Reflections on 16 October 2015
I know that it has been a while since I posted an entry here. Things have been very busy for me for the last week or so. But, since I have some down time, I thought that I would write some reflections. And, just so you know, I am writing this on my phone. So, if things seem oddly organized or grammar is poor, that is probably why.
One of my biggest challenges is getting the right balance of personal time for reflecting and recharging, and still getting the socializing that I need. Throw in the responsibilities of being a supervisor and you have quite a balanxing act. There are days where I feel recharged enough that I can face the challengea of life. Other times I feel so drained that anything social is a challenge. And, there are times where I don't have the luxury of recharging, I just have to "suck it up and drive on." So challenging!
Spiritual warfare ia very real. The closer one walks with God and the more you strive to be obedient to Him, the more you should expect spiritual attacks. I have been walking with Christ since January of 1994. You would think that I would not easily get "spiritually ambushed." But, there arw times that I do. But, even when that does happen, my response is typically to return to even more feaverent of prayer.
In the last few weeks, I have been engaged in some very intense spiritual warfare. Between praying for my Chain of Command, the people who persecute the Body of Christ (especially nations that so ao harahly), my family, and several people who arw facing great difficulties, I have received a great deal of "feedback." And not the positive kind.
In fact, a few weeks ago, I couldn't sleep so I did some intense praying. Not too long after I started, I started feel a real heaviness on me. The more I prayed, the worse it got. It got so bad that I started to shake. So, I asked other prayer warriors to pray for me. It seemed that I had really stirred the hornets' nest. And, it worked. Soon after that, I was able to fall back to sleep.
Been enjoying the Bible Study I and another NCO have been doing. I find it so fascinating that the Gospel of John has such simple language, but yet is so deep in the theology! I have joked on several ocassions that I could spend two or maybe even three week on each chapter! They arw just that rich in theology! The dialogue during the studies have been very exciting and informative. I've pointed out a lot of things that others had not noticed before, and others have shared insights that I had not noticed. Such an awesome experience!
I found a very helpful website called "introvertdear.com." I found it about 3 weeks ago and have been reading it regularly ever since. I had ways wondered qhy I reacted to somethings like I have, or why I would feel so utterly drained, even on a good day, when helping others. Things are making more sense now. God hasmade each of us unique. But, certain personalities are more common than others. And, praise God, I have found several INFJ groups on Facebook. It has been so encouraging, talking with others who have had similar experiences.
Life is very challenging. I definitely have been experiencing a lot of stretching in my life. It is both draining and exciting at the same time. I am definitely not the same person I was just a year ago. But, then again, in a year, or even in just a few months, I will be different than I am now. All through out life one should strive to continue to learn and grow as a person. And, as a Christian, one should continously strive to deepen one's walk with Christ.
One other thought before I close this entry. We must always remember that we do not always know what God is doing in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Sometimes God allows us to see glimpses of what He is doing. But, not always. We must walk in faith the God will honor what we do in faith and bring about His perfect will. Just like it takes months or even yeara for a plant to grow, mature, and evwn bare fruit, so it is in our lives. We must patiently wait for Gid to do His will. And, waiting can be so very hard, too. May God help us to do so.
One of my biggest challenges is getting the right balance of personal time for reflecting and recharging, and still getting the socializing that I need. Throw in the responsibilities of being a supervisor and you have quite a balanxing act. There are days where I feel recharged enough that I can face the challengea of life. Other times I feel so drained that anything social is a challenge. And, there are times where I don't have the luxury of recharging, I just have to "suck it up and drive on." So challenging!
Spiritual warfare ia very real. The closer one walks with God and the more you strive to be obedient to Him, the more you should expect spiritual attacks. I have been walking with Christ since January of 1994. You would think that I would not easily get "spiritually ambushed." But, there arw times that I do. But, even when that does happen, my response is typically to return to even more feaverent of prayer.
In the last few weeks, I have been engaged in some very intense spiritual warfare. Between praying for my Chain of Command, the people who persecute the Body of Christ (especially nations that so ao harahly), my family, and several people who arw facing great difficulties, I have received a great deal of "feedback." And not the positive kind.
In fact, a few weeks ago, I couldn't sleep so I did some intense praying. Not too long after I started, I started feel a real heaviness on me. The more I prayed, the worse it got. It got so bad that I started to shake. So, I asked other prayer warriors to pray for me. It seemed that I had really stirred the hornets' nest. And, it worked. Soon after that, I was able to fall back to sleep.
Been enjoying the Bible Study I and another NCO have been doing. I find it so fascinating that the Gospel of John has such simple language, but yet is so deep in the theology! I have joked on several ocassions that I could spend two or maybe even three week on each chapter! They arw just that rich in theology! The dialogue during the studies have been very exciting and informative. I've pointed out a lot of things that others had not noticed before, and others have shared insights that I had not noticed. Such an awesome experience!
I found a very helpful website called "introvertdear.com." I found it about 3 weeks ago and have been reading it regularly ever since. I had ways wondered qhy I reacted to somethings like I have, or why I would feel so utterly drained, even on a good day, when helping others. Things are making more sense now. God hasmade each of us unique. But, certain personalities are more common than others. And, praise God, I have found several INFJ groups on Facebook. It has been so encouraging, talking with others who have had similar experiences.
Life is very challenging. I definitely have been experiencing a lot of stretching in my life. It is both draining and exciting at the same time. I am definitely not the same person I was just a year ago. But, then again, in a year, or even in just a few months, I will be different than I am now. All through out life one should strive to continue to learn and grow as a person. And, as a Christian, one should continously strive to deepen one's walk with Christ.
One other thought before I close this entry. We must always remember that we do not always know what God is doing in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Sometimes God allows us to see glimpses of what He is doing. But, not always. We must walk in faith the God will honor what we do in faith and bring about His perfect will. Just like it takes months or even yeara for a plant to grow, mature, and evwn bare fruit, so it is in our lives. We must patiently wait for Gid to do His will. And, waiting can be so very hard, too. May God help us to do so.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Living a Lie
References:
- Romans 3:9-20 NAS
- 1 John 1:5-10 NAS
- The Village (2004)
I finished watching a very interesting movie not to long ago called, “The Village (2004).” It was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. I know that not everyone out there likes spoilers, so I will try to not tell too much. According to the IMDB page, it is considered to be a mystery, drama and a romance movie. Those descriptions definitely do fit. But, I believe there is a very important theological bent to this movie, too. The theological concept of human kind and human nature.
One of the first things that we learn in the movie is that the members of The Village have a pact or truce of sorts. It seems that there is some sort of intelligent creature living in the woods surrounding the village. The agreement comes to light that, as long as they do not wear 'the bad color' and do not venture into the woods, the creatures will not come into their Village and cause harm. This underlined fear of the creatures in the woods in one of the main themes driving the movie. The fear of these creatures and the evil of 'people in the other towns' keep the members of this community totally isolated from anyone else. In fact, there is a continuous fear that if anyone were to visit one of 'those towns,' it could destroy their 'innocent community.'
Watching the movie, set in 'olde Pennsylvania,' we see what appears to be a genuine utopia. There are no weapons seen at all. One starts to wonder if we are observing an Amish-like culture. There are definitely Judeo Christian values, though nothing really overt. At one point in the movie, a young man who has some sort of mental problems is seen hitting some other boys with a stick in a playful manner, and then they all start wrestling. It is soon broken up and the young boy who was 'playing roughly' with the other kids is threatened with punishment. Although things seem a little odd (at least to me), it's all believable.
Two things soon happen that seem to jeopardize everything. One is that two members of the community venture into the woods. One due to the fact that he lacks understanding, the other who chooses to do so. The other threat to everyone's existence is an 'accident' that happens. Because of a love triangle one person is almost fatally injured. The governing counsel must now decide what to do because of the choices that others have made. And, it turns out, a lot of things are not what they seem.
One of the words that is used a lot during the movie is the term “innocence.” It is the hope that The Village Elders that this status quo of 'innocence' is maintained. They go to great lengths to make sure that people do not violate 'the pact' by crossing the boarder/perimeter. They also make sure that people are living good lives of loving each other and not harming others. Although throughout the first half of the movie, things seem to go well. Though there are jealousies and arguments, there does not seem to be any 'overt sin.' But yet, eventually, we realize that evil is still present and a terrible act (this 'accident') happens. Everyone is affected, and it threatens to destroy everything. People seem to be panicky and at wits end with how to deal with all of the events without showing evil.
All in all, I did enjoy the movie. I knew enough of the plot that I was able to pick up on many of the 'hints' throughout the film. But, it also really got me thinking. How often do we try to play this game? That is, how often do we pretend that we can overcome our own evil, sinful nature through our own strength? Many religions teach this idea. That by self-discipline, one can distance ourselves from our sinful nature so as to not act out on it. Throughout Scripture, we see that we are complete incapable of doing so. Sin will rear its ugly head sooner or later. And, there will be consequences when this happens.
Now, it is important to discipline ourselves. We are called to live our life of obedience to God's Laws. The thing is, Scripture teaches is that it is not by our own strength that we can do this. As Jesus tells the Pharisee Nicodemus, one has to be 'born again' or 'born from above.' (John 3:1-21) It is only when the Holy Spirit dwells within us and seek to let It control our lives that we can live a life pleasing to God. The thing is, we will never be 'perfect' and live a 'sinless life' in this world. We will always struggle with sin. But, in our journey in life, as we seek to let God guide our lives, we can become 'more Christ-like.' The theological term for this is sanctification. A good definition of this word is:
Movies are wonderful for entertainment. And they can be very good tools for teachings important lessons in life. But, it is important that we take the teachings of God's Word as the foundation of our lives. So relax and read a good book or watch a good movie. They can be wonderful entertainment. But, be discerning in what you take in. Let God's Spirit guide each of us as we learn and grow.
- Romans 3:9-20 NAS
- 1 John 1:5-10 NAS
- The Village (2004)
I finished watching a very interesting movie not to long ago called, “The Village (2004).” It was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. I know that not everyone out there likes spoilers, so I will try to not tell too much. According to the IMDB page, it is considered to be a mystery, drama and a romance movie. Those descriptions definitely do fit. But, I believe there is a very important theological bent to this movie, too. The theological concept of human kind and human nature.
One of the first things that we learn in the movie is that the members of The Village have a pact or truce of sorts. It seems that there is some sort of intelligent creature living in the woods surrounding the village. The agreement comes to light that, as long as they do not wear 'the bad color' and do not venture into the woods, the creatures will not come into their Village and cause harm. This underlined fear of the creatures in the woods in one of the main themes driving the movie. The fear of these creatures and the evil of 'people in the other towns' keep the members of this community totally isolated from anyone else. In fact, there is a continuous fear that if anyone were to visit one of 'those towns,' it could destroy their 'innocent community.'
Watching the movie, set in 'olde Pennsylvania,' we see what appears to be a genuine utopia. There are no weapons seen at all. One starts to wonder if we are observing an Amish-like culture. There are definitely Judeo Christian values, though nothing really overt. At one point in the movie, a young man who has some sort of mental problems is seen hitting some other boys with a stick in a playful manner, and then they all start wrestling. It is soon broken up and the young boy who was 'playing roughly' with the other kids is threatened with punishment. Although things seem a little odd (at least to me), it's all believable.
Two things soon happen that seem to jeopardize everything. One is that two members of the community venture into the woods. One due to the fact that he lacks understanding, the other who chooses to do so. The other threat to everyone's existence is an 'accident' that happens. Because of a love triangle one person is almost fatally injured. The governing counsel must now decide what to do because of the choices that others have made. And, it turns out, a lot of things are not what they seem.
One of the words that is used a lot during the movie is the term “innocence.” It is the hope that The Village Elders that this status quo of 'innocence' is maintained. They go to great lengths to make sure that people do not violate 'the pact' by crossing the boarder/perimeter. They also make sure that people are living good lives of loving each other and not harming others. Although throughout the first half of the movie, things seem to go well. Though there are jealousies and arguments, there does not seem to be any 'overt sin.' But yet, eventually, we realize that evil is still present and a terrible act (this 'accident') happens. Everyone is affected, and it threatens to destroy everything. People seem to be panicky and at wits end with how to deal with all of the events without showing evil.
All in all, I did enjoy the movie. I knew enough of the plot that I was able to pick up on many of the 'hints' throughout the film. But, it also really got me thinking. How often do we try to play this game? That is, how often do we pretend that we can overcome our own evil, sinful nature through our own strength? Many religions teach this idea. That by self-discipline, one can distance ourselves from our sinful nature so as to not act out on it. Throughout Scripture, we see that we are complete incapable of doing so. Sin will rear its ugly head sooner or later. And, there will be consequences when this happens.
Now, it is important to discipline ourselves. We are called to live our life of obedience to God's Laws. The thing is, Scripture teaches is that it is not by our own strength that we can do this. As Jesus tells the Pharisee Nicodemus, one has to be 'born again' or 'born from above.' (John 3:1-21) It is only when the Holy Spirit dwells within us and seek to let It control our lives that we can live a life pleasing to God. The thing is, we will never be 'perfect' and live a 'sinless life' in this world. We will always struggle with sin. But, in our journey in life, as we seek to let God guide our lives, we can become 'more Christ-like.' The theological term for this is sanctification. A good definition of this word is:
“involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man”. reference here
Movies are wonderful for entertainment. And they can be very good tools for teachings important lessons in life. But, it is important that we take the teachings of God's Word as the foundation of our lives. So relax and read a good book or watch a good movie. They can be wonderful entertainment. But, be discerning in what you take in. Let God's Spirit guide each of us as we learn and grow.
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