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What
a Great Country!
The news on Sunday was disturbing, to say the least. Christian churches in Baghdad and Mosul were bombed while worshippers were gathered. The cowardly thugs who perpetrated these atrocities specifically targeted an Armenian church, a Chaldean church and a couple of Catholic churches. Such is the violent, out-of-control hatred of Islamic extremists. It bears mentioning that in Islamic teaching, Muslims, Jews and Christians are called the "People of the Book." This refers directly to the Jewish Torah, or what Christians call the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. There is a common bond because of the relationship each of these religions has with the person of Abraham, found in the book of Genesis. This fosters a mutual respect between these three religions, major doctrinal differences not withstanding. So, when these Islamic terrorists attack "People of the Book," they are violating their own teaching. The Christian community in Baghdad is quite small and is considered a minority religious group. The Jewish community there is smaller yet.
How thankful I am to wake up every day, realizing I am an American. Our nation was established on the principle of individual freedom shared in the emerging midst of a growing and diverse country. Simply put, while we are very different as Americans, we respect each others' varying beliefs, customs, and traditions. In my many travels, I have enjoyed meeting folks who are different from me in every conceivable way, except for the mutual respect we share. Case in point, I wrote about some experiences I had last year meeting a number of Muslims. I was returning to Djibouti following a mission trip with my church to Malawi, when I found myself seated next to two Muslims. These men were returning to their home in the Sudan from a business trip to South Africa. After sharing pleasantries, they asked me what line of work I was in. I told them I was a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This launched us into a discussion lasting several hours during the flight to Ethiopia. Before deplaning, we exchanged business cards and promised to visit in the future.
Then there was my friend, Hussein, in Djibouti, whom I met the day I arrived last summer for a six-month tour of duty. Though only in his mid-twenties, this Lebanese man had spent several years in his country's military, had managed a business in South Africa, and was managing a fine restaurant in Djibouti City at the time we met. We had many discussions about our beliefs during my time there, but it was always with respect and civility. When Navy Chaplain Mitch Schranz, a rabbi, came to Djibouti last fall to conduct High Holy Day services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I took him to dinner one night along with Hussein. Here we were — Muslim, Jew and Christian — breaking bread together. It was a moment to remember. This all brings me to the present. A week ago Sunday, Isaura, who was visiting me at Camp Pendleton, and I were invited to have dinner at Chaplain Irv and Fran Elson's home in San Diego. Irv is a rabbi stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Others were Chaplain Emilio and Wanda Marrero, and Navy Chief Bob and Lori Page. All four of us served together at various times during the last two years. We started at Camp Pendleton, met again in Kuwait, then Iraq, and then back to Pendleton. Irv and Fran are wonderful hosts, sharing their home and faith traditions with us. Irv offered a Hebrew prayer over the meal, and then took a loaf of bread, tearing a piece and handing it to each of us as a means of welcoming us to the table. What a rich experience! This last weekend I was in New Orleans for a Navy Reserve Religious Ministries Conference. Tied in with the conference was the retirement of my friend and mentor, Rear Admiral (one star) Darold Bigger. We had a wonderful time at his farewell dinner. But the truly historic moment came when his successor was given his star. During this very formal military ceremony, Vice Admiral Cotton (three stars - Navy) and Lieutenant General (three stars - USMC) McCarthy officiated, pinning our newest reserve chaplain, Harold Robinson, with his star. Yes, you guessed right. Chaplain Robinson is a Jewish rabbi. He is also the first admiral in the history Navy Chaplain Corps. Our guest preacher at the interfaith service prior to the pinning ceremony was Rear Admiral (two stars) Barry Black, retired Navy Chief of Chaplains. His current ministry is serving as chaplain to the U.S. Senate. Did I mention that Chaplain Black is an African-American? Is this a great country, or what! |
