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weeping for Syria’s children
After the trauma
thebattlebegins
A dose of courage:
sailing with injured soldiers magazine for members of the armed forces
Autumn 2013
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before
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your Father knows what you need
you ask Him Matthew 6:8
Contact
www.afcu.org.uk
AFCU (Armed Forces’ Christian Union)
SASRA (Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Scripture Readers Assoc.)
E mail: office@afcu.org.uk
Email: hq@sasra.org.uk
Havelock House, Barrack Rd, Aldershot, Hants GU11 3NP Tel 01252 311221 www.afcu.org.uk
NCF (Naval Christian Fellowship)
Rodney Block, HMS Nelson, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, Hants PO13HH Email: ncf@dial.pipex.com Tel 07766257211
Havelock House, Barrack Road, Aldershot, Hants GU11 3NP Tel 01252 310033
MMI (Military Ministries International)
Havelock House, Barrack Rd, Aldershot, Hants GU11 3NP Tel 01252 311222 Email: headoffice@m-m-i.org.uk
www.acctsmmi.com
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Contents S
ince moving as a family to Cyprus on posting I've found myself living in the borderlands between two countries. One of the main roads I frequently take runs directly along the ‘buffer-zone’ between North and South Cyprus, where armed soldiers eye each other across the fields. Day to day life inevitably includes regular border crossings and my passport is rarely out of my pocket. Coming from a small island, this ‘border-life’ feels strange and emphasises the barriers and conflicts between us. Here in Cyprus it is a constant reminder of the hostilities that still stand and the many lives that have been lost over the years. But border-life is something Christians should be familiar with, as we live with the tension of life here and our spiritual lives with God. This issue of Contact goes to print with military action over the use of chemical weapons in Syria still hanging in the balance and as we see and hear the Typhoons overhead. Only the other day the tannoy announced 'Scramble' and seconds later the Typhoons were up and away, keeping the island of Cyprus secure and giving great assurance to the dependants and the thousands of ex-pats living here. As military personnel and families we live with the reality of war but, when a new conflict looms, there is always uncertainty and a some anxiety. Dr Peter Lee reflects on the ethical issues of a military strike on Syria, looking at the Christian principles that need to be weighed in the balance.
This issue sees a special feature on ex-marine turned clergyman, Nigel Mumford, who has battled with Post Traumatic Stress Didsorder and who launched a new healing ministry this September, having written a book on PTSD, based on his own experiences over the past decade or more. Another clergyman and former army officer traces, his journey of faith, which has taken him most recently to Afghanistan as a chaplain, where he had to find an extra supply of courage in dangerous circumstances. In this issue we are delighted to have an advert on Alpha for Forces on page 15. We are grateful that Alpha for Forces is now supporting Contact and helping us partly to fund a third issue, which is due out in early December. Look out for more on this in the next issue, when we will have an item on the course, what it offers and information from Alpha for Forces coordinator, Eric Martin. We are keen to have four issues of Contact per year but with budget cutbacks this has not been possible. If anyone wishes to help sponsor or has ideas how we might fund a fourth issue please get in contact.
Rachel Farmer Editor
If you wish to know more about what it means to be a Christian and/or how to become a Christian, find and ask your local chaplain or a Christian you may know or pick up the phone and ask the AFCU office 01252 311221
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Injured soldiers at sea Post Herrick sailing venture for Welsh battalion
The hidden battle with PTSD...
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Nigel Mumford shares his journey
Soldier’s journey to the priesthood Phil Burrows shares his story
Weeping for Syria -
Dr Peter Lee on the ethics of military action
A world conference for the military Rhett Parkinson looks ahead
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Regulars JP’s Blog Steve Martin reflects Coffee Break & Reviews Caption Competition
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sailing therapy a bit like Peter, the disciple, our soldiers and indeed the skipper too all had to find extra portions of courage...
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Fusilier Shaun Stocker
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njured British soldiers, all wounded while serving in Afghanistan, plucked up courage to embark on a sailing expedition in the Mediterranean. Among the crew of 11 were two double amputees, a single amputee, a soldier who had lost most of his sight and soldiers with other lifechanging injuries. Anchoring outside a former Russian submarine tunnel, cliff jumping and tasting oysters for the first time, was all part of a special expedition this summer, for the unlikely crew, who sailed a 50ft yacht around the Croatian islands off Dubrovnik. The trip was the brain-child of their padre, the Revd Simon Farmer, and B Coy 2iC Capt Pete Hayward both of whom had returned from a gruelling 6 month tour in Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh. The padre took the role of Skipper, Capt Hayward was First Mate, and they had a Medical Officer (MO) on board, AFCU member Capt Tom Linton, together with nurse, Sgt Kate Hartley. All had served in Op HERRICK 16.
Padre Simon said: “While I was out in Afghanistan on HERRICK 16, often based at the Regimental Aid Post offering assistance to the medical teams and witnessing yet another horrific scene when our soldiers had been injured, the idea was born to give something back to these very young men and women who had been injured.” A keen sailor himself, Simon hoped the trip would be a time to reflect, and for the boys to unwind a bit more to help with the ongoing processes of healing, of physical, mental and emotional wounds. He explained:“Sailing is the perfect medium for this as it takes people into a totally new environment and offers different experiences and challenges. Water and boats were often the backdrop to many a scene where Jesus Christ shared his life and where the Christian faith of his early followers was revealed and tested. I love the water and have often felt closest to God on the water. I often remember Peter, the tough fisherman, having to get out of a fishing boat and have a go at walking on the water as Christ called out to Him. And
a bit like Peter, the disciple, our soldiers and indeed the skipper too all had to find extra portions of courage, not only to join the expedition, but also to get this large yacht to sail to the best of our abilities. None of us quite knew what we were in for!"
Sailing was new to almost all of the soldiers, but they soon learnt the ropes and all adapted amazingly quickly to an onboard environment. Sgt Kate Hartley (28) said:“It was a privilege to be able to work with these guys because once they are injured you don’t see them anymore, and this was the first time I’d seen a lot of them since they were injured..” Kat continued, “The trip was a bit of a challenge because of their injuries but we all helped each other and nobody struggled for anything, because you shared all the work and everyone had a go at everything at some point. You’d be washing, cooking, cleaning and working on the yacht, helping get the sails up, doing the ropes and everybody had a go at helming the boat. One of the best moments was seeing Fusilier Stocker, who has no legs and who can’t see very much, helming the boat. With the padre quietly coaching him, Stocker soon began to learn the art of sailing with the helm (the wheel) firmly in his hands. He began to feel the wind and was able to steer to the wind which he felt on his face. Stocker hadn't been able to drive since getting blown up and to see his smile as he had control of the boat was brilliant." Twenty-two-year-old Shaun Stocker was the most seriously injured soldier on the trip. Like many others onboard he was out on patrol in Helmand Province, when he stood on an IED. “It was the last week before I was due to come home,” he said. He is very matter of fact about his injuries. “I lost both legs and injured my arm and my eyes were badly damaged as was my mouth and nose. I was meant to go on this trip with my new legs, but they couldn’t be made in time and I suddenly had cold feet with only hours to go. I decided I didn’t want to go and be a burden on the others,
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as I wouldn’t be able to get around so easily and needed a wheelchair. In the end I was persuaded to go by some of the crew, my girlfriend and the padre and I’m so pleased I did.”
Shaun and another double amputee, Fus Steve Handley, moved around the boat without their legs – often disappearing head first down hatches, much to the doctor’s amazement! MO Tom said: “Instead of wakeboarding, Shaun and Steve even showed off by doing hand stands on a Kayak we dragged behind the yacht, as they couldn't stand! We all learnt so much about each other and being positive about every situation and not least that God had given us all another day of life to enjoy.”
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to get around the boat on their stumps or shuffle on their bottom, or that they couldn’t swim for long because they got tired. I really like to think they all gained a bit of confidence because they had to stretch themselves doing things they wouldn’t normally do.”
Among the crew was Fus Gregg Brighouse who said: “I’d only been in Afghanistan four weeks, having recently left training, when I lost my leg below the knee.” Gregg said the sailing trip had been an amazing experience. “It was fantastic as I’d never been sailing before, and now I’m contemplating buying a boat! What was good was trying something that I’d never done before and it was good to learn to sail and get better at it.”
Padre Simon said, “I am certain everyone aboard learnt more about themselves. I certainly did. We saw our young soldiers build up reserves of courage again. You could see how they were constantly having to learn to adapt to their new bodies, not easy when the locals couldn’t help but stare at them. I think the stares were mostly in admiration, especially when they learnt that they had been injured through serving their country. I have no doubt that our injured soldiers are an inspiration to those they meet as people see their courage and determination in the face of such physical challenges. I hope the experiences on the yacht will remain with them for years to come. The trip gave them the opportunity, in a safe environment, to share some of
From left, Padre Simon Farmer, Fus Shaun Stocker, Capt Tom Linton and Fus Gregg Brighouse.
Shaun said the trip was a fantastic experience, but not all plain sailing. “It was brilliant, I would never have thought of doing something like that. The best bit was the beauty of all the little islands and being able to go to places you could only get to in a boat which were completely untouched. On the first day of sailing there were a couple of scary points when the wind was a strong 30 knots and the boat basically went on its side, and having no legs to steady me I was hanging on to a winch! Then a couple of us were sea sick. I was thinking, ‘Is it going to be like this for the whole trip?’ because it was really hard at first. However, soon we all started to enjoy it and I helped out with crewing and we all chipped in when it came to sailing the boat.” The MO said, “What impressed me was that they never let their disability affect them and, rather than moaning they just got on and did it themselves. We never once heard them complain that they had
Pete, First Mate, was also one of the injured. “I was a brand new platoon commander in Afghanistan and tasked to go forward. As we moved across open ground I trod on an IED. It took off the back part of my leg and smashed my knee, which had to be put back together. I understand the challenges our boys face and the feeling of being excluded from normal battalion life and sports. This was a great opportunity to help the boys feel included and valued again and show that they can achieve whatever they wish despite their injuries. It was perhaps slightly unusual to see a padre taking command of a yacht and leading an expedition, but why not? Chaplains in the Army are about living alongside the soldiers and Padre Simon was no exception, as he was able to use a skill and his sailing experience to allow our injured soldiers to step out of their comfort zone.”
the emotions of having lost limbs and coping with life changing injuries.”
1 Royal Welsh Commanding Officer, Lt Col Stephen Webb, said: “I’m delighted that so many of our injured soldiers were able to go. Many of them are recovering from very serious wounds and they demonstrated huge courage by volunteering for a trip that, at some stages, was both physically and mentally testing.” contact 5
the battle within
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From soldier, to minister, to author and pastor, Nigel Mumford has lived a chequered life and it is this rich tapestry, including its ups and downs and numerous near death experiences, that have led him to set up a new healing ministry for the church. Launched in September, the charity ‘By His Wounds’, coincides with his latest book After the Trauma the Battle Begins, which gives hope to those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder...
I used to be a drill instructor and made grown men cry. Now I am a vicar, I still make grown men cry!
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Nigel on patrol in Northern Ireland
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ooking back over the past 38 years of living with PTSD, I decided to write this book to try to help others as I drew on my own experiences and observations of trauma, writes Nigel Mumford. I served three tours, (1972,1973, and 1974) in Northern Ireland, was on the ground just after New York’s 9/11, then ran a programme for combat veterans - By His Wounds. I have tried to be as transparent as possible, looking beyond the mask of a Royal Marine Commando into my very soul, and trying to explain the juxtaposition of the two. As I so often say, I used to be a drill instructor and made grown men cry. Now I am a vicar, I still make grown men cry! As service men and women we all seem to react to trauma in different ways. Some are able to brush it off, some cannot. Some of us can cope with a tour or two of duty but then the cumulative effect creeps up on us. There is only so much we can take. As a leader, how do we watch our troops change from being the outgoing resilient clown to someone who appears to have imploded? How do we address someone now self-medicating or disappearing into
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the crowd? How do we deal with those souls that sit and stare at nothing as they replay the horrors of the past? How do we cope with those nasty intrusive thoughts that haunt our very souls? How do we not take it out on those who love and care for us? How can we not be thoroughly embarrassed when a loud noise triggers us and we totally overreact? I hate it when that happens! What happens after the threat of our own death or the death of our fellow soldiers? We are trained for combat to kill or be killed. We are not trained to process what we have been through. This issue is nothing new as PTSD was observed with the early Greeks before the birth of Christ. How do we then reset the mind, how do we ‘control, alt, delete’ the very virus, that worm of discontent that has wriggled its way into our very being, upsetting us and all those around us? This book is for the leader, the soldier, the spouse and the therapist. I intend to open my soul to let people in to see the unseen wounds of combat. My prayer is that this book will bring hope and healing. Healing ministry in the USA
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Nigel Mumford was born and educated in England. He served for six and a half years in Her Majesty's Royal Marine Commandos; his last two years as a Marine were spent as a drill instructor at the Commando Training School. After seeing the miraculous healing of his sister, a ballet dancer, Nigel has dedicated his life to the ministry of healing. As part of the new initiative he is running a ‘welcome home initiative" this November 18-1920 in Saratoga Springs, USA. The program is free, but people have to find their own air fair. For further information email: infor@byhiswoundsministry.org or http://byhiswoundsministry.com Extracts from the first chapter of After the Trauma the Battle Begins: I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? For many years after my combat experience, lifting up my eyes to the hills translated to...’Where is the sniper hiding?’ My mind constantly considered all the possibilities of where danger was lurking. I was hyper vigilant, looking for the entrenched enemy, on guard at all times. ‘As I lift my eyes to the hills where is the pain going to come from?’ Even closing the curtains at night, I imagined a looming threat. Reaching my hands out, just as Jesus did as he was crucified, I would grab at the drapes.... my inner voice was shouting, ‘Okay, shoot me now - wherever you are hiding!’ These were constant reminders of my emotional wounds from combat.
Today, the words of Psalm 121 give me such comfort as I look out of my window every morning into the hills... I now know where my help comes from: ‘The Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth!’ Nigel describes a trip to Scotland ...as the mist hung like a blanket, hiding the sniper positions I imagined...I wandered down to the water - the very edge of the framed Loch Ness. My heart was pounding...my imagination ran wild, Hollywood kicked into gear...’I am alone with the Loch Ness monster, is he watching me?’ I walked briskly (no, I confess, I ran) back to the car, looking over my shoulder many times. ‘What is the 'monster' in my mind? What am I running from?’ The Bottom Line: the threat of death...real or perceived! I have been involved in the healing ministry of Jesus Christ since 1990 and have prayed with many as ‘monsters’, real or perceived, were unpacked. I've encountered so many people with baggage and horrors from the past. They need to be healed, reframed, put right. Many are lost in the wilderness of emotional disorders: fear, terror... anxiety, apprehension.. depression, obsessions, addictions, torment, self medications (alcohol, drugs etc) and all sorts of temptations. The play button of the mind's
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Nigel Mumford, left with General The Lord Dannatt
DVD can be pushed by all kinds of triggers, all types of ‘monsters’ roaming through the brain. The mind can be a wilderness of terrible torment...”
Policing the streets in Northern Ireland Nigel recalls the internal tensions: I was a walking target, canon fodder, waiting for that bullet with my name on it. I can vividly remember those months of visual, emotional and physical trauma as I witnessed man's inhumanity to man... I felt the immense anxiety of waiting for the result of a bullet that I wouldn't even hear. Where would it hit - my head, my arm, my heart? What would it feel like? Would I even feel it? I was hounded by these recurring thoughts. Perhaps the blast of the bomb wouldn't register in my ears. Would it take my legs off like it did my friend Tom’s? This constant internal inquisition never ceased...Would I lie bleeding for long? Would the combat bandage stop the bleeding? Would I be able to stick the morphine into my leg? My mind relentlessly played out every imaginable scenario...it was like walking around with a noose around my neck...All the while, throughout the endless trauma of combat, my mind was developing deeper and hidden scar tissue. ..The horror cloud of the past would encroach upon my ability to live in the moment, to have any semblance of peace.” In truth, all those returning from war are wounded in some manner. Going to war will leave a physical and/or an emotional sca, even a gaping wound. Nigel’s prayer for those who are bound by the bandages of past wounds, is for freedom... With bandages so tightly tied, living becomes extremely difficult. Removing them can free you to live life to the fullest, to have permission to come out of the cave of depression and despair and be freed to live again. Former Chief of the General Staff, British Army, 2006-2009, General the Lord Dannatt gave a personal endorsement for the book. He writes: “There are few people that one meets in life who have
confronted death as starkly as Nigel Mumford has, and who can then describe their experiences for the benefit of others as he has done.
This book is a remarkable testament to the triumph of spiritual healing over the despair of illness - physical or mental, real or imagined, or perhaps an amalgam of all four. For Nigel Mumford these things are not theoretical, they are his practical experience and therefore his testimony is all the more authentic because he writes about what he knows and promotes what he believes – nothing can be more genuine.
Nigel Mumford’s journey of understanding, explanation and healing through the pages of this book is underpinned by scriptural authority and inspirational experience. The combination is effective and compelling. However, the reader is not just left with a warm feeling of hope but instead given a spiritual and practical life plan based around seven carefully argued and explained steps. So this book is both a thriller and an exercise book.” The next issue of Contact will include another extract and more about Nigel’s personal experience of healing during a recent illness.
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from soldier to chaplain Army chaplain Phil Burrows, on operations in Afghanistan, reflects on his journey from army officer to army chaplain.
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lease don your body armour and helmets, we will be landing in Bastion in 35 minutes....As we were plunged into complete darkness, with the cabin lights of the Tristar aircraft switched off, I couldn’t help thinking, ‘What a good way to emphasise that we were returning to a war zone’ (as if we needed reminding!). I have just returned to Camp Bastion after 12 days on R & R (Rest and Recuperation). As we touched down around midnight Afghan time, the coaches took us back to the Reception and Staging Centre where we had first arrived at the start of the tour. It seemed unreal that the last time I had stood here was five months ago on the 1st April and now I have less than a month to do in Helmand Province.
So how did I get here – being an Army chaplain I mean? Having been confirmed ‘out of the Church of England’ at age 14 (my father said I could make my own mind up after confirmation and I told the vicar I didn’t believe a word of it!), I came to faith during my time at university, whilst on an Army sponsorship for a Regular Commission with The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. I didn’t know then with my newfound faith, if it was right for me to join the Army but I was sure that, despite it being all I had ever set my heart upon, if God wanted me to do other things then I would seek to put him first. Over 18 months I asked a number of people for advice on my situation (whose opinion or Christian standing I respected), and it was split pretty evenly between those who thought it was wrong to put myself in a position where I might have to kill someone and others who thought it
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essential that Christians acted as ‘salt and light’ in professions where difficult decisions were faced and great responsibility exercised (all pretty confusing to a young 19 year old). Eventually, whilst praying about the future, I read in 1 Corinthians 7:17, ‘Each one should retain the place in life that the Lord has assigned him and to which God has called him.’ Eureka! God knew that I was committed to the Army before I came to faith – I reasoned that he must have a purpose and a plan and if I’d got it wrong He was more than capable of making that plain too.
I enjoyed soldiering and saw it as my ‘career for life’ but it seemed that God had other ideas. I developed a pastoral awareness looking after the welfare of soldiers and a number of events, including visiting the families of soldiers who had been killed on operations or training, led
me to consider some kind of full-time Christian ministry. At the same time I was running away from the idea of ordination – it felt like God was backing me into a corner until I did something about this ‘feeling’ that wouldn’t go away. I’m a slow learner, so having first spoken to Padre Tom Hiney in 1986 about discerning God’s call, it wasn’t until September 1990 and two postings later that I was accepted by the Church of England Selection Board, finally resigned my commission and headed off to theological college in North London. We all had jobs to share as part of living within this new community. I’m sure it was God’s sense of humour that this exInfantry officer was assigned to the College maintenance team and spent the first term picking up leaves! In my first training position I remember my vicar saying that, ‘no experience in life is
Always be careful what you pray for!
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ever wasted.’ How true that is, even if I wasn’t called to run rifle ranges or bring down mortar fire in the parish! Now as an Army chaplain I am comfortable amongst soldiers (I had forgotten the outrageous banter and wicked sense of humour!) I have served in Germany, Northern Ireland, Cyprus and the UK. A little over two years ago I was still in parish ministry and serving as a Territorial Army chaplain with 207 Field Hospital (V) in Manchester. I was keen to serve soldiers full time, only to find that the ‘door was firmly closed to me’ as I was too old to transfer to the Regular Army. So there I was, happily overseeing the growth of a local parish church when I received a phone call from the Assistant Chaplain General, “Was I still interested in joining the Regulars?” Always be careful what you pray for! I have often preached that, as Christ’s followers, we are called to obedience - and now my life was about to be turned upside down. Three months later I arrived with the 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment as a Regular Army padre and the rest, as they say, is history. For me, the time on Herrick 18 spent forward with the Transition Support Unit (TSU) in Nad ‘Ali District has reinforced the privilege it is to minister as an Army chaplain. Below are just a few extracts from my daily prayer journal.
16th April 2013: Deployed to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shawqat. At our first Sunday Communion service we prayed that God would have mercy on us and keep us safe. That he would confuse and confound all those who plot evil and who would seek to do us harm and that his guardian angels would build a hedge of protection around our bases and all who travel. We remembered our families and loved ones. 1st May: Took a short service on St George’s Day last week then had to parade again at lunchtime to tell everyone that one of our NCOs back home had died unexpectedly. We stood in silence together, commended him to Almighty God and prayed for his widow. Those who knew him were shocked. Later small groups wanted to talk and share something they recalled about their friendship.
12th May: Conducted a Vigil in our Forward Base for William, Sam and Bobby whose lives had been tragically cut short by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). As the Last Post was being played a successful strike went in against insurgents who were laying another roadside bomb. My emotions were mixed. I felt saddened and at the same time, genuinely relieved (as the bomb was being planted on one of the routes we travel along). I believe that taking the life of another human being is always a failure at some basic human level but sometimes it is
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necessary to act or evil will prevail. These are the kind of deliberations we face if we are to minister on the front line.
26th May: A young man spoke to me about the journeys he made as a fuel truck driver. I travelled with him on his next trip, gave him a set of ‘dog tags’ with a Scripture verse and a cross and said a prayer before we set off. “We’ll be all right, Padre” he said, “You’ll see!” The Church calls this ‘Incarnational’ ministry – in the same way that God emptied Himself of all the glory of heaven and lived an earthly life among us as Jesus – so we seek to share the same lives and conditions as those we serve. He didn’t need me to say I would pray for him, although I do. He needed me to travel with him along the road. Oh, and he was right too, we were fine!
5th June: Since the news broke of Fusilier Lee Rigby’s murder back in the UK I have held a series of Padre’s “hours” with groups of soldiers, giving them a chance to air their views and to make sense of the reaction back home and on the internet. The overriding view was measured, “It’s not Muslims who are responsible for this - we work with Muslims all the time and they’re not terrorists”. How are we to respond to such shocking events? The apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Romans (12:21), ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’ and the New Testament tells us, ‘Perfect love casts out fear’. God is love; any practice or teaching from whatever faith or none which propagates hatred, has nothing to do with God. 20th July: Had the privilege of completing two ‘Christianity Explained’ courses with six candidates, one of whom will be confirmed, another is to be baptised later in the tour (see photo left). It is thrilling to see God at work in people’s lives.
So how would I sum up the life of a chaplain on operations with an infantry battalion? My message has been a simple one; that we can trust God in difficult circumstances. I have tried to live that out in practice and share it in a way that is relevant to soldiers. The apostle Paul wrote, “I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learnt the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do everything through God who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13). Travelling around living out of my daysac and sharing the very different circumstances of the troops in Afghanistan, this quotation is an apt description of the soldier’s lot and therefore of life as an army chaplain. I am at home where the guys are and I have learnt (sometimes the hard way) to be content because I know that this is where God has called me and that I serve in the strength that he supplies.
my life was about to be turned upside down
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by Dr Peter Lee
Weeping over Syria
Suffer the little children: the dilemmas of military intervention Few would dispute that the sight of thousands of dead Syrians and millions of Syrian refugees constitutes a desperate and just cause
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The Syrian crisis - and in particular the use of chemical weapons - provoked shock, anger, despair, pity, grief, and calls for punitive action. For the Christian, perhaps especially in the armed forces, the pursuit of justice must be weighed alongside a desire for truth, mercy and the moral imperative to avoid making a bad situation worse. Dr Peter Lee examines some of the issues around military intervention...
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grief-stricken father tenderly handed over the shrouded, lifeless body of his tiny daughter to be placed in the mass grave. Surgical masks were being worn in the hope that they would ward off the chemical death that had claimed so many lives. Some shouted about revenge, hatred and the greatness of God but for that now-childless man, there were no words left. Was anyone unmoved by the plight of the Syrian victims of the chemical attacks that added a poisonous new dimension to the escalating civil war and its consequent humanitarian catastrophe? Do we not have a responsibility to protect the innocent who cannot protect themselves? Surely in this situation any compassionate, right-thinking person should demand: Something Must Be Done! What Christian wants to pass by on the other side of the road? But it is precisely this emotional knee-jerk rush to intervene militarily in disastrous situations – most recently Syria – that should be resisted by the West in general and the
UK and US in particular.
For what can be done? Consider the challenges.
Practically speaking, two things are essential before military force should be committed to even for the most humanitarian cause. First, leaders like Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama need to be able to articulate a desired political end-state that will improve the situation for the weak and vulnerable, ideally a long-lasting peace, or a positive step in that direction. Second, they must then specify how the use of force will lead to, or contribute to, the attainment of that end-state. If either or both of these conditions cannot be met then military intervention becomes a lottery, with potentially catastrophic and unpredictable effects. Neither of these conditions could satisfactorily be met when the UK parliament blocked British involvement in any military intervention when MPs voted on 30 August 2013. Every option appeared to potentially make things worse.
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When UN weapons inspectors – who were seeking evidence of the use of chemical weapons – came under sniper fire in Damascus only a few days earlier, there was immediate talk of air strikes from hawks on both sides of the Atlantic. The Russians were refusing to cooperate with their Western counterparts on the UN Security Council – the US, UK and France. They warned that any use of force by NATO would be met by stern resistance from Syria’s Russian-supplied air defences, with further escalation a possibility. Complicating matters further were political sensitivities in London and Washington, with the British and American people reluctant to allow Mr Cameron and President Obama to embark on what might turn into another foreign misadventure that could result in more British and American body bags being silently ferried home. Some called for drones – remotely piloted aircraft like the RAF’s Reaper – to be deployed. However, the RAF Reapers that have operated with impunity over Afghanistan, along with their American counterparts, would be vulnerable to Syrian ground-to-air defences if they entered contested airspace. A full-scale attack by American F-16s and F-22s, and British Typhoons and Tornados, would fare much better, especially if accompanied by NATO electronic and other counter-measures. Only such a massive and aggressive air campaign could create the conditions necessary for the Reapers and Predators to operate safely. The UK rejected that option while the US kept it available to the President.
What about pilotless cruise missiles? Expensive, but also accurate and with sufficient range to cause significant damage if enough of them are fired at the right targets. Hit the wrong targets and the
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the ethics file
humanitarian situation would deteriorate and a PR nightmare would rapidly follow. But what would be the ‘right’ target, and could any potential attacker ensure that only those targets would be hit, all without causing collateral damage and the deaths of more civilians?
Air power, contrary to the beliefs of the over-optimistic, should not be seen as a panacea option. Advocates like Mr Cameron point to the success of the Kosovo air campaign in 1999 where Slobodan Milosevic’s regime crumbled after 78 days of bombardment, importantly forgetting the change in the Russian position. This fails to acknowledge that US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and her NATO chiefs anticipated it would only take two to three days of aerial attacks to force the Serb leader to the negotiating table. The miscalculation was enormous. Milosevic had concealed his key military assets and NATO almost ran out of targets to hit. The Libyan, Syrian and other regimes learned those self-same lessons, hiding what they could, and surrounding immovable objects with civilians and TV cameras. So what can be done? Precious little that can ensure a positive outcome. Threats of eventual prosecution at the international Criminal Court can be levied at all sides, but are usually ignored. But what of the moral case for military intervention to save the weak and vulnerable from tyranny? Traditional just war arguments demand that force be used only in pursuit of a just cause. Few would dispute that the sight of thousands of dead Syrians and millions of Syrian refugees constitutes a desperate and just cause: echoing similarly tragic, though possibly less devastating, events in Kosovo in 1999. It is likewise very difficult to dispute the intentions of Mr Cameron and President Obama, to save
lives rather than seek personal or national advantage. However, Tony Blair’s WMD arguments over Iraq, which were never located, has left a legacy of distrust among the British. The just war criteria of last resort and a reasonable probability of success are more problematic. First, the interests of Russia and the US/UK continue to clash, reducing the likelihood of pursuing joint political initiatives; and second, wars fought increasingly among the people inevitably kill more non-combatants than combatants, making success harder to define, let alone achieve. In light of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, it would be an optimistic politician or military commander who made a bold prediction of success in somewhere like Syria.
All of the above, combined, leaves the Christian – especially the Christian member of the armed forces – in a desperately uncomfortable place, with innocent people dying if force is not used against tyrants and possibly even more innocent people dying if it is. In addition, prospective future despots might be emboldened by caution or errors on the part of those states like the UK and US with the means to undertake military intervention. Perhaps the only response is to hope and pray ( 2 Timothy 2 v1-2) that eventually there will be justice for the oppressor and mercy for the weak. In the meantime the children will continue to suffer and we must look on in tears. The contents of the article above reflect the author's personal views and are not necessarily the views of AFCU.
Dr Peter Lee is a former RAF chaplain and author of Blair’s Just War: Iraq and the Illusion of Morality (Palgrave Macmillan).
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J P ’s B l o g
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t was my first Sunday back in Afghanistan after what seemed like a very short two months at home and I was settling into the US service in Kandahar’s Fraise Chapel. Starting to wonder why I thought having pancakes, bacon & powdered egg was a good idea, I realised that I should probably be paying more thought to the typical American service than my typical American breakfast. The Air Force chaplain who was leading the service stood up and asked if anyone had anything we wanted to thank God for. A young US Army Second Lieutenant stood up and through a veil of tears she sobbed. ‘I want to thank my God, because last week I sat here with the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with. But this week God’s called him home and ...’ She broke off and crumpled into friends surrounding her. There was silence, and as I sat there watching the congregation descend to comfort and pray with her I couldn’t help but realise that the lump in my throat was borne partly out of admiration at her tenacity. It was not Sunday school platitudes in her tearblurred eyes – it was total trust in where her fallen fiancé is now. ‘Let us hold firmly to the HOPE that we have confessed, because we can trust God to do what He has promised. (Hebrews 10:23 NCV)
Hope, like many English words, has been diluted beyond recognition from its original meaning. It is not the vague wish that something nice will happen, like when my 5 year old daughter puts out her hand and hopes a butterfly will land on her. Hope is the eager expectation of something we are certain is coming. So what makes us Christians so certain in what we hope for and how can we use this when describing and defending why we believe?
For me, a major factor in in my certainty is the experience of having God physically intervene in my life or that of those around
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me, often as the direct result of prayer. The problem is that when you find yourself speaking with nonChristian friends on this topic they usually attribute the results of prayer to mere coincidence. And, unless you have some fairly significant personal examples these mates often walk away feeling pretty smug. So what are your examples? Knowing Jesus as I do, I can guarantee that if you genuinely don’t have such an example yet, He is pursuing you – desperate to give you one. Although not everyone will have personally witnessed the blind see, the deaf hear or the lame walk, Christ is there intervening in our lives and once we really grasp this fact it becomes the most powerful tool in defending what and why we believe. You see all the science stuff we discussed in the last issue is great at helping the naturalist mentality realise that we in fact do have a reasonable basis for believing, but it will never explain our hope in Christ. When I was about 14 years old, my divorcee mother sat my brothers and me down to explain that we had completely run out of money and didn't have much food left. There was more than two weeks before the next benefit payment and due to an unforeseen bill we were beyond penniless. She told us that she was going to pray with the elders of her church for God to sort this out because we were simply out of options. The next day a cheque for five-thousand pounds arrived from, of all people, my father’s exgirlfriend and the woman he had left my mother for. The note explained that after splitting up she had sold the house in which they had lived together and she felt compelled to send some of the proceeds to us.
Whilst this story can clearly be explained away as a very fortunate coincidence, ask yourself if you were a betting man, would you put money on it happening ? On this question the war-time Archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple, concluded: “When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don’t, they don’t.” Furthermore this example has far less compelling authority than the time I prayed for a man lame in his right hip who walked away unaided or the time my then-eight-year-old son prayed for a number of partially and profoundly deaf children and saw God immediately and completely heal eight of them. When describing your trust in the hope of God’s numerous promises from this perspective, especially with someone who knows you well, all the philosophies and debates go out of the window. They have to make a decision about you because of the experiences you profess, and are limited to claiming you are: a) Lying, b) Deluded or c) Right.
When you explain your certain convictions in these terms, people will understand why you believe what you do despite a tide of opposite opinion. Why for you, just like that young American officer, hope is a total trust in the Living God and, when you live in this trusting hope, those around you will also know that you don't fit the first options A or B, leaving them in the uncomfortable position of considering that there may be more to this Jesus bloke than they first thought. So how do we live a life that gives credible witness to these things and how can that help in our apologetics? All will be answered in the next issue of CONTACT as we explain our trust through love.
hope
A three part look at why we believe from 1 Corinthians 13
by Flying Officer Jonny (JP) Palmer jonnyandhayley@hotmail.com
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a different path
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’m sitting here watching the World Athletics championships and after seeing those guys run, I am wondering if it’s about time to hang up my running spikes! However, seeing they have about 30 years on me and that they probably can’t put out a fire on a warship, I may keep going for a few more years! Anyway, I’ve got to keep going till the Autumn, ‘cos I’ve got a marathon to run.
Since the last time I wrote something has changed. Hills. We have moved from the flat south coast up to Derbyshire. When I open the front door, I now see hills everywhere. But that should help now, because the marathon in October is probably the hilliest in the UK: Snowdonia. And I entered this of my own free will AND I’ve run it before! Plonker. But life is like that sometimes isn’t it? Everything’s going along nicely and all of a sudden circumstances change and you are sitting at the bottom of a hill, wondering how you got there! As I said last time, I developed this passion for running whilst in the RN, and thinking about hills reminds me of one of the best, yet somehow worst, but certainly funniest, running ‘dits’… It was during the Balkans conflict, 6 months of joyous defence watches and very few ‘runs ashore’. On the way back to the UK we stopped off at Naples for a few days to give the lads a chance to sink a few tins and maybe enjoy the culture of Pompeii (note the spelling is ‘eii’ NOT ‘ey’ .. but then again I did say culture … culture and Pompey … hmmm). Three of us decided that we wanted to run up Mount Vesuvius, so we agreed that we
would go for it as soon as ‘secure’ was piped on the first day in (in fact it was 1200 … a hard life but someone had to do it!). So we worked out how to get the few miles from the dockyard down to Mount Vesuvius using public transport. However a young petty officer had just joined, and he had spent 2 years drafted to Naples. He said that he would get hold of the ships transport and drop us off at the base and collect us afterwards and bring us back to the ship. Great stuff! No need to worry about buses or trains. So we were dropped off and began to run up the hill. He had told us that it was an easy route, straight up the road. After about 20 minutes the road became a track and when it became a pathway we knew we had gone wrong. So we started to retrace our steps. We were nearly back down at the bottom, when we saw some locals sitting on a wall. In his best pigeon Italian one of the other guys (in fact he was my boss) said: “How do you get to the top?” “Que?” “Top – how do we get to the top of Mount Vesuvius?” “Mount Vesuvius???” “Yes” at which point the local man pointed at another mountain in the middle distance. Our PO had dropped us off at the base of the wrong hill!
How did we miss a volcano I hear you ask? Well, we trusted someone we didn’t know well, who had no known track record and in fact made a cock-up (and boy did we let him know he had made a cock-up when we got back on board, having run the few miles back, as we had no money for a bus or even water!)! And that is a great life lesson isn’t it? Who do we trust to lead us, to give us advice on this
Competitors in the Snowdon Marathon
journey of life? I trusted God with my life over 30 years ago and can honestly say that He has never dropped me off at the base of the wrong hill! I have had loads of hills to climb but they have always been for a purpose, never the wrong hill! So, if you are facing a hill at the moment, spend a few minutes asking God if its one he wants you to climb, or whether you have been dropped off at the wrong hill by someone else who thinks they know best. If you are facing the wrong hill it’s not too late to change direction, and if you sense you are half way up the wrong one then ask a trusted oppo for some help and guidance. It may involve retracing your steps and taking a different path – one where God is leading you. Steve (along with Carl Beech) is running the Snowdonia Marathon in October for Christian Vision for Men. If you want to sponsor them follow the links from www.cvm.org.uk to their Just Giving page.
by Steve Martin Operations Director Christian Vision for Men
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Coffee Break Chaplains and young Army and Navy NCOs from Botswana, Namibia, Malawi and South Africa training to be hosts (Warriors) at the AMCF GI 2014
What is the Armed Forces’ Christian Union (AFCU)?
Formerly the Officers’ Christian Union, AFCU is one of a number of British military Christian fellowships. It is a tri-service, interdenominational fellowship of Christians who wish to grow in their faith and share it with those with whom they serve. The basis of membership is prayer.
Who can join?
2014 World Military Conference o you want God to do more through your life whilst in the military? How about being inspired and equipped to disciple men and women serving in the military of your nation? That is the aim of the AMCF Global Interaction 2014, writes Rhett Parkinson. The Association of Military Christian Fellowships (AMCF) holds a World Conference for its leaders and future leaders every 10 years. The next world conference will be the Global Interaction 2014, to be hosted by the South African Military Christian Fellowships (SAMCF), who are praying that there will be more than 1,000 international military Christian participants. The essence of the Global Interaction Vision and Mission is to inspire and equip participants to disciple effectively the military men and women of their nations, through establishing and strengthening military fellowships and
groups in all countries of the world and having an effect by living out their faith in their families and communities.
There will also be a wide choice of seminar streams including: Evangelism, Prayer, Discipleship, Bible Study, Leadership, Men’s Ministry, Ladies’ Ministry, and Relationship streams. Rhett said, “Members of our own military have the chance to join other military Christians from more than 150 nations between 30th November and 6th December 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa, who are also seeking the spiritual transformation of their nations. The theme and key verse is taken from Joshua, 'Be bold and very courageous'.
Register your interest on the website: www.amcf2014.org. Whether you plan to go or not, why not sign up to be a Prayer Beacon and/or provide the financial support for others to attend?”
Please send letters and captions and ideas for articles to:
contact@afcu.org.uk
Photographs © Crown Copyright from www.photos.mod.uk are reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. All photographs are copyright. Every effort is made to trace copyright holders of the images reproduced. We apologise for any unintentional omission and would be pleased to insert appropriate acknowledgement in the next issue.
Please note: 1. Pictures of service men and women and those not members of the AFCU reflect
our prayers and support to all members of the Armed Forces. 2.Not all articles are the view of the AFCU Board of Trustees. Contact Editorial Team: Sqn Ldr Priestnall RAF, Mrs S Sandy, Mrs Y Cobbold, AFCU staff, The Editors
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Anyone who believes in prayer to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and who is willing to pray regularly for the spiritual welfare of the Armed Forces, is welcome as a member. Those serving in regular, territorial or reserve sections of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army or Royal Air Force join as Serving Members. All others, including those who have retired from the services, join as Associate Members. Serving membership is open to officer cadets and recruits under training, while those serving in foreign armed forces are welcomed as ‘honorary’ members. The Union welcomes as Associate Members those who are not part of HM Forces, but have a concern for the spiritual well-being of Service personnel and their families. Their prayers will be greatly valued and there are opportunities to meet with others in existing prayer groups or to pray individually for serving members and the work of the AFCU.
What will it mean to me?
Members receive regular mailings of Contact magazine, AFCU News & Views and other literature. They are invited to attend various events including teaching and fellowship days and weekends, and holidays with a Christian emphasis. Serving members are invited to be linked to an Associate group for regular prayer support and, as far as possible, encouraged to make contact with other AFCU members in their location.
Will it cost me anything?
The Union does not have a membership subscription. Members are simply asked to give as the Lord leads and according to their means (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). The cost of producing the mailings alone is about £30 per person per year.
How do I join?
You can apply for membership on the AFCU website www.afcu.org.uk by clicking on the ‘Join’ button and following directions. Or you can email (office@afcu.org.uk) or phone (01252 311221) the office and ask for a membership form.
£ P
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Competition
What a pic!
£25 e Priz
What is happening here?
Send in your Caption...
Thank you to all of you for entering this competition. We get some really good captions. Congratulations to the winner. Please send your funny caption to: rachel.reay@gmail.com or contact@afcu.org.uk and get them in before 8th November 2013.
winning caption: “We call it ‘hopscotch’. You know, that Friday feeling?” D.P.
The Big Read John Sentamu's Faith Stories is an inspiring collection of real life stories where people's faith has been strengthened despite difficult or tragic circumstances. It is a cheerful and engaging book of stories of people who are for the most part engaged in what is often called Fresh Expressions – new ways of doing church and being church. Archbishop Sentamu has added his own reflections to each story, a sort of short contemplation of how and why these things are important. DLT £8.99
Atonement Child by Francine Rivers is one of those books that's hard to put down with its beautiful and challenging story. A brilliant story teller, the author tackles the very provoking subject of abortion with love and sensitivity. Like many other Francine Rivers books it opens up a fresh way of looking at an issue which can help open up some meaningful discussions. Tyndale £9.99
C. S. Lewis: A Life, by Alistair McGrath introduces Lewis at his messy, brilliant and complicated best. This account offers much that is fresh and new, capturing his eccentricities, abilities, strengths and perplexities. This book helps us to understand how Lewis’ faith fed his various writings and how his genius lay not in his academic prowess but in his remarkable ability to communicate at a popular level. Hodder & Stoughton £20 hardback Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self, by Richard Rohr is the sequel to Falling Upward. Reading Richard Rohr is like sitting around the tribal fire listening to the village elder giving out words of wisdom. This book likens ‘True Self’ to a diamond, buried deep within us, formed under the intense pressure of our lives, that must be searched for, and separated from all the debris of ego that surrounds it. SPCK £10.99
Alpha for Forces
For information contact: Eric Martin eric.martin@alpha.org A4F Administrator alphaforforces@htb.org.uk http://uk-england.alpha.org/forces/home
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U e v Ha ? t i d a e r
on t i ss a p e Pleas
Contact magazine is published by AFCU three times per year - Contact ISSN 1359 - 1726 - Registered Charity (No. 249636)