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life after the
Arab Spring
finding faith
HMS Raleigh redemption for The
Railway Man magazine for members of the armed forces
Spring 2014
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You are all
around me on every side...
you protect me with your power Psalm 139:5
Contact
AFCU (Armed Forces’ Christian Union), Havelock House, Barrack Rd, Aldershot, Hants GU11 3NP Tel 01252 311221 E mail: office@afcu.org.uk
www.afcu.org.u
www.afcu.org.uk
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ransformation seems to be the theme running through this issue of Contact magazine. Starting with a true story of forgiveness that transformed people’s lives linked to film, The Railway Man, it’s amazing to see what happens when people open themselves up to God’s transforming power.
Cadets in Cornwall have also been seeing how God can break through into lives as they step out in baptism; their chaplain also shares her story of God breaking into her situation and making a dramatic difference. Nations have been transformed by war and political strife in the Middle East, starting with the Arab Spring. Although some of this has led to terrible suffering and hardships, the article by Richard Sandy looks at how Christians can continue to support those caught in the midst of these circumstances.
In this issue it’s good to welcome a new contributor, the Revd Brian McAvoy, who is writing a series of articles on ethics, starting with a focus on World War I and the use of chemical warfare.
The next issue of Contact will be out during June in time for some transformational sizzling hot summer weather - we hope!
Rachel Farmer
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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contents forgiveness & The Railway Man one daughter’s story
cadets take the plunge baptisms at HMS Raleigh
ethics and World War I by the Revd Brian McAvoy
Christians in the Middle East Col (Retd) Richard Sandy writes
Regulars
JP’s Blog Martin’s Memo Coffee Break & Reviews Caption Competition
Now available
Armed Forces Christian Union
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a true story of forgiveness behind
The Railway Man A soldier’s daughter tells her side of the story of ‘the road to forgiveness’, which ended with a walk down the red carpet...
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damaged soldier can damage others... The Railway Man, now an acclaimed film starring Colin Firth, Jeremy Irvine and Nicole Kidman, is the true story of a former Royal Signals soldier, Eric Lomax, who was ‘damaged’ through torture at the hands of the Japanese in World War II. On returning from the concentration camp he was discharged from the army and declared fit. There was little understanding for what Prisoners of War had undergone and the public did not wish to hear about defeats in the Far East, so he was effectively silenced and left to his own devices to rebuild his life. But he was unable to communicate, make decisions, cope with authority, develop relationships, handle conflict or negotiate normal human interaction. This ended up costing him many friendships, challenged his faith and his first marriage.
And while the film records his incredible journey to face the past, even confronting his own torturer and finding a way to forgive, there is an untold story of a different struggle experienced by his only surviving daughter, who was a different kind of victim of the war. Charmaine McMeekin, formerly Lomax, is Eric’s daughter from his first marriage. After her father left her mother, Nan, for his second wife, Patti (played by Nicole Kidman in the film), she had little contact with him, blaming him for the struggles they had undergone financially and for the hurt he had inflicted on her mother.
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Jeremy Irvine as the young Eric Lomax in the film
Charmaine said: “Initially my mum had no idea what he had been through – she sacrificed a huge amount for him – she had three children and I’m the only one still
alive.” For Charmaine, growing up, one phrase continually cropped up. "I was forever being told, 'Your dad was tortured'," she recalls. "But no one ever explained what tortured meant." Her father was unable to talk about his experiences. "He had this armour around him and you could never get beneath it to find out what was really going on," she says. "My dad's feelings were locked inside himself. He was there physically, but emotionally he was 100% absent.” "My mum told me that on their first night together she rubbed cream into the sores on her Dad's back and asked him what had happened. He said he didn't want to talk about it and that she should never ask him again." Nan never did ask again; Charmaine thinks she was too afraid.
Charmaine’s childhood was difficult but she thought her life was normal until she discovered later on that it wasn’t. She explained: “I would miss school because the school fees hadn’t been paid – my father couldn’t deal with money. The house was never cared for, nothing was decorated and there were holes in the curtains. He would come and go, and travelled around the country, my mother wouldn’t know where he was. I was always on a see-saw with my dad, one day I loved him and the next day I would hate him for the things he was doing.” The family experienced the humiliation of debt collectors appearing on their doorstep to claim items of furniture in place of unpaid debt, as her father neglected to pay bills. “I don’t know what kind of father he might have been if he hadn’t been tortured, “ she explained. “But my father was a bit geeky, he was a railway enthusiast (he wouldn’t like to be called a train spotter), he was an only child and frankly he was a bit of a
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sometime the hating has to stop
loner. Watching the film nearly destroyed me last July, because of depression I was never able to read my Dad's book which was dedicated to me and my brother and sister, but I am the only member of our family still alive. When I watched the film, suddenly, aged 56, the final piece of the jigsaw fell into place to help me understand what had happened to him. He never ever spoke to me about the war, but I realised the book was his way of trying to share it with us. It has taken me six months to be able to say that watching it has helped me see the man who should have been my Dad before he was tortured. This was a precious gift. Jeremy Irvine is so like my dad it's uncanny and that helped me see the father I was robbed of.”
That understanding has been an important last chapter in the long journey to forgive her father. She said: “I have just completed my training to become a Christian Counsellor. The training and personal counselling I had to have as part of my course has completely transformed my life, my understanding of my father, and has also brought me closer to God in a way I would never have imagined. I doubt that I would have survived all that has happened over the past two years not only with the film but with my Dad's death, without the support and training I have had. God has been so gracious. I did still love my dad, but I didn’t always like him. It was only when I went through counselling that I was able to look at him with adult eyes, and I could love him, but when I looked at him through child’s eyes, there were times that I hated him.”
Forgiveness was possible for Charmaine through her Christian faith. Her father never apologised for the pain caused in abandoning them and the hurt over the years. She said: “You have to be able to forgive even if there is no apology or saying sorry. When you forgive it’s a transaction that happens in the heavenly realm. You give God your pain and hurt and he fills that place with his love, healing peace and grace.
“The big shift for me was understanding that when you become a Christian you move into a different kingdom, so relationships change. The biggest thing was understanding that I had a Father in heaven who loved me and would always be there for me. A verse in Hebrews says: ‘I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.’ When you truly realise how much God loves you, then you understand that your
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earthly father is flawed, as we all are and that allows you to forgive.”
Charmaine and her husband Henry joined stars and film-makers on the red carpet for the film premiere in London in December. Her father died shortly before the film was finished, but Charmaine had made her peace with him in the years before, with regular visits and praying with him each time. On her last visit to the nursing home she spent about 4 hours at his bedside when she was able to pray for him and tell him she loved him, and that God loved him too. She said: “If you hang on to pain and revenge and negative stuff – it only affects you.” Her father had learned that too, as the closing shots of the film rolls, Eric, played by Colin Firth, says: “Sometime the hating has to stop.”
Charmaine with her father, Eric Lomax, (left) and shortly before his death.
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Are you in debt this Easter ?
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arge mess bills, Forces loans, car loans, mortgages, credit cards, mobile phone bills, student loans, high car insurance premiums, extra costs incurred by moving regularly, recent pay freezes and yet increasing inflation. It is not surprising that an article in the summer 2012 issue of Homeport, a magazine distributed by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines to naval families, said "the inability to manage personal finances" is one of the biggest welfare challenges facing members of the armed forces today. Some soldiers even volunteer for second and third tours of Afghanistan so they can boost their salary with an op bonus, often to pay off debts.
Unfortunately, armed forces personnel get into debt and financial difficulties which sometimes can be attributed to a reckless attitude towards spending. If that is you or you know someone in such a predicament, what would you say to someone who offered to pay off your debts, your loans or credit card bills or even your mortgage? No catch but just an offer simply to pay off everything you owe.
Most of us, I suspect, would leap at the chance to be debt free, especially given our current economic situation. For those in Cyprus, for example, many have had what is termed a haircut... losing hundreds and thousands of Euros. One person took a loan out in Cyprus, put the money in the bank and then days later lost all the money and now has to pay a huge figure each week in repayments with nothing at all to see for it. I have known soldiers over the years who take out loans to put the money on the races and then lose thousands. We could all do with the freedom from debt that such an offer would give. The dream of being debt free is probably why many people continue to play the lottery each week, no matter how poor the odds.
Jesus paid our debts The debt that Jesus paid for us on the cross at Easter is not a financial one. It is a gift of freely given love and it pays
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the debts that our lifestyles have accrued. Most of us know deep down that, despite wanting to think the best of ourselves, we do not always live lives of virtue. The things we do in this world affect others, the actions we take can cause hurt and upset. We don’t exist in a vacuum, our lives affect the lives of others, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. Jesus’ gift to us is to wipe clean the slate of our lives. As someone once said, when Christians talk of being born again, “It’s this idea that Jesus’ gift to us has reset the clock. Our lives up to now no longer count against us, and although we will continue to mess up the way we live, we have Jesus’ promise of forgiveness to hold on to and to really change us. It is the ‘New Life’ of Easter.”
Faith is a strange thing, if you have it you can’t imagine living without it
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This new life is one we are all invited to share in. I’m sure we’ll all agree it’s a great picture but for it to mean anything to us it first has to mean something for us personally, as individuals, and that requires a step of faith. Faith is a strange thing, if you have it you can’t imagine living without it, if you don’t it seems like nonsense. This Easter season, we are reminded of the great gift of love that Jesus gives us all through his death and resurrection. It's a gift we have to respond to in order to enjoy. Just like saying yes to a mysterious benefactor, we must say yes to his message of good news if we want part of it. This Easter are you ready for the step of faith a ‘Yes’ requires? NOTE: If you are in financial debt and struggling to manage your finances, get help, contact your Padre, UWO or contact Military Debt Help (UK) from 0800 to 2000, 7 days a week on +44 (0) 1732 365380.
finding
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irst steps of faith involved a dip in the chilly Cornish waters for new recruits and naval cadets at HMS Raleigh. But it wasn’t just the cadets who took the plunge last term, along with seven recruits and two officer cadets, the Captain of the base, Captain Bob Fancy (RN) was also baptised down at the beach. Church Army Evangelist, Nikki Thornhill, (pictured right) David Roissetter and Father Matt Godfrey, (pictured below) are part of the chaplaincy team at the military training base, and they were all involved in the service. The baptisms are not a one off either. Nikki Thornhill said she had seen some 160 recruits come to faith and be baptised during her time with the chaplaincy. In the past year alone, 67 young people have been baptised. Recruits, Jake Segrove (21), Adam Geddes (19) and Able Rate Rebecca Costin (20), were all baptised in the sea at Cawsand beach following a six-week baptism preparation course. Rebecca said: “I didn’t have a strong faith before I came to HMS Raleigh, but being away from my family I found that the church became very important to me and gave me the strength to push through my training. Learning about Jesus and Christianity has been very enlightening and being baptised seemed to me the right thing to do.” Nikki said: “This was a fantastic way for the chaplaincy team at HMS Raleigh to end the summer term. The setting was beautiful with a rainbow in the sky and three Royal Navy ships in the background. The three young sailors were plunged into the cold water as they declared their faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ. This was followed by a celebratory chip supper.” A further 10 candidates were baptised by the Bishop to the Forces just before Christmas and Nikki said she never knows what’s ahead with her work in the chaplaincy team. She explained: “The Chaplaincy department consists of 4 chaplains (Roman Catholic, Methodist and Church of England). The first item on the agenda every day is meeting together as a team
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faith at HMS Raleigh
to pray. The style of worship we use depends on the denomination of the Duty Chaplain that week. Almost every week approximately 65 new recruits aged from 16-37 begin their 10 week training. One of their many classes is to be introduced and welcomed to the Chaplaincy team and informed as to what role they play. The main weekly routine involves a significant round of classes with the recruits where they are taught the Belief and Values of the Royal Navy (these are based on Christian values), as well as a rewarding amount of pastoral work. As the majority of the recruits are non-churched, it’s amazing how quickly they see the Chaplaincy team as a place of security,
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months old; she ran out in front of a council truck and was killed. The truckdriver was a friend of my stepfather’s. He was devastated and so my husband and I went to see him the same day to assure him that it wasn’t his fault. It was an accident. It was after this I found myself crying out, if there was a God how and why could he allow such a thing to happen. “In the October I became pregnant again and at thirty weeks I was rushed into Winchester hospital. On the Saturday evening I heard a voice speaking to me, telling me to tell the doctors that the baby had not moved or kicked that day. The
Victoria would have died and I would have been seriously ill.”
Some six years later Nikki took up an invitation to go to church and had a personal encounter with God. She said: “At that point I knew then I had to say sorry to God. I knew that Christ had never left me - it was I who had rejected Christ.” Nikki went on to work in a local church and then trained as a Church Army evangelist.
I believed in something, but wasn’t sure what it was...
and rest and where they can go to off load knowing that what they share will be held confidentially.” Nikki’s own journey of faith involved a lot of heartache and tragedy. She explained: “I didn’t always believe in God. I believed in something but wasn’t sure what and it was only after a series of life events, that I became a Christian - that was about 20 years ago now. My first daughter Natasha, was killed in a road accident - she was 18
voice was so clear so precise that I went straight to the nurse on duty and informed her about the baby. I was put straight onto the foetal heart monitor. The baby’s heartbeat had stopped and I was rushed straight round to theatre. Victoria Louise was born at 10.10pm weighing 2lb 8oz. She was kept in the Special Care Unit for 7 weeks. On the Sunday morning after she was born, the doctor came to see me. He informed me that had I not had mentioned the baby was not moving,
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She said: “I look back on my life so far and realise that God has been with me all along. Christ has brought me to the place of peace. I now look at the death of my daughter in a different context. I have loved every moment of being here, but I also look forward to what God has got planned next.” This summer she moves to Yorkshire to begin ordination training at Mirfield Theological College.
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Is killing with chemical weapons more evil
the weapons d Former RAF chaplain, the Revd Brian McAvoy, examines the beginning of chemical warfare in World War I and some of the terrible dilemmas around it...
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AS, GAS, GAS... three words that strike fear into the hearts and minds of military men and (now) women since the first use of gas as a weapon during World War I. Whichever kind, blister, pulmonary or nerve agent the end result is the same, death by collapse of the central nervous system or by drowning in the excess fluid produced in the lungs or on the skin. The most up to date NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) protection kit is inevitably only as effective as its user’s skill in donning it. Preparing for a major NATO exercise in the mid 1980s, even noncombatants like me had to go through pretty rigorous training for the possibility of the “Orange” forces (the enemy) using such chemicals on us. Substituting real CS gas for the more deadly variety, failure was usually a very tearful event, both physically and mentally! I was never convinced that I would be skilled or fortunate enough to survive the real thing, even with the latest kit.
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Fritz Haber's inventions both saved millions, and were eventually used to kill millions.
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Christianity, Haber wanted to be seen and known as a patriotic Jew, and this drove his efforts with and on behalf of the German military in WW1 and the years following, until the rise of Nazism made it clear that to them he would always be a member of the race they went to such trouble to exterminate. Although he then went into exile in Switzerland after his wife’s suicide, he went into decline and died of a heart attack in 1934, aged 65. Ironically, but fortunately for him, Haber didn’t live to see the ultimate use of another of his projects, a herbicide gas which was developed into Zyklon B, the deadly poison gas used to murder millions of his fellow Jews, including members of his own family. Although it has been claimed that as many as two out of five humans on the planet today owe their existence to the discoveries made by this brilliant German chemist, this is the same chemist denounced by young German students today as a "murderer" and noone personifies better than Fritz Haber the debate over science's capacity for good and evil.
sadly, weapons of mass destruction are still being used
There is a good-guy/bad-guy tragic story behind the development of such diabolic weapons. Google Fritz Haber and you can read the whole story of the man who saved millions of lives through the synthesisation of ammonia, a basic ingredient of fertiliser which miraculously increased crop yield very cheaply and ended starvation for millions. For this he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1918. However, Haber also played a major role in the development of chemical warfare in World War I. Gas warfare in World War I was, in a sense, the war of the chemists, with Haber pitted against French Nobel laureate chemist Victor Grignard. Regarding war and peace, Haber once said, "During peace time a scientist belongs to the World, but during war time he belongs to his country." This was an example of the ethical dilemmas facing chemists at that time. Ironically, although he later converted to
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In ‘Private Peaceful’, Michael Morpurgo’s character Tommo describes an attack: “‘Gas! Gas!’ The cry goes up and is echoed all along the trench. For a moment we are frozen with panic. We have trained for this time and time again, but nonetheless we fumble clumsily, feverishly with our gas masks…..We’re on the firestep looking out into no-man’sland, and we see it rolling towards us, this dreaded killer cloud we have heard so much about but have never seen for ourselves until now. Its deadly tendrils are searching ahead, feeling their way forward in long yellow wisps, scenting me, searching for me. I’m shouting inside my mask. ‘Christ! Christ!’ Still the gas comes on, wafting over our wire, through our wire, swallowing everything in its path…..I see the trench filling up with it. It drifts into the dugouts, snaking into every nook and cranny, looking for me. It wants to seek us all out, to kill us all, every one of us.”
vil
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than causing death by conventional warfare?
dilemma
Like all nature, the gas is indifferent and simply obeys the laws of chemistry and physics but at the command of those whose wish is to kill as many of their enemy as quickly and as cheaply as possible. Tommo’s fear and horror were well founded; over the last century that has not changed, and sadly, weapons of mass destruction are still being used by such ‘people’ on other people with precisely the same outcome of death and terror. What’s to be done? "Many and sharp the num'rous ills Inwoven with our frame! More pointed still we make ourselves, Regret, remorse, and shame! And man, whose heav'n-erected face The smiles of love adorn, Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn!”
So wrote Robbie Burns in his Dirge ‘Man was made to mourn’, and we should consider our place as Christians in the ghastliness of such actions. Recent military involvement in the Middle East has once again revealed to us the depths of fear and revulsion the use of gas can evoke in any human being, but what does God, Christ and the Spirit make of what we do, sometimes in His name? Is ‘God really with us’ in any of this? Is Allah really
‘the merciful’? How sacred is our scientific knowledge and discovery?
Lives have been lost in dealing with the perpetrators of chemical attacks on the innocent, and while dictators and despots are overthrown we can only surmise that God weeps at all of our foolishness. If He were to be as angry as He is sad at this, then we might all be doomed by our own wicked choices. I am sometimes troubled by the words of the well-known passage in Ecclesiastes 3 – ‘A time for everything’, where we are assured that there is ‘a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace’, but I think this is essentially an observation on life as we make it and not a moral ‘get out of jail’ card to ease our consciences when we make bad choices. And what of Jesus in all this? Does, ‘Father, forgive them’ extend to us and those who use our scientific discoveries for evil purposes? The indifference of the soldiers playing dice at the cross could be at the heart of many of their successors’ actions today as well as those of us who make ‘democratic’ decisions to go to the aid of and protect the innocent victims. The real position of the Christian who would follow the Way of Christ is inevitably one of tension between varying degrees of ‘rightness’ and ‘wrongness’
ethics file
which is irresolvable in our human terms. Robbie Burns could see that clearly and we can too. To repent and be forgiven requires that we recognise the wrongdoing and ask for the strength of the Spirit to help us. This is not the way of the despot and dictator, and how surprised we would be to meet Hitler, Stalin and Saadam when we reach the Kingdom. And yet, “there is rejoicing over one sinner who repents….”. ‘Man’s inhumanity to man’ is not beyond the redemption of God and Hope is one of the three great Pauline virtues, and we must never lose sight of that or we really A graduate in Mental and Moral Science, The Revd Brian McAvoy served as an RAF chaplain for 28 years. Following retirement, he established, with a team, a support system for RAF Chaplains and their families with emphasis on postdeployment care and has researched extensively into PTSD and its management. He now continues ministry as an associate priest in Melton Mowbray, where he is also Officiating Chaplain to the Defence Animal Centre. His major research project ‘Soldier-priest, an irresolvable tension?’ was published by St George’s House, Windsor in January 1985.
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what happened to the
Arab Spring?
Retired army colonel, Richard Sandy, who is regional team leader for the charity Military Ministries International in the Middle East, examines the lead up to the Arab Spring and how Christians have responded to being caught in the midst of violent uprisings...
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Is there a
point at which it is justified for
Christians to take
up arms against a regime that does not specifically target or
persecute them ?
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he so-called Arab Spring initially promised much for those countries that rose up in popular demonstrations against their entrenched and autocratic leaders. But two years on the populations, and specifically the Christian communities, are currently no better off and in some cases considerably worse off. The uprisings we have seen across much of the Arab world have been a revolution. Things will not be the same again. The populations, which had been cowed by fear of the regimes and their ruthless suppression of all opposition, have overcome that fear. The people of Tunisia, Libya and Egypt have forced the removal of their autocratic and unpopular leaders through mobilisation of the general population. I was in Cairo in the early stages of the popular demonstrations in Egypt and witnessed the broad spectrum of society taking part in these initially peaceful demonstrations. Yet a similar uprising in Syria against President Bashar Al-Assad has escalated into civil war. Islamist factions, such as Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah, and now off-shoots from them, have entered the country ostensibly to support respectively the opposition and the regime, when in reality they are pursuing their own Islamist agendas. But why have these uprisings happened now across the region? One important element has been demographics. There is
Members of a Syrian refugee family huddle around a stove inside their shelter in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley
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a youth bulge working through countries of the Middle East. Over 65% of the population across the Arab world is under the age of 35 years. This young population is IT literate, having access to computers and the internet and to mobile phones. They are able to see the comparative freedoms of their own generation in other countries. Mobile phones have played a part in coordinating street demonstrations. Many of these young people are educated but there is a severe shortage of jobs, particularly for the educated young. In 2010 food prices in the region rose by 21% and between 2006 and 2011 a severe drought in Syria ruined the livelihoods of 1.5 million people in that country. Yet, in each of the countries involved, whilst many were suffering hardship, they saw those in positions of power increasing their own wealth – corruption was endemic. Furthermore, the rulers in these countries were preparing the way for family members to succeed them – giving every indication of a continuation of the status quo.
It was events in Tunisia that changed everything. Demonstrations against President Ben Ali following the suicide of a poor Tunisian stallholder, Mohamed Bouazzizi, eventually led to his removal. If one Arab country could force a president to leave by mobilising the population, then other Arab countries began to believe they also had a chance. The mobilisation of the population in both Egypt and Libya eventually saw President Mubarak and then Colonel Gaddafi removed from power. However, there was no organised political structure to fill the vacuum, leaving the gun and Islamist factions wielding the most influence. In Syria, before the uprising, the country was 66% Sunni Muslim, 12% Alawite (who have a set of beliefs that originate in Shia Islam), 10% Christian, 9% Kurds and 3% Druze. However, power was held by Alawites, considered a branch of Shia Islam. As initial demonstrations within
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Syria escalated into armed conflict between regime and the opposition, Shia groups, such as Hezbollah (based in Lebanon), and supported by Iran, came into Syria in support of the regime. The majority of the population in Syria, however, are Sunnis and as a result Sunni groups, including Sunni Islamist factions, such as Al-Qaeda, supported by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, came in to Syria ostensibly in support of the opposition. But as the conflict in Syria has intensified we are seeing now divisions within these Islamist factions themselves. Al-Qaedalinked Islamist factions, such as Al-Nusra (formed in Syria in 2012) and ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, which began in Iraq where it still has influence, has now established a separate branch in Syria) are fighting amongst each other as well as against the regime. Yet the majority of Muslims in Syria, as in Egypt, do not want a fundamentalist Islamic state. For Christians the uprisings posed a real dilemma. Biblical teaching for Christians is to support the legally appointed authority. Is there a point at which it is justified for Christians to take up arms against a regime that does not specifically target or persecute them ? Christians debated whether it was justified to take up arms to protect themselves. Demonstrating for greater freedom and democracy is one
thing but to take up arms is another question. As a result most Christians did not openly take up arms against either the regime or the opposition and thus were seen as enemies by both sides. Many Christians felt they had no option but to leave the country, many ending up in refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon or Turkey.
Those remaining, and there are an unknown number at this stage, are living in constant fear. I am in regular contact, by mobile phone and email, with a Syrian believer. Issam (not his real name), who is a former officer in the Syrian armed forces, living in a suburb of Damascus with his family. He has a wife and daughter aged 19 years who should be going to university but is unable to get to there. His youngest son is aged 8 years and his school functions only occasionally. This man and his family are committed Christians who are so grateful for the contact with Christians outside the country and for our prayers, which he says have so far kept him and his family safe. The neighbourhood in which he lives has been bombed, killing one of his neighbours. The electricity goes off at irregular intervals most days, sometimes for up to 6 hours. Food and the basics of life are hard to come by and very expensive. The price of bread has risen by 500% in the last 2
Is there more to life than this Pub again
Refugees in crisis
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years. What he and all other Syrians living in the country fear most is that food will run out.
We simply do not know how many Christian families remain in Syria, but there are a number living around Issam in his Damascus suburb. They are still able to meet regularly, almost daily, in their local church, which provides real fellowship and encouragement. Movement is heavily restricted and they do not go out after dark. These families have been living like this for over a year. There seems no end to the fighting and, although there have been some preliminary talks in Geneva, the question of whether or not Assad can remain will be a major stumbling block over any peace agreement. Russia and Iran have a key role in any resolution of the situation. The uprisings which Christians, as well as moderate Muslims, felt promised so much for greater democracy and freedom across the Arab world have so far proved unattainable. It may be that the western model of democracy is not appropriate in the Arab world and a modified, Islamised ‘democracy’ will have to be developed by countries of the Arab world themselves. But they need peace and stability to allow that to develop and our prayers.
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was fixed on the briefing room’s TV monitor, aghast at what I was seeing reported on BBC News. The screen went blank as one of the Flight Commanders stood up, “I guess we’re not going then” he said, indicating that the briefing was over. We were in to find out the results of the House of Commons vote to authorise military action in Syria following the chemical attack on a civilian population. We were almost expecting it to be a rubber stamping exercise after which the operations’ cell was going to brief our Squadron’s part to play; a part that I had spent many painstaking hours creating and developing over the past week. As we filed out, the emotion in the atmosphere was palpable. A mixture of relief at not having to fly into an area sporting some not-too-rusty Russian-made air defences, frustration and resentment over the sheer volume of wasted planning and for some – including me – disappointment at not seeing the task through.
As I headed into the crew room to get a coffee, the topic of conversation was obvious and, whilst waiting for the excruciatingly slow kettle to boil, I was drawn into the debate. Surprised at just how divided opinion on it was, and taking up with those who favoured intervention, I found myself at the wrong end of some pretty pointed questions. “JP, you’re supposed to be a Christian – what happened to thou shall not kill?”
I had another one of my amazing moments of inability to get across what I was trying to say. Instead of giving a reasoned analysis, or explaining that ‘kill’ is actually a bad translation and the term ‘murder’ is far more applicable, I just sort of stood there, unsure as to exactly how this political debate had been levelled
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t h e
F a i t h
at my faith or why I was getting asked such a bone question by someone from within the military. Regardless of any of this I realised, much too late for the conversation, that the exact interpretation of the 6th commandment was totally irrelevant to my personal desire to intervene in the Syrian conflict. That desire, divorced from my professional position as an Air Force officer, was based on the fact that there were innocents, widows and orphans, dying every day while we did nothing. And, if I were to look at this situation from Jesus’ perspective, my first thought would have to be for them. ‘He has shown you what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’ (Micah 6:8) This verse is not some impossibly challenging demand laid down by an angry and judgmental God. To act justly, love mercy and walk humbly is not a command but a massive insight into the Father heart of God. It is exactly the same relationship I have with my boy when he takes care of the kid with a grazed knee or does what he’s told without answering me back. I’ll still love him even if he is stomping away in a huff, but seeing him look after a kid half his age when he could (quite rightly) be off doing his own thing fills me with enormous pride. So, with that idea firmly in mind, let’s have a look at what God means when he calls us to ‘act justly’. This is actually more
complex than it first seems. The Hebrew word translated in the NIV as ‘act’ can be translated do, conduct yourself or seek out/pursue; whilst the word justice usually regards regulations and standards but can also refer to the justness of cause. So let’s expand the term ‘act justly’ to say, ‘do the right thing to the highest standard you can and doggedly pursue the right thing for anyone who needs you to fight their corner.’ At that moment in time I felt like I could play a part in fighting the Syrian innocents’ corner like this was the right thing to do if we were to pursue any sort of justice.
Looking back now with a little hindsight and a lot more sleep than I’d had that week, the issues surrounding intervention in Syria were far more complex than I had given credit for, but the situation did give me the opportunity to stop and think about what it means to ‘do justice’ in day to day life. If we want to take living a Godly lifestyle seriously and, by extension, be recognised as standing aside from the stereotype of Christian hypocrisy, acting in a just manner has to be one of the first stops. Doing the right thing in any given situation, whether in our personal decision making, speaking out when everyone else is too afraid to, or out-and-out fighting the corner of the poor, the weak and the marginalised will only ever make you stand out from the crowd. It is in these things that we can start to really show the Father heart of our God to a watching world, a heart the world is longing to see.
act justly
What does God consider as a Godly lifestyle? (part 1 of 3) by Flight Lieutenant Jonny (JP) Palmer follow on twitter: @followjonnyp
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the finishing line
W
ell that’s it .. Snowdonia marathon all done! Managed a time of 4hrs 19 and 54 secs. Of course the 54 seconds are important, pushing the time under 4hr 20 makes it sound better. My mate Carl came in behind me. But he did a brilliant time and he finished in 5.06. In previous races they used to list ‘DNF” alongside some numbers. Did Not Finish. Bit depressing that really when you have done all the training and for whatever reason you end up with a DNF. In fact they have not listed the DNFs for this marathon, but I know there were guys who did not finish, saw them in the pick up mini bus and also sat by the marshalls at the drink stations waiting for transport back to the finish. Which reminds me that being a Christian is ultimately knowing that you are going to finish – more on that later. Looking back at myself at Mile 23 I wondered if that was going to happen or whether I was going to just sit at the side of the road, cry like a Royal Marine in a spelling test and give up. But one of the great things about some (not all) marathons is that they give a finisher’s medal to all who get injured along the way. I like that. If you drop out because you haven’t done enough training maybe you haven’t earned the medal, but if you twist your ankle on a carelessly discarded drink cup at a water station, that’s not exactly your fault is it? Life’s like that, if you have any level of faith in God stuff will still come your way that you can’t control, injuries, illnesses etc, that may knock you out for a while. But God being God does not count that against you, in fact he is more interested in how you deal with it than the fact that it happens. So even if you do the last few
©Sport Pictures Cymru
miles in the back of the mini-bus, that finishers’-medal is still waiting for you from God.
Anyway, jumping back to Snowdonia. Carl and I made the mistake of driving the course the night before. Well, I say mistake, it just brought back to me the horror of the course. I had clearly remembered that something horrendous occurred at mile 23, but had obviously banished from my mind the long climb at about mile 10. That depressed me seeing it from the car. BUT the worst thing was when we got to the point where the course headed off the main road, I just said to Carl, “that’s where it goes up that hill, then flattens off, doesn’t look too bad”. So off we went for a good nights sleep, got up early and drove to the start at Llanberis. Now, I know of some Christians who pray that God will give them a car parking space before they enter a busy car park. I must say that I am not one of those sort of Christians, however, when we arrived at Llanberis it was evident that we were later than we should have been. No parking spaces to be found from about a mile away from the start. We still drove into the centre, cars everywhere but on the off chance went into a car park as close to the start as possible. Hidden behind a van was a space. We were not praying about a space, more like dripping and moaning about it, but God could have been in it - it makes you think.
We did our warm ups and the gun went. Steady pace up the first climb, dripped like mad at the climb at mile ten, but overall the scenery was amazing and the camaraderie of running the race with so many others was brilliant - enjoyable even! Then came mile 23. I turned the corner and up the hill. It flattened out just as I remembered, then I may have said a vaguely unchristian word as the track
continued off road up and up. “Oh Dearie me – I don’t remember this”, thought I. Eventually it did flatten off into the final descent to the finish and that finishers meal (or in fact a slate coaster). You know what? I was so glad that I did not know (or had been reminded) quite how bad it was at mile 23. If I had known maybe I would have sacked the whole thing, or just worried constantly about it and I would not have enjoyed the rest of the run (and I DID enjoy it ). I am so glad that God does not tell us what is coming in this life. Yes we can make plans, yes we can look forward to stuff, but ultimately we do not know what’s gonna happen the next second, let alone in a years time! If I did I can think of times when I would have probably given up or scrubbed round something or other, knowing what was coming, but having faith in God is being sure that whatever hits us at mile 23 or tomorrow, God will see us through to the finish line and we will get the finisher’s medal. If you don’t have that peace and assurance speak to a Christian oppo or the bish (chaplain). Next on the list is a charity drag race. I’m sure I will find something to wear. It never ceased to amaze me what used to come out of sailors’ lockers for ‘SODS operas’ even before we had girls at sea. Next time running up and down a 6ft area of deck for an hour …. by Steve Martin, Operations Director Christian Vision for Men
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the ‘birth’ of an app
coffee break
T
he new AFCU app is now available to download for all popular mobile devices. The creative force behind the app, Flight Lieutenant Jonny Palmer, explained that he hoped the app would help people have more resources close at hand. He said: “This App is the definitive way to keep in touch with what is going on in the AFCU. You can now stay up-to-date anywhere in the world, on ops or exercise via Facebook, Twitter or email. If you've just been posted let us know your new details and then call your AFCU Local Contact to find out what's on in the local area direct from the app - You can even download the members’ list so you have all your mates’ details at hand all the time. What's more, with 24/7 prayer support at your fingertips you will never be on a Wing and a Prayer alone again.”
Packed with all our resources, everyone can keep themselves spiritually fed whether at home or in a HESCO shelter and now that the AFCU events booking system links straight into phone diaries members never need to miss their favourite AFCU weekend away again. To grab the AFCU app visit http://get.theapp.co/7423 For a few more useful ipad apps for Christian leaders see below:
Evernote: Never forget anything again - this is the best note taking app according to our Guru. Used for keeping a database of any sermons, or just to capture random ideas before you forget them.
Paper: This won the app of the year award from itunes. It’s a great notetaking/drawing app, allowing you to organise notes and sketches into different notebooks, just as if you had a bag full of notebooks with you. Biblegateway: Read and listen to the Bible on your phone or ipad. This allows you to search numerous translations. You can also use the Youversion, which comes highly recommended as a simple app bringing God’s word into your daily life, with your notes easy to access.
What is the Armed Forces’ Christian Union (AFCU)?
AFCU is one of a number of British military Christian fellowships. It is a tri-service, all-rank, inter-denominational 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?
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 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 wellbeing 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. You can also have access to information and resources on the website and link with a network of Christian contacts across the Armed Forces. 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.
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competition
what a pic! £25 e Priz What is happening in photo above?
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 and get them in before 31st April 2014.
Santa was understandably deflated by the success of the Padre’s “Real Meaning of Christmas” campaign. PAN
the big read Creation, Power and Truth: The Gospel in a World of Cultural Confusion by Tom Wright This book gives a well argued and challenging approach to today's cultural confusion. At a time when parts of our world are enduring civil war, when Christianity is being pushed to one side by secularism, Tom Wright offers plenty to think about. Highlighting some of the dangers of post-modernism, he helps us to see how modern ideaology and politics need to be confronted and challenged. £9.99 SPCK
Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life's Biggest Questions by Timothy Keller Timothy Keller shows how people were changed when they met Jesus personally, and how we can be changed today through our own encounter with Him. Jesus changed the life of every person he met in the Gospels, through powerful experiences and words that led them to unexpected answers to their big questions. Tim explains how these conversations can still address our questions and doubts today. £14.99 Hodder & Stoughton
Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller The problems of pain and suffering seem to be some of the biggest obstacles to trusting in God. This book, which is designed for ordinary Christian people, helps make sense of difficult experiences. From examining what the Bible has to say, the author moves on to more practical advice about how to deal with pain and suffering when we encounter it. A great book to help you prepare for trials yet to come. £14.99 Hodder & Stoughton
Storming Home: British Soldier, Bodyguard To The Stars, Boozer And Addict - Could Billy Change? by Billy Gilvear The extraordinary true story of a soldier turned bodyguard to the stars, who then has an experience of faith that transforms his life dramatically. From a world of drugs and marriage breakdown, Billy’s world is turned upside down when he lets God break into his situation. This book is an inspirational read. £8.99 Monarch Books
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 General Committee.
Contact Editorial Team: Sqn Ldr S Priestnall RAF, Mrs S Sandy, Mrs Y Cobbold, AFCU staff, the Editors
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ou y e v d a e H d a o l n w o d ew n ? the p p a U AFC
Contact magazine is published by AFCU three times per year - Contact ISSN 1359 - 1726 - Registered Charity (No. 249636)