Dialogue 26 2 English

E n g l i s h

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F r e n c h

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Racism and nationalism: The biblical teaching Protection: Where science, ritual, and moral principles meet Let God take you to places unimagined

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Vo l u m e 2 6

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P o r t u g u e s e

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S p a n i s h

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

CONTENTS

EAST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION Private Bag, Mbagathi, 00503, Nairobi, KENYA Andrew Mutero muteroa@ecd.adventist.org Magulilo Mwakalonge mwakalongem@ecd. adventist.org euro-asia DIVISION Krasnoyarskaya Street 3, 107589 Moscow, RUSSIAN FEDERATION Vladimir Tkachuk vtkachuk@ead-sda.ru Kasap Gennady kgennady@ead-sda.ru INTER-AMeRICAN DIVISION P.O. Box 830518, Miami, FL 33283-0518, USA Gamaliel Florez gflorez@interamerica.org Benjamín Carballo carballobe@interamerica.org Inter-European DIVISION Schosshaldenstrasse 17, 3006 Bern, SWITZERLAND Barna Magyarosi barna.magyarosi@eud. adventist.org Stephan Sigg stephan.sigg@eud.adventist.org NORth AMERICAN DIVISION 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600, USA Larry Blackmer larry.blackmer@nad.adventist.org James Black james.black@nad.adventist.org Gary Councell gary.councell@nad.adventist.org

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SOUTHERN ASIA DIVISION P. O. Box 2, HCF Hosur, 635 110 Tamil Nadu, INDIA Nageshwara Rao gnageshwarrao@sud-adventist. org Lionel Lyngdoh lyngdoh@sud-adventist.org SOUTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION P.O. Box 040, 4118 Silang, Cavite, PHILIPPINES Lawrence Domingo ldomingo@ssd.org Jobbie Yabut jyabut@ssd.org

Protection: Where science, ritual, and moral principles meet

To think that the Bible contains no sound scientific principles reflects an attitude that is poorly informed, as a little research and some critical reading shows.

by Warren A. Shipton

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south american DIVISION Caixa Postal 02600, Brasilia, 70279-970 DF, BRAZIL Edgard Luz edgard.luz@adventistas.org.br Areli Barbosa areli.barbosa@adventistas.org.br

SOUTHERN AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN DIVISION P. O. Box 4583 Rietvalleirand 0174, SOUTH AFRICA Ellah Kamwendo kamwendoe@sid.adventist.org Busi Khumalo khumalob@sid.adventist.org

Racism and nationalism: The biblical teaching

Any manifestation of racism, ethnocentrism, nationalism, tribalism, or casteism is unacceptable, not only from a humanitarian point of view, but also from a biblical perspective.

by Elias Brasil de Souza

NORTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION P.O. Box 43, Koyang Ilsan 411-600, KOREA Chek Yat Phoon cyphoon@nsdadventist.org Nak Hyujg Kim youth@nsdadventist.org

south pacific DIVISION Locked Bag 2014, Wahroonga, N.S.W. 2076, AUSTRALIA Ken Weslake kenweslake@adventist.org.au Nick Kross nkross@adventist.org.au

ESSAYS

Let God take you to places unimagined

There is no limit to what God can do in you, for you, and through you. But to seize this promise, you must rely on the power of God and trust all the way in His will for your life.

by Derek Douglas

DEPARTMENTS 3

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EDITORIAL The question that matters

by Susana Schulz PROFILE Fernando Montes Tapia Interview by Raquel Bouvet Korniejczuk R.J. Solomon Interview by John M. Fowler Books Problema de la Identidad Bíblica del Cristianismo Reviewed by Carmelo Martines

25 28 31

Logos Chosen: Living as a disciple in a strange land

by Bonita Joyner Shields perspectives I am a millionaire – and much more!

by Chandler Riley Viewpoint “Why she stays…why she leaves”

by Mable C. Dunbar

TRANS-EUROPEAN DIVISION 119 St. Peter’s St., St. Albans, Herts, AL13EY, ENGLAND Daniel Duda dduda@ted-adventist.org Paul Tompkins ptompkins@ted-adventist.org WEST-Central AFRICA DIVISION 22 Boîte Postale1764, Abidjan 22, IVORY COAST Chiemela Ikonne cikonne@wad-adventist.org N. John Enang njenang@wad-adventist.org

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DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

EDITORIAL The question that matters Facing questions is routine in student life. Most questions are predictable: How many pages should I read for my reading report? Am I ready for this exam? When are my library books due? How many reports are due before the weekend? These and similar considerations pop up now and then, and the answers are simple.

Then there are questions teachers ask. These concern tests, examinations, and term papers. Students face consequences – pleasant or loathsome, depending upon the kind of answers they come up with and the reports they write.

Sometimes the answers students give may affect their long-term learning process, since their output may help or hinder further academic and work opportunities. Hence, students are aware that their responsibility is to give accurate, clear, and straightforward answers. Their answers should show proficiency in the tested area of human knowledge, answers that may clearly expound all they have been able to store in their brains.

But then there are other questions that transcend these in importance and consequences. They go beyond testing what is in a textbook or what is presented in classroom discourse or discussion. They have to do with the core of life – its meaning and purpose. Consider the following: Who am I? This question is not answered by providing a name, referring to someone such as your father, or stating your abode or citizenship. Each of these details provides some identity as to who one is, but does not sufficiently define the core of one’s being. The question may call for personal identification in terms of particular traits, likes or dislikes, weaknesses, and limitations. And other issues may arise too: What can I do with this specific combination of abilities and weaknesses? How can I make the most of the former, while blurring the latter? The question, Who am I? moves from personal traits to relational abilities, distortions, or achievements.

Where am I going? If the earlier question demands the delineation of identity, and that identity in terms of relationships, this question refers to one’s destination: What is my ultimate goal? How far am I planning to get? What role do I want to play in this world? What is my mission, that reaches beyond mere work and personal considerations? These questions do not offer ready-made and once-size-fits-all answers. They depend on your observations, monitoring, discussion, and reflections, not unlike a painstaking lab assignment, where isolated facts are not easily observable or finally verifiable. The question demands a long-range journey and perspective – ultimately putting the pieces of the puzzle all together to arrive at a meaningful destination. In this journey toward a meaningful terminus, even people who you think can be of assistance may not qualify to be so. Reaching a chosen destination is not achieved by delegation, even though such delegation may be of value, but by sweat, toils, dreams, and pressing forward toward the goal. Do not think even for one moment that another person may do what it is for you to accomplish.

Am I alone, or do I have any assistance? This is perhaps the ultimate expression of one’s helplessness and one’s reaching out for help from outside of oneself. Here’s where that mysterious force comes to play its role: faith in Someone higher than oneself. The Bible identifies that Someone as Christ.

As one saint of long ago remarked, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

No matter what continent you live in, whether you are male or female, or DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

This international journal of faith, thought, and action is published two to three times a year in five parallel editions (English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish) by the Committee on Adventist Ministry to College and University Students (AMiCUS) of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Volume 26, Number 2 Copyright © 2014 by the AMiCUS Committee. All rights reserved.

Dialogue affirms the fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and supports its mission. The views published in this journal, however, are the independent thoughts of the authors.

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Lisa M. Beardsley-Hardy Editors John M. Fowler, John W. Taylor V Managing Editor Susana Schulz International Editions Susana Schulz International Copy Editors Monique Lemay (French) Roberto Iannò (Italian) Henrianne Barbosa (Portuguese) Susana Schulz (Spanish) Designer Glen Milam Editorial Correspondence Dialogue 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A. Telephone 301-680-5073 Fax 301-622-9627 E-mail schulzs@gc.adventist.org AMiCUS Committee Chair Armando Miranda Vice Chairs Lisa M. Beardsley-Hardy, Gary R. Councell, Gilbert Cangy Secretary Jiwan S. Moon Members Mario Ceballos, Lyndelle Chiomenti, Ganoune Diop Falvo Fowler, Hudson Kibuuka, Linda Koh, Kathleen Kuntaraf, Faith-Ann McGarrell, Derek Morris, Álvaro Ordoñez, Ronald Pickell, Eliann Reinhardt, Roy Ryan, Susana Schulz, John W. Taylor, Clinton Wahlen, Thomas Wetmore.

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whether you are in your freshman or senior year, sooner or later you will need to break away from your daily routine, from the hectic schedule and robot-like existence we all tend to live in, to look for a peaceful spot where you can find yourself and meet this God who promises to be your perpetual companion, and who will help you accomplish your goals and reach your destination.

“Of our own selves we can do nothing; but through Christ we can do all things. God intends that we shall be a help and blessing to one another, and that we shall be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. …

God lives and reigns; and He will give us all the help we need. It is our privilege at all times to draw strength and encouragement from His blessed

promise, ‘My grace is sufficient for you.’” Ellen G. White, Evangelism, 98 If you have not answered these three questions of existential and eternal import, let me challenge you that the moment to ask and face those questions is now. You have no time to waste. That may mean giving priority to such questions and to that Person who holds the key to the right answer.

Seize that moment and make a rendezvous between you and God. Go to a quiet place in nature and please, give your smartphone a break; that can wait. Instead, text Him a message.

Summon Him up, ask for His help, and He will gladly come and show you the way to your ultimate destination.

— Susana Schulz, Managing Editor

LETTERS My warmest greetings from Northern Chile

Write to us!

We welcome your comments, reactions and questions, but please limit your letters to 200 words. Write to: Dialogue Letters 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A. Fax 301-622-9627 E-mail schulzs@gc.adventist.org Letters selected for publication may be edited for clarity and/or space.

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Please accept my congratulations for the exciting and stimulating articles you published in Dialogue 25.2. The articles not only challenge us intellectually but contribute much to our spiritual life. The quality and variety of articles help college students to tackle the concerns they face not only in academics, but also in social life and in work places.

All in all the journal fosters our faith, strengthens our commitment to our Creator, and enables us to witness for our beliefs.

I feel a close and strong connection with Dialogue as it has impacted my own spiritual and academic life when completing my degree in the University of La Serena, Chile, where I obtained a major in Spanish language and philosophy.

May God bless your service and ministry, and may He use Dialogue both to strengthen the faith of young people and to disseminate a Christian worldview.

Kind regards.

Pablo Bravo Rubina Antofagasta

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

Racism and nationalism: The biblical teaching

by Elias Brasil de Souza

Any manifestation of racism, ethnocentrism, nationalism, tribalism, or casteism is unacceptable, not only from a humanitarian point of view, but also from a biblical perspective.

Racism and nationalism remain crucial challenges in our contemporary world. Unfortunately, these problems also affect the church and nullify its privilege of being the salt of the earth.

This essay addresses the problem of racism and nationalism from a biblical perspective, and offers some principles to deal with these challenges.

How are race and nation usually defined? One source defines race as a “group or category of persons connected by common origin.”1 Another says that the concept of race might include some physical differences that may distinguish one group of people from another, but clarifies that current scientific knowledge has established “that the diversities recognized in human beings are not founded on a biological definition of race.”2 In fact, this affirmation finds clear corroboration in the fact that “all human groups share the same type of blood, are inter-fertile and can receive and donate organs across so-called racial boundaries.”3 As used in this essay, race and ethnicity4 are virtually synonymous, and the latter, in terms of ancient people, could be minimally defined “as group identity.”5 Similarly, the concept of nation has been defined as a “large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular state or territory.”6 From these two concepts derive the terms

“racism” and “nationalism.” Racism “actually designates two very different things. On the one hand, it is a matter of behavior, usually a manifestation of hatred or contempt for individuals who have well-defined physical characteristics different from their own; on the other hand, it is a matter of ideology, a doctrine concerning human races.”7 Nationalism, in turn, can be defined as “a sense of collective solidarity within identified geographical and cultural boundaries,”8 although oftentimes it may develop into an exclusivist ideology, insofar as it postulates the superiority of one nation or people group over others.

For our purposes, nationalism, racism, and even tribalism are taken to be elements of a single problem: the difficulty of humans to accept the ethnic or cultural “other.”

Our approach to this topic is divided into four sections: race and nation in the Bible, theological reflection on ethnic diversity, biblical responses to racism and nationalism, and a conclusion.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

Race and nation in the Bible

One should be careful not to impose contemporary concerns upon the Scriptures. Modern notions of racism or nationalism are foreign to biblical writers; nevertheless, nationalism or racism in the sense of some cultures viewing themselves as superior was

certainly an issue in biblical times.

For Greeks, foreigners unfamiliar with Greek language and culture were barbarians; for Jews, non-Jews were Gentiles.9 In addition, common terms used in the Old Testament to convey the idea of race or ethnicity are gôy (555 times) and ’am (1866 times). In spite of considerable overlap, gôy designates nations and people as political and social entities, whereas ‘am stresses kinship and more often refers to Israel as God’s people.10 The New Testament uses ethnos (164 times) and laos (143 times) to denote people or nations.

In actual usage, however, ethnos refers more to the nations, Gentiles, unbelievers, and even to non-Israelite Christian Gentiles,11 whereas laos tends to designate the people of God,12 much like ’am in the Old Testament. Two other terms may also be noted. One is phyl˜e (31 times), which means race or tribe and may refer to the 12 tribes of Israel (historically, or metaphorically of Christians) or to the tribes of the earth, in the sense of peoples and nations.13 The other is genos (21 times), which conveys the notion of family and country, among others, and therefore may have ethnic connotations.

Having looked at some linguistic data, we turn to the so-called table of nations (Genesis 10), which provides an overview of peoples and ethnic groups at the early stages of world his5

tory. Close examination of this table indicates that the variety of nations and peoples forms the backdrop for subsequent promises that the nations of the earth would be blessed.14 The desirability of a diversity of ethnic groups and nations appears to have been implied in the mandate to “fill the earth” (Genesis 9:2). This may partially explain why the builders of Babel met with God’s judgment (Genesis 11:1-9): they resisted God’s mandate to fill the earth. By confusing their language and scattering them over the face of the earth, God brought about the diversity of families, nations, and ethnic groups that eventually filled the earth.

Subsequently, God called Abraham to be a blessing to “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3).

An interesting aspect of God’s inclusive and sovereign plan for the entire world should also be mentioned: God apportioned land not only to Israel, but also to other

nations. He gave land possessions to Esau (Deuteronomy 2:5), the Moabites (Deuteronomy 2:9), and the Ammonites (Deuteronomy 2:19).

Amos says that the Lord acted in the interest of other nations in ways that resemble the Exodus event: He brought the Philistines from Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir (Amos 9:7).

Deuteronomy 32:8 further reiterates, “When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the children of Israel.” Classical prophets envisioned a time when the nations would come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and learn His laws (e.g., Jeremiah 50:5; Zechariah 8:21-23; 14:16-21).

Admittedly, the Old Testament also contains oracles of judgment against the nations. However, such messages imply no trace of ethnic or racial prejudice. In fact, Israel and Judah often receive the harshest judgments

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(see, for example, Amos 7:8, 15; 8:2). Nations are not judged because of their ethnic or racial “otherness,” but on the basis of loyalty to God’s eternal covenant.15 Nowhere in the Bible do national, racial, or ethnic identities receive a negative evaluation. The election of Abraham and his descendants to become God’s special people does not happen in detriment to the nations, as noted above. Against all odds (Deuteronomy 7:7; 26:5), Abraham, and later Israel, received the mission of becoming a blessing to all the families of the earth.

Theological reflection on ethnic diversity

Thus, the Bible mentions not only races, nations, and ethnic groups, but also portrays God as actively involved on behalf of nations and families as the plan of salvation unfolds. In fact, the biblical text offers principles and guidelines for facing the challenges posed by racism and nationalism.

First, the foundational principle that out of one couple God made humanity. On the grounds of Creation, there is no place for superiority of one group over another, since the “doctrine of creation affirms the unity as well as the dignity of all humanity.”16 Over and above the variety and diversity of human cultures, societies, races, and nationalities stands the fact that all are created in the image of God. Ultimately, “there are not multiple human races, but just one human race.”17 Second, the Fall has not only affected the relationship between God and humans, but has also driven a wedge between human beings (Romans 3:23; 1:20-26). As different people groups become more and more alienated from God, they develop worldviews that result in racism, nationalism, and ethnocentrism – the natural consequences of which are oppression and destruction of the “other.” Instead of admiring the beautiful tapestry of cultural and ethnic diversity, some place themDIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

selves and their culture as the standard according to which others are to be measured. Claims such as this underlie the racism, ethnocentrism, and nationalism that have so badly damaged God’s people at distinct moments in history.

Third, God’s eschatological promises include the nations. Isaiah and Amos picture the nations (gôy) and peoples (‘ammîm) flowing to Jerusalem to learn God’s ways (Isaiah 2:1-4; Amos 2:1, 2). Isaiah also envisions a day when an altar will be erected in the land of Egypt, and the Egyptians will serve the Lord (Isaiah 19:19-22). Further, Isaiah announces that Egypt, Assyria, and Israel will be one, and applies to both Egypt and Assyria covenantal language previously reserved for Israel.18 Egypt is called “my people” (‘amî – Isaiah 10:24; 43:6, 7; Hosea 1:10; 2:23; Jeremiah 11:4) and Assyria, the “work of my hand” (ma’seh yaday – Isaiah 60:21; 64:8; Psalms 119:73; 138:8).

Isaiah 56:6 promises incorporation of the foreigner (nekar) into the covenant community.

The New Testament likewise presents the gospel being preached to all nations (ethnos) of the earth (Matthew 13:10; 24:14; 28:19; Luke 24:47).

Although the nations may also become hostile and reject the message of salvation (Revelation 11:18; 14:8; 17:15; 18:3), yet out of them come people for God’s kingdom. In the eschatological consummation, all nations are represented among the saints (Romans 1:5, 6; Revelation 15:4; 21:24) and walk in the light emanating from God and the Lamb (Revelation 21:24).

Fourth, the Bible recognizes and affirms the diversity of races and nations that populate the earth (Genesis 10:1-32; Deuteronomy 32:8), and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost reaffirms God’s plan for all peoples, languages, and cultures (Acts 2). Individual ethnic, national, or tribal identities give a sense of kinship and community, helping humans meet DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

their need for security and belonging. This kind of diversity also fosters human creativity and stimulates human enrichment.19 Fifth, nations and ethnic groups are not absolute entities. Important and useful as they may be in the current state of the world, the aforementioned entities “are historical communities and not part of the original created order. They are therefore provisional and contingent communities that can lay no claim to any ultimate human loyalty.”20 Furthermore, racial and national entities – as meaningful as they appear to be – bear the consequences of sin. Awareness of this reality should move one to challenge nationalism, tribalism, racism, and all kinds of ethnic idolatry. The Bible clearly subordinates any status based on race or nationality to the absolute Lordship of Jesus. In Christ, all barriers erected by sin are demolished: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).21 Sixth, God does not condone or tolerate racial or ethnic prejudices. An episode that seems to reflect ethnic prejudice appears in the case of Aaron and Miriam against Moses “because of the Cushite woman whom he had married” (Numbers 12:1, ESV). The ethnic identity of Moses’ wife had become a problem for Miriam and Aaron. It may have been only a pretext to raise the real issue, which was their ambition to share Moses’ leadership (not an unusual situation: an interested party raises an ethnic excuse in order to achieve a dubious goal). As a response, God struck Miriam with leprosy and she became “as white as snow” (Numbers 12:10). The point is clear: God is no respecter of persons, nationalities, or ethnic identities.

Seventh, God shows no partiality.

Such an obvious statement may not have been so obvious then, nor was it fully understood by the early church.

Peter had to receive a vision in order to understand that God does not discriminate against people on the basis of ethnicity. Peter’s opening words to Cornelius’ household were: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34). Interestingly, the verb “perceive” denotes a process; that is, Peter appears to admit that he had not come to a full and absolute understanding, but he was still in the process of grasping such a deep and foundational truth.

Subsequently, in Acts, Christian leaders had to convene a council to discuss the situation of converted Gentiles. After Bible study and prayer, they embraced the Gentile converts without forcing them to be circumcised and keep the whole ceremonial law (Acts 15). We notice that – in spite of the vision given to Peter and the decision of the Jerusalem Council – the problems did not disappear. Paul had to deal constantly with factions and divisions inside the church, some of which may have been prompted by ethnic or nationalistic prejudices.

Even Peter appears later on to fall back into his previous prejudices (Galatians 2:11, 12). Some New Testament letters – such as Galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians22 underscore that Jews and Gentiles are equal members of the body of Christ, indicating that issues of ethnicity remained a challenge for the early church.

Biblical responses to racism and nationalism

In light of the above, we should note that serious distortions of biblical perception of race and nationality occur when identification with one’s own nation, country, tribe, or ethnic group results in hostility toward other groups. Miroslav Volf labels such hostility “exclusion” and categorizes three main ways in which this exclusion occurs: elimination, domination, or abandonment.23 How should we deal with this problem of exclusion? Three ways are before us.

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Benevolence. The Scriptures replace elimination with benevolence.

The command to “love your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31) certainly transcends tribal and national boundaries and includes the tribal, ethnic, or national other. Elisha, for example, did not consider the Syrian commander an enemy to be eliminated, but a neighbor who needed healing (2 Kings 5:9-19). Proverbs makes a similar point: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you” (Proverbs 25:21, 22). Paul says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:20, 21).

Benevolence “eliminates” the enemy by turning him or her into a friend.

Service. Instead of domination, the Scriptures recommend service.

Legislation in favor of the foreigner reads: “You shall neither mistreat a stranger [g˜er] nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21). God invokes Israel’s experience in Egypt as motivation for keeping the law. Since the oppressed may become the oppressor, God reminds His people of their former status so that they would exercise solidarity toward the foreigner. Among the nations of the ancient Near East, Israel was unique in having laws that demanded the protection of foreigners (g˜erîm).24 At a time when the Jewish people groaned under Roman oppression, Jesus taught that “if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:38).

Solidarity. The abandonment of the ethnic other must be replaced with solidarity. At the dedication of the temple, Solomon prays that God would hear the prayer of the foreigner (1 Kings 8:41, 43), which indicates that the Temple cult would include foreigners – not exclude them, as happened later. In this connection, the parable of the Good Samaritan may be instructive, since it portrays a “clas8

sic example of racism.”25 As the story unfolds, the Jewish victim abandoned by the road is denied help first by a priest and then by a Levite. In the end, it is the Samaritan – the ethnic other – that brings healing to the suffering victim. This parable, in contrast to some other parables, portrays an example, a model, either to be rejected or emulated. Ironically, the positive model is not given by the priest or the Levite – functionaries of the Temple – but by a Samaritan who embodied God’s way of dealing with the ethnic other (Luke 10:29-37).

As we relate to our ethnic neighbors, the Scriptures compel us to exemplify an attitude of acceptance, service, and solidarity. This, of course, is easier said than done. Ethnic cleansing and race-related conflicts have left a stain of blood on the 20th century (and on human history, for that matter).

Horrendous acts perpetrated by one ethnic entity against another may still hurt, as the loss of people, cultures, and properties may still linger in the collective memory of nations or tribes; we should not minimize the depth of such suffering. We should remember, however, that grace and forgiveness remain the only viable options for permanent healing and restoration.

Conclusion

The Bible affirms the diversity of races and nations, along with the conviction that all races, ethnic groups, and nations are one and the same human family. Upon this theological foundation, the Bible erects its perception of nations and ethnic groups and relativizes tribal and national distinctions. Above these human loyalties stands the absolute loyalty we owe to the Creator God, who demands that we love our foreign sister or brother.

Therefore, any manifestation of racism, ethnocentrism, nationalism, tribalism, or casteism is unacceptable, not only from a humanitarian point of view, but also from a biblical or theological perspective.

Only a worldview shaped by the Scriptures can provide the solid foundation to approach race, ethnicity, and nationality on a practical basis. As the Bible makes clear from the “beginning,” Creation provides the foundation on which to base our relationship with our foreign neighbors. In addition, the Scriptures reveal that sin has distorted our perception of the other.

Racism and related forms of prejudice have infected human nature and can only be eradicated by the blood of Jesus. In Him “there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11).

Elias Brasil de Souza is an associate director of the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. E-mail: souzae@gc.adventist. org.

This article is a slightly shortened and edited version of an article that appeared in the BRI newsletter.

Used by permission.

REFERENCES

1. Ernest Cashmore, Michael Banton, and Heribert Adam, Dictionary of Race and Ethnic Relations, 3rd ed. (London: Routledge, 1994), 294.

2. Robert Miles, “Nationalism” in Guido Bolaffi, Raffaele Bracalenti, Peter Braham and Sandro Gindro, eds. Dictionary of Race, Ethnicity and Culture (London: SAGE Publications, 2003), 240.

3. J. Andrew Kirk, “Race, Class, Caste and the Bible,” Themelios 10:2 (1985):7.

4. Due to the use of the word “race” with a biological sense in eugenics and in racist ideologies, scholars have tended to abandon this word in favor of the term “ethnicity,” in which culture, not biology, was the primary category to distinguish groups of people.

Eric D. Barreto, “Ethnic Negotiations: The Function of Race and Ethnicity in Acts 16”

Continued on page 35 DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

Protection: Where science, ritual, and moral principles meet

by Warren A. Shipton

To think that the Bible contains no sound scientific principles reflects an attitude that is poorly informed, as a little research and some critical reading shows.

Many human activities involve protection. We seek protection from danger, failure, disease, economic ruin, etc.

The Bible talks about different types of protection: physical, mental, social, and spiritual.1 Perhaps we have not thought of it in these terms, but we should.

Hidden in a neglected part of the Old Testament (Leviticus 11-18) are thought linkages that are worth highlighting. They serve to strengthen social bonds, express loyalties, proclaim respect, facilitate acts of worship, protect the holy from the profane, and deepen commitment and appreciation of the object to which they point. The Bible is often thought of as a book of literature, lacking in factual scientific information.2 But scientific information is sometimes hidden among the ritual detail. I hope to convince readers that reliable science is found in the pages of the Bible. Naturally, I cannot deal with all of this evidence, but I will provide some examples.

transmissible and other diseases using current information.

The Bible mentions several diseases whose modern equivalents may be unclear. However, leprosy (Hansen’s disease), schistosomiasis, malaria, tuberculosis, and smallpox were recognized in antiquity. Of these, leprosy, smallpox, and tuberculosis are transmissible person to person.4 The modern era was marked by some important developments. One occurred in 1876, when the German scientist Robert Koch demonstrated conclusively that diseases could be caused by specific microorganisms and that protection could be provided.

However, in terms of priority he was too late – God had already spoken.

The infectious nature of certain diseases was indicated early in the Bible (Leviticus 13:31-46), and the progressive nature of microbial growth on decomposable building material was highlighted in Moses’ time (Leviticus 14:35-45). The remedy for controlling infectious diseases was isolation, quarantine, and cleanliness. With buildings, microbial growth was halted by replacing the damaged material or demolishing the structure. Certain rituals were involved in the clearance of individuals and buildings.

Perhaps this information sounds inconsequential, but history indicates

None of these diseases

Some years ago, S.I. McMillen and D.E. Stern wrote a best-selling book 3 highlighting the reality of the promise made by God that none of the Egyptian lifestyle diseases would affect the Israelites if they followed some simple rules (Exodus 15:26). To emphasize this, I will mention several

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

otherwise. First, infectious diseases caused frequent deaths in the 19th century among mothers after birthing. The Austrian physician Ignaz Semmelweis noted that washing hands in antiseptic after performing an autopsy substantially reduced deaths in such women. At that time, doctors generally did not bother with cleanliness before attending to patients.

Although Semmelweis’s work was generally ridiculed, in England Joseph Lister accepted his advances and those made by Louis Pasteur and pioneered the use of antiseptics in surgery (published in 1867).5 The results were brilliant, and we cannot conceive of life today without the use of such procedures. If the biblical instruction about touching dead bodies and potentially infectious materials had been followed, much misery would have been avoided before Semmelweis’s time.

It is remarkable that the transmission of disease from one individual to another was recognized so long ago (Leviticus 13:45-46), as well as the potential role of bedding and other items contaminated with body fluids, flakes of skin, and the like (Leviticus 15:3-13). This was well before the modern era.

We notice that in order to minimize the chances of infection, certain rituals were performed by priests. These 9

ensured that the general population of susceptible individuals was protected.

In the instructions, both direct and indirect transmission of infection was addressed. Washing effectively minimized the risk of cross-infection occurring.

The advice is sound if we consider some food-poisoning organisms that are primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route. The organisms are carried in waste material, contaminate the hands, lodge on food items, and then find their way back into the body. Modern science has shown that even the simple act of hand washing will reduce the possibility of effective transfer taking place.6 The biblical instruction given to those contaminated with soiled material from sick people involved washing and then exposure to air and possibly sunlight, as the individuals were considered unclean until nightfall. This combination of procedures was much more effective in neutralizing dangerous organisms than the simple act of washing.

One of the most spectacular examples of contaminated articles causing disease comes from considering the smallpox virus. It may have arisen in central Africa well before the time of the Exodus. Some read into ancient Egyptian documents (before 3000 BC) descriptions of a disease reminiscent of smallpox.7 According to the new chronology, the Exodus occurred in 1447 BC. We know that the Hittite armies attacked Egypt in the 14th century BC, but were decimated by an infectious disease contracted from Egyptian captives. The devastation lasted at least 20 years and claimed commoners and royalty alike. Some believe smallpox caused this epidemic.8 The history of the elimination and misuse of smallpox illustrates our point about the spread of disease.

During natural infections, those afflicted commonly experienced close contact with victims. Hence, it is not 10

surprising that during the eradication program, those who had interacted with infected individuals were first vaccinated and then isolated if they showed any signs of illness. This approach was effective in all communities affected around the world.

In hospital situations, contaminated bedding was disinfected according to strict protocols.

These strategies led to the elimination of the dreaded disease.

Unfortunately, an understanding of the infectious nature of this virus also allowed it to be used in a sinister manner: biological warfare. For example, during the French and Indian wars in North America – commencing in 1754 – the unscrupulous took blankets from smallpox sufferers and gave them to the Indians. The disease epidemics that followed were responsible for eliminating more than half of the tribal populations.9 Transmission of leprosy is still something of an enigma. In most countries, humans appear to be the main source of the disease, although soil and water may be involved in endemic areas.

On balance, it is considered that the organism enters primarily through contaminated droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of sufferers, entering the body through the respiratory tract and by skin-to-skin contact.10 This gives credibility to the biblical cautions about isolating those affected.

The second historic point to highlight is the highly-publicized deaths of infants in Cleveland, Ohio. There, a dramatic health problem arose among infants who lived in substandard accommodations. The common feature associated with the outbreaks was a fungal growth on the wet interior wallboards of the buildings. These microbes produced powerful toxins in their airborne spores. Scientists have suggested that when these were inhaled, the toxins led to the development of dramatic respiratory malfunction, which sometimes resulted in death.11

Such episodes remind us of related observations in a previous century, when fungal growth on damp wallpaper released toxic arsenic gases. These gases adversely affected people inhaling them.12 Today, there is considerable public interest in sick-building syndrome and building-related illness.

Some of the episodes may be associated with building dampness and the growth of microbes. The effects of such microbial activity can adversely influence human health, causing problems to the immune, neurological, and respiratory systems, and the skin.13

Does following biblical advice make a difference in practice?

The information given above indicates indirectly that biblical advice is sound. However, we have more dramatic and direct evidence.

In East London’s crowded quarters at the turn of the 19th century, observers were fascinated to note the lower rates of infant deaths among the Jewish population from infectious and respiratory diseases. This positive outcome has been explained by the close attention they gave to the biblical instructions on isolation and quarantine, as well as their interest in and attention to diet, the relative absence of alcohol usage, and personal hygiene. Personal hygiene requirements included hand washing before and after meals and keeping the surroundings clean. Utensils used in food preparation were also kept clean, and milk and meat were not mixed, nor were the implements/utensils used to handle these food items.14 Besides these explanations, escape from other diseases (cholera, for example) has been attributed to the kosher preparation requirements for meat (fewer risks of diseased food being eaten), the practice of boiling water and milk, and using clean cooking and eating utensils. The religious laws also improved personal hygiene over the general population, as they required nail trimming once a week DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

and ritual bathing after menstruating.

The immigrant Jews in London also bathed regularly, on account of their general attitude toward cleanliness.15 Now, I am not suggesting that women take ritual baths and the like, but I am saying that we should be aware of the basic principles behind the practices – they are still sound.

Underlying the ideas highlighted, however, is the principal idea that impurity (signs of death, decay, or activities not promoting life) is opposed to holiness. The rituals were meant to direct the mind of the worshipers to the holy God.16

Plague in the heart

Biblical instructions regarding protection against sexually-transmitted diseases are not stated in scientific terms, but rather as moral guidelines.

These guidelines, if followed, still provide much protection. We do not know when the first diseases in this category arose, but they were probably early in human history.17 If we go back to the beginning, God created males and females to populate the earth (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18, 20-25). The Bible makes it clear that the fidelity of the human family could be maintained by adhering to some simple and logical undertakings.

By the time of Moses, these included restriction of marriage to those not closely related, strict loyalty to the marriage arrangement, no unusual relationships involving the same sex, and no perversions involving animals (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:20, 22-25).

Unfortunately, the image of God in the human race was marred by the entrance of sin, and it continued to fade with time. A particularly powerful force in this decline was the unhealthy sexual relationships a portion of the population entered into (Leviticus 18:22-24; Romans 1:2-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; Ephesians 5:3).

These are rather graphically recorded in history,17 so there is no guesswork as

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

to what the texts are referring to.

Jesus mentioned the very high standards expected of the human race (Matthew 5:27-28; cf. 1:19-25), which included not only abstinence from sex before marriage but also purity of thought about the opposite sex. He promoted holiness. Hollywood and Bollywood fall far short in these areas and encourage people to enter this dangerous territory, and so do believers in evolutionary theory. In one country recently surveyed, believers in Darwinism were found to be more permissive about premarital sex and abortion than those holding Christian beliefs, although not by as wide a margin as we might hope to see.18 Honoring the moral advice given in Scripture would lead to substantial decreases in sexually-transmitted diseases. In order to illustrate, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection suddenly appeared among those experimenting with sexual experiences outside those designed by God.19 The arrival of the disease has led to untold tragedy, with the innocent suffering along with those groups primarily responsible for the disease’s spread, which are those who do not regard the creation-order, do not show marital fidelity, or who are intravenous drug users.20 Protection against this disease is offered by an ancient practice. To illustrate, some religious groups have a strong tradition of male circumcision, a practice mentioned favorably in Scripture, but not imposed on the Christian church (Acts 7:8; 15:5, 28-29). In societies accepting this tradition, there is an association with lower rates of cervical cancer and sexually-transmitted infections, including HIV. In a recent extensive analysis of trends in the developing world, the reduced incidence of HIV was strongly associated with the practice.

The situation with other sexuallytransmitted organisms is not as clear.

In seeking to find plausible reasons for the results, a number of biological

phenomena have been identified: they all basically relate to the increased ease of entry of disease organisms in the uncircumcised male. There appeared to be no difference in the protection offered in Muslim and Christian countries.21 Now, readers must not imagine that I am recommending males should rush off and be circumcised. Other avenues are available today to prevent cervical cancer, such as the national immunization programs available in some countries. Avoiding HIV infection can involve other avenues of approach, too.22 However, we do notice that the Bible contains sound advice in this and other areas of sexual health. Religious practices also may positively influence the development of the fetus before it is born, such as in communities not given to the use of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or likely to carry sexually-transmitted diseases.23 In moral matters involving sex, God’s standards do not change (Malachi 3:6). Christ gave His life to reconcile mankind to God and to recreate the moral image of God in mankind (Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:2021). Moral departures in this category are no different from departures in other areas of human experience. Each individual has her/his own peculiar suite of temptations, but the remedy is the same and victory is assured (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Endemic dysfunction

This brings us to the issue of endemic dysfunction in the human race. The instruction given in Leviticus 16 may seem rather quaint and perhaps largely irrelevant to many readers, for it involves activities on the Day of Atonement (judgment) practiced by the ancient Israelites.

However, if we look at this chapter in terms of protection and as part of the remedy for systemic dysfunction, it becomes full of meaning. Here again ritual is involved, which should not discourage us.

11

In the Garden of Eden, Satan promised Eve that she would gain the knowledge of evil. Undoubtedly, if he had told her she would experience evil and its dreadful train of consequences, she would not have been deceived.

From our viewpoint, Genesis Chapter 3 tells us that all pain, suffering, and death ultimately arose from ill-advised moral decisions. It should be in the scope of every reader’s ability to learn enough history of the nations during the last century to come to the preliminary conclusion that the further nations depart from God’s moral guidelines, the more tragic the results – war, disease, genocide, torture, environmental destruction, poverty, etc.

This is where Leviticus 16 fits into the picture, for it represents a reminder of events transpiring on earth before the great controversy scenario comes to an end. The ceremonies in the Jewish religious calendar were as follows: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. These times of special meeting/remembrance took participants through the great controversy/atonement events each year so that they would not forget – all contained rituals.

The day of judgment was a reminder to all Israel that God is both merciful and just (Psalm 85:10; 89:14) and that today is the time to make choices that will result in everlasting life (Hebrews 4:7-11). His mercy will come to an end after all have received God’s invitation of grace (Matthew 24:14); those who do not respect this or respond will reap the consequences of not taking God seriously (Matthew 22:12-14). He has promised to establish a new heaven and earth, where His moral principles are respected and kept. In this new world, sin will not arise again (Nahum 1:9).

In ancient times, all were invited to take part in the rituals, leading up to and including those on judgment day (Leviticus 23:23–30), for it was recognised that each person had areas of 12

dysfunction in their lives. Recognition of shortcomings, confession, repentance, and commitment to living a faith-dominated life were the steps called for leading up to this day.24 Commitment of the life to God qualified participants to join the celebrations on the day of thanksgiving five days later (Leviticus 23:34-43), which in its ultimate fulfilment represents the time of joy and rejoicing following the return of Christ, bringing the reign of sin to an end. Today, the same call comes to all to prepare for Christ’s soon coming.

In God’s schedule of events, reconciling the books of record foreshadowed by the prophet Daniel (7:9-10) commenced in 1844. The process continues, and one day soon it will end, meaning that Christ will come the second time. Christ’s instruction in Matthew 24 provides further details, as do various chapters in the book of Revelation (e.g., 13, 14, and 20).

In the meantime, we are urged to be faithful and invite others to discover the remedy for moral dysfunction.

The two individuals highlighted in our account – Moses and Daniel – experienced forgiveness and assurance. They were profoundly convinced that when they confessed their sins, they were in God’s care. As they continued to walk daily with God, they were mindful that irrespective of when life should end, God’s promises were theirs. They were not disappointed. Moses was taken to heaven and assisted Christ in His earthly ministry (Mark 9:4). On the other hand, Daniel was promised a place in heaven (Daniel 12:13). Such a strong assurance can be our experience too as we follow the ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary.

Conclusions

In the Old Testament, rituals were often associated with protection of a physical, social, emotional, or spiritual nature. Rituals are a part of life in all societies, and they change with time.

Failure to fulfil these rituals has various consequences. When Israel was no longer given special status, the rituals spoken about in the Old Testament were no longer relevant for the Christian church. However, the principles intertwined with these rituals should continue to be valued; our aim still is to reverence God’s holy character and seek holiness. Other principles also are highlighted.

The practices of isolation, quarantine, and cleanliness, so well established by Moses to control diseases, were rediscovered by modern medicine and are continued today. Awareness of the environment in which we live and the health consequences of poor living conditions are also issues of current concern. Strategies for avoiding sexually-transmitted diseases were based in ancient times on adopting wise moral principles. This is still God’s fundamental recipe (Acts 15:29; Ephesians 5:3), although the remedies given us by modern medicine should be made available to those taken in these tragedies.

Finally, moral dysfunction in the human race is endemic, as it has been from the Fall. The solution established through Christ’s sacrifice is for us to claim by faith: “His perfect obedience to God’s law has given Him all power in heaven and in earth, and He claims from His Father mercy and reconciliation for guilty man. … All who have put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness will stand before Him as chosen and faithful and true.”25 We do not lack reminders of the past or encouragement to remain faithful in the future. Jesus instituted the communion service to remind us of His great sacrifice for us and His promise to keep it again with His friends (Mark 14:25). As we pay close attention to the prophetic way-marks, we are assured that Christ is actively working in heaven to bring the reign of Satan to an end (Hebrews 9:23-28; 2 Peter 1:19). In this we can rejoice abundantly.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

Warren A. Shipton (Ph.D., M.Ed.) received his doctorate from the University of Sydney. He is a former dean of science, James Cook University, Australia, and former president of Asia-Pacific International University, Thailand.

He has authored books on Daniel and Revelation, the Sabbath, the sanctuary, worldviews in education, and health. E-mail: wshipton@ gmail.com

REFERENCES

1. W.A. Shipton, “Worldview and perspectives on health,” in W. Shipton, E. Coetzee, and R. Takeuchi, eds., Worldviews and Christian Education (Singapore: Trafford Publishing, 2013), 145-161.

2. J.A. Reuben, The Making of the Modern University (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996), 112.

3. S.I. McMillen and D. E. Stern, None of These Diseases (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Fleming H. Revell, 2000).

4. D.R. Hopkins, The Greatest Killer: Smallpox in History (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002), 14-16, 20; J.F. Nunn, Ancient Egyptian Medicine (Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 2002), 96; B. Brier, and H. Hobbs, Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians, 2nd ed. (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2008), 271-273; J.P. Byrne, ed., Encyclopedia of Pestilence, Pandemics, and Plagues, vol. 1 (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2008), 357.

5. J.G. Black, Microbiology: Principles and Explorations, 6th ed. (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005), 11-14.

6. E.W. Nester, D.G. Anderson, C. Evans, N.N. Pearsall, and M.T. Nester, Microbiology: A Human Perspective, 4th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004), 489-490.

7. S.T. Peters, Epidemic: Smallpox in the New World (New York: Benchmark Books, 2005), 4-5.

8. D. Rohl, A Test of Time: The Bible - From Myth to History (London: Arrow Books Ltd, 1996), 280; Hopkins, 14-16, 20.

9. A.L. Melnick, Biological, Chemical, and Radiological Terrorism (New York: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 2008), 41-43.

10. M. Lavania, K. Katoch, V.M. Katoch, et al., “Detection of viable Mycobacterium leprae in soil samples: insights into possible sources of transmission of leprosy,” Infection, Genetics and Evolution 8 (2008): 627-631; B.K. Girdhar, “Skin to skin transmission of leprosy,” Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology 71 (2005): 223-225; R.M. Bhat, and C. Prakash, “Leprosy: an overview of pathophysiology,” Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases (2012), article ID 181089, 6 pages, http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ ipid/2012/181089/.

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11. W.A. Shipton, The Biology of Fungi Impacting Human Health (Singapore: Trafford Publishing, 2012), 33; Institute of Medicine (U.S.), Damp Indoor Spaces and Health (National Academies Press, 2004), 146-149; S.J. Vesper, D.G. Dearborn, I. Yike, W.G. Sorenson, and R.A. Haugland, “Hemolysis, toxicity, and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis of Stachybotrys chartarum strains,” Applied and Environmental Microbiology 65 (1999): 3175-3181.

12. B. Richardson, Wood Preservation (New York: Taylor & Francis, 1993), 122.

13. Y. Assouline-Dayan, A. Leong, Y. Shoenfeld, and M.E. Gershwin, “Studies of sick building syndrome. IV. Mycotoxicosis,” Journal of Asthma 39 (2002): 191-201; Institute of Medicine (U.S.), Damp Indoor Spaces and Health (National Academies Press, 2004), 170-171.

14. L. Marks, and L. Hilder, “Ethnic advantage.”

In L.V. Marks, and M.P. Worboys (eds.), Migrants, Minorities and Health (London: Routledge, 1997), 193-195.

15. Marks and Hilder, op. cit., 194, 207.

16. R. Gane, Altar Call (Berrien Springs, Michigan: Diadem, 1999), 115-117.

17. W.A. Shipton, “Thorns also and thistles,” Journal of the Adventist Theological Society 23 (2012): 18-45.

18. M.D.R. Evans, and J. Kelley, Religion, Morality and Public Policy in International Perspective, 1984-2002 (Annandale, New South Wales: Federation Press, 2002), 89-90.

19. D.J. O’Shea, “Conspiracy theories,” in Mental Health Practitioner’s Guide to HIV/ AIDS (New York: Springer Science+Business Media, 2013), 155-157.

20. F.E. Fox, and D.W. Virtue, Homosexuality: Good & Right in the Eyes of God, second edition (Alexandria, Virginia: Emmaus Ministries, 2003), 240; S.M. Hisley ed. P.J. Bomar and C.M. Clements, “Family sexuality,” Promoting Health in Families, third edition (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Saunders, 2004), 434.

21. P.K. Drain, D.T. Halperin, J.P. Hughes, J.D. Klausner, and C. Bailey, “Male circumcision, religion, and infectious diseases: ecologic analysis of 118 developing countries,” BMC Infectious Diseases 6 (2006): 172, doi:10.1186/1471-2334-6-172; H.A. Weiss, S.L. Thomas, S.K. Munabi, and R.J. Hayes, “Male circumcision and risk of syphilis, chancroid, and genital herpes: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” Sexually Transmitted Infections 82 (2006): 101-109.

22. S. Rajaram, K. Chitrathara, and A. Maheshwari, Cervical Cancer: Contemporary Management (New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd, 2011), 70-71; Adventist-AIDS International Ministry, 2002/200; Statement on HIV-AIDS, http:// www.aidsministry.com/official_statement. htm.

23. H.G. Koenig, D. King, and V.B. Carson, Handbook of Religion and Health, second edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), 224-235, 450-467.

24. L. Hardinge, With Jesus in His Sanctuary (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: American Cassette Ministries, 1991), 541.

25. Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1943), 586-587.

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13

Let God take you to places unimagined

by Derek Douglas

There is no limit to what God can do in you, for you, and through you. But to seize this promise, you must rely on the power of God and trust all the way in His will for your life.

I am a child of Berrien Springs, Michigan, the home of Andrews University. My parents migrated from the West Indies in the 1960s to study there. Later, after completing his Ph.D., my father returned to Andrews to be a professor in the seminary, where he taught for 35 years. My mother worked nights as a medical technologist so she could take care of my two sisters and me during the day.

I am also a proud child of Adventist education. I attended the local Adventist schools for my elementary and secondary education. I have had the privilege of attending some of the best schools in the country (such as the University of Michigan and Yale Law School), and I can honestly say that I lost out on nothing by coming up through the Adventist educational system. I have met, and competed against, students who went to the most elite private schools in the world, but the foundation I received from my Adventist education (which extended well beyond academics, to spiritual grounding and leadership/life skills) prepared me well for the opportunities and challenges I have since encountered in my life journey.

All of my formative years – early friendships, spiritual foundation, academic training, work ethic, moral

compass, sense of ambition, belief in myself, respect for others, etc. – were forged in the same community. I was not born into any special circumstances, nor did I have any special skills or abilities. In short, I was no different than any of you.

That is not to say I didn’t have dreams. In fact, when I was about to leave Berrien Springs for college, I had a very clear plan of what I wanted to do with my life. My plan was to go to college, study business, go to law school, and then become a successful corporate lawyer. But I was not very successful at executing this early plan I set for my life. In fact, if you had told me then that 23 years later I would have had the career I have had to this point – working as an attorney in the civil rights firm founded by the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, serving as counsel to two governors of the State of New York, leading urban policy for the president of the United States (can you imagine a kid from a small Adventist village leading urban policy for the United States!), and now serving as a vice president at one of the great universities in the world – if you told me I would do all this, I would never have believed you. It is well beyond what I hoped and dreamed.

14

Your future: Three questions

From my spiritual, academic, and professional journey thus far, reflecting on how I began as an Adventist kid in an Adventist home in an Adventist school, and further rejoicing in how that journey led me to professional achievement without losing my faith roots and spiritual life, I have three challenges to share with young people on the verge of taking a similar journey.

First, what’s next? That’s the first question any college student has to face: continue one’s education or start a career. While this step is relatively straightforward, it does mark a transition, and I do want to share a brief thought about that. Likely, one of the most significant issues that many of you will face is moving from an environment where Adventists are in the majority to an environment where, as an Adventist, you will be in the minority. To most successfully navigate this transition, it is important to be open about who you are and to embrace your faith. That is not to say that you have to wear your religion on your sleeve (that works for some, but not others), but I found it helpful to let people know up front about my religion and its practices – about not studying or working on Saturdays, DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

about not eating pork or shellfish, about not smoking or drinking, etc.

Defining myself early prevented others from trying to define my behavior through their lens, and I found it often garnered respect, and sometimes admiration, from those who observed how the Adventist lifestyle enhanced one’s quality of life.

Second, what’s possible? To set the table for this, I think it is important to first look to the Word of God – to the promises He has made to each one of you, and the potential He wants you to see in yourselves. For this, Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV) is my favorite starter: “Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

“Exceedingly, abundantly, above, all, that we ask or think!” That is the power and promise of God’s love, which Paul, in this chapter, is trying to convey. The New International Version says God is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” What a powerful promise that is! Just think about it for a second... . Think about the all the things you have ever asked God for in your life. Think about the dreams you have for your future (for your family, friends, career, spiritual life).

Now stretch your imagination a bit, and think about what aspirations you could have for yourself that you never before even considered possible. What this text is saying – this promise – is that God is willing and able to do for you exceedingly, abundantly, above all of that – that He is able to do immeasurably more than anything you can possibly ask or conceive.

Ellen White puts this notion of possibility another way: “Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children.”* In some sense, what these promises are telling us is that the age-old motivaDIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

tional notion of being able to accomplish anything you set your mind to may actually be too limiting! You not only can accomplish anything you set your mind to … you can accomplish things that go beyond what your mind is able to set! In other words, “what’s possible” for you is truly boundless – “higher than the highest human thought can reach.” There is no limit to what God can do in you, for you, and through you. But to seize this promise, you must rely on the power of God and trust in His will for your life.

Third, what opportunities lie ahead? You may be asking yourself, “If my possibilities are boundless, how do I translate this promise into concrete opportunities for my future?

How does one attain heights that are ‘higher than the highest human thought can reach’?” I am not sure there is a clear answer to this question. Personally, I think it has less to do with what “works you do,” and more to do with the “mindset you have” to create the space that allows God to lead your life. In other words, there is no formal roadmap of actions to take to ascend “higher than the highest human thought can reach,” but my experience tells me (as well as numerous other examples in the Bible and elsewhere) that there is a mental state – a deep faith and complete trust in God – that is crucial to allowing you to experience the full scope of opportunities that God has for your life.

Let me illustrate this with two brief examples. First, an example from the Bible: Joseph. Joseph was a Hebrew boy who, like his brothers, was destined to a life as a shepherd.

Sold by his brothers into slavery, Joseph eventually wound up in a jail in Egypt. While in jail, Joseph met Pharaoh’s cupbearer and interpreted his dream. This act was remembered by the cupbearer (albeit two years later) and conveyed to Pharaoh, who needed help interpreting a dream of

his own. This led Pharaoh to make Joseph governor over all of Egypt (at the ripe old age of 30) – a position through which he saved his family and the people of Israel from famine. Now, this is not what Joseph requested, nor is it something that he likely conceived. This was beyond anything he asked or thought possible, but through faith and openness to God’s will, he achieved it.

For a second example, consider the founding of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The founding fathers and mothers of our church were young people, who, as we know, went through the greatest of disappointments. They were mocked, ridiculed, and scorned for their beliefs, but they held on to their faith. God used these leaders to fuel a movement that led to the Adventist church, which started as a small gathering and has grown to over 17 million adult members today.

This was not what our church founders asked for back in 1844, nor is it what they thought would happen on that fateful day of October 22. But, again, this church, our church, turned out to be “exceedingly, abundantly, above all” that they asked for or imagined at the time.

So, this promise is not just a thing of the past. People all around us have experienced it (and are experiencing it) firsthand. I see my father, who grew up poor on a farm in Grenada, West Indies, but rose to get his Ph.D, become chair of his department in the seminary, ombudsman for the university, and pastor of two multicultural churches. This isn’t something he imagined for himself early in life. This is beyond!

Or ask Andrews University president Niels-Erik Andreasen if, when he was a boy growing up in Denmark, he thought he would one day ascend to be the president of the oldest university within the Seventh-day Adventist Church – Andrews University – he too would likely tell you that it is beyond what he conceived.

15

This experience of having God take you to places unimagined is not exceptional. It happens to this day. It has happened repeatedly in my life.

And it can happen in your life if you claim His promise.

Experiencing the exceptional – the common threads

While I said earlier that there is no set action plan for how to convert God’s promise of possibility into a guaranteed opportunity for your life, the examples I cited above do contain some common threads that I think are instructive as you chart your path forward.

First, all of the examples above involved people who had a close relationship with God, and complete faith in Him. That truly is the foundation for all of this. As Jesus said, “Everything is possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23, NIV). I believe this is where you need to start in order to claim this promise of possibility.

Second, they all had dreams and ambitions. They did not sit idly by waiting for God to act. The promise says God is able to do “exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you ask or think.” That means you have to be asking and thinking! Without ambition, coupled with some action, it is not possible to realize this promise.

Third, they all experienced significant challenges and setbacks.

However, they didn’t let these setbacks derail them. At the time, they could not have known whether they would ever emerge from their challenging circumstances. But through it all, their faith in God never wavered. Will you occasionally face challenges and experience failings as you embark on your own journey? Yes, you surely will. We all do. But the test is not perfection.

The true test is whether you’re able to weather your challenges, recognize your failings, and then rise, through Christ, to continue on life’s journey.

Fourth, but for the setbacks and challenges they faced, they would not

16

have achieved the heights that God had in store for them. Joseph would not have been governor over Egypt and able to save the people of Israel had his brothers not sold him into slavery. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, as we know it, may not be in existence today without the Great Disappointment. On a much less significant scale, I can point to numerous times in my life where I was dead set on something happening – getting a particular job, meeting a particular person, accomplishing a particular goal – but it didn’t happen, despite my incessant prayers and best efforts. At the time I was deeply disappointed, but in almost every instance, it later turned out that had the things I wanted so badly come to pass, a better opportunity that God had in store would have never happened. So difficulties can be doors of opportunity.

It’s about understanding that the challenge of today may be the blessing of tomorrow.

Fifth, and finally, in each of the examples the people were open to God having a different course for their lives. Having this mindset of letting God lead and being open to where He takes you – even if it doesn’t agree with the plan you have for your life – is crucial, in my view, to ascending “higher than the highest human thoughts can reach.”

Now, I am not suggesting that traditional measures of success are a guarantee and that every one of you will be on the Supreme Court some day, or become president of the country, or CEO of Microsoft or whatever.

That is not the point of God’s promise. The point is, God has a plan for your life, and this plan may be different, may be beyond anything you have planned for your life. And we also know that God’s hierarchy of success is not the same as that of secular society – so what He considers “beyond” may not always be what society considers “beyond.” Just remember the story of the widow’s mite, where Jesus

said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything … she had” (Mark 12:43-44 NIV).

Conclusion

I often say to my children, “God knows what He is doing!” I say this to explain both the good and the bad that happen to us – to help them understand that God has a plan for their lives and that what may seem difficult now may actually be an important step toward the realization of this plan. I have seen it work just this way in my life. I firmly believe that if each of you trust in the Lord, and are open to His will, you will see it work in your life too.

So the opportunity is there. It is promised to you as a function of your faith. The question is: are you going to seize it, and will you accept it even if it takes a form that is different from – perhaps beyond – what you requested or imagined?

Derek R.B. Douglas (J.D., Yale Law School) is a vice president for civic engagement, The University of Chicago. From 2009 to 2011, he served on the White House Domestic Policy Council as special assistant to President Barack Obama.

* Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publ. Assn., 1903), p. 18.

This article is based on the author’s commencement address delivered at Andrews University, August 4, 2013.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

PROFILE Fernando Montes Tapia Dialogue with a Seventh-day Adventist pediatric surgeon and researcher from Mexico Interview by Raquel Bouvet Korniejczuk

Fernando Montes Tapia was born in the south of Peru, in a laidback town not far from the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Dr. Montes Tapia is professor of pediatrics and surgery and director of pediatric emergencies at the University Hospital of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico. In addition, he is a researcher whose findings have been published by peer-reviewed international journals, and is chair of the press and promotion office of the Medical Surgeons Association of the State of Nuevo León, part of the scientific committee of the Mexican Association of Pediatric Surgery. His academic career also includes studies in laparoscopic surgery at the University of Montpellier and the University of Strasbourg, in France, and a doctoral degree in pediatrics from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.

Dr. Montes Tapia is an active member of the Cumbres Seventh-day Adventist Church in Monterrey, serving in child and youth ministries, and promoting health ministry in both the church and the community. He is married to Rosario, who as a pediatric nurse shares his passion for bringing healing to sick children and relief to their distressed parents. Together, they have two sons of primary school age.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

n Shall we begin with how you became acquainted with the Seventh-day Adventist Church?

I was born in a Catholic family in the small town of Camana, in southern Peru. As a young boy, I assisted our priest in our local church as an altar boy. When I was 11, ready to begin secondary school, my parents took me to the regional capital city of Arequipa, where I lived with two of my sisters, one of them older than me.

I enrolled in an Evangelical PeruvianBritish school. There I learned to sing hymns and to pray. Toward the end of my high school years, my elder sister finished college and returned home, while I stayed in Arequipa by myself.

My life became divided between studies and being a sort of purchase manager for my father. I used to buy supplies in the big city and send them to my father’s store back in our hometown. At that stage, I had more than enough time for partying. It was then that I acquired bad habits, such as smoking and drinking.

When I finished high school, I decided to study medicine. Several friends from my hometown were in the city of Monterrey, Mexico, and I liked the idea of leaving Peru for Mexico. Providentially, a distant cousin, who is a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, informed my parents about a 17

nearby university in Monterrey, the Seventh-day Adventist University at Montemorelos, which also had a medical school. In order to be accepted, I had to pass an exam, which was sent to Peru.

I passed the exam, and sometime later, I found myself on an international campus, with students coming from various parts of Latin America and overseas. Many words, dishes, and traditions were unknown to me, and the same applied to the beliefs espoused by the school. In fact, the school teachers’ worldview and their way of facing life were completely foreign to me. Very soon, I found out that living in the school dorms meant I could not keep the unhealthy habits I had. Dorm life helped me to put them aside, even though during my first few weeks, I used to smoke and drink when I was able to leave the campus on weekends. But when I was taking pathology, I got to know about the harmful effects of smoking, and I decided to quit for good.

The school environment and the good influence of my Christian classmates motivated me to develop a personal relationship with Jesus.

At the end of one Week of Prayer – those special meetings of high spiritual impact – I surprised my friends, who were already praying for me, by giving my life to Jesus through baptism. n Looking back, do you think it was a coincidence that you ended up studying medicine in a Seventh-day Adventist university in Mexico?

Not at all. I arrived in Mexico with a social motivation – to follow in the footsteps of several of my friends – and an academic plan – to study medicine. But God had another plan; He wanted me to get to know Him better, and changed my ways. After I was baptized, I understood that God had guided many people, such as my parents and my pastor cousin, to help me make decisions that eventu18

ally influenced my course of action.

I know that I had the power to make my own decisions regarding my life, but I constantly asked God whether my decisions agreed with His will. I needed to keep vigilant so as to avoid walking in my own paths, but rather in God’s. He has never failed me. n Why did you decide to become a pediatrician?

As I was doing my professional practice stint, I found out that there are basically only two kinds of patients: adults and children. Adults didn’t interest me! During my internship at La Carlota Hospital, in Montemorelos University, I fell in love with children.

I love the way they are, I love their innocence, and I find it a challenge to treat them. After all, did not Jesus say that the kingdom of God is theirs and that we are supposed to be like children? n Part of your specialization was done in France. Could you tell us about it?

While I was chief resident in pediatric surgery at the Children’s Hospital in Mexico City, I met the chief of pediatrics and the director of the University Hospital in Monterrey.

They already knew me, because I had been given an award as the best pediatrics resident. The chief of pediatrics offered me the opportunity to practice pediatric surgery in Monterrey.

I informed him that I would love that responsibility, but before I could take that on, I wanted to get a new specialization. He offered to help me with the specialization of my choosing, if I repaid the costs of the scholarship with years of service. I chose University of Montpellier, in France, and there I focused on getting trained in neonatal laparoscopic surgery. Then in 2002, I returned to Monterrey. When we left for France, we were only two, my wife and I, but when we returned we were three: our eldest son was born in that country.

n In your practice, have you found problems with beliefs such as keeping the Sabbath holy, the principles of Adventist health, or any other similar tenets of our faith? If so, how have you responded to those challenges?

I have always expected that keeping the Sabbath would be a problem when working in a public university and in a public university hospital. I have come to learn, however, that far from being a problem, the Sabbath is an opportunity for being a faithful witness, no matter where I am.

I also think that the health message and all the other beliefs I practice as a Seventh-day Adventist are an opportunity of sharing God’s blessings. I leave God the hurdles I find along the way; He knows how to solve them, and the only thing I must do is keep trusting Him fully. n How do you manage to share your faith in your practice, administrative work, and as a researcher and teacher?

Jesus is my example. Whatever I do – attending to a patient, talking with a patient’s family, teaching, researching, or working in administration – I do it with love and a sense of sharing that love with those with whom I come in contact. Keeping my eyes focused on Christ, I am able to perceive the needs in every exchange with my bosses, colleagues, students, patients, and hospital staff. It is my goal that every person who gets in touch with me may perceive God’s love through my words and actions.

It is not an easy task; sometimes, when under the pressure of emergencies or high-risk situations, I just focus on solving them, and I forget my goal of letting everyone see God’s love through me. Sometimes, I have had to ask for forgiveness, and I have even cried as I repented for a specific action of mine. I am persuaded, however, that the only way of getting to know and understand my role as a disciple of Christ is keeping a relationship of total dependency on God. DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

n How do you relate to your local church?

When I returned to Monterrey, I just wanted to attend a local church every Sabbath, without getting involved in a specific position, but my life experienced God’s forgiveness in a way that I had not felt before. That experience was another watershed moment in my spiritual life. From then on, I have accepted my responsibilities as a member of the local church, and I feel the joy of being actively involved in the life of the church, according to the needs of the body of believers.

I remember one occasion when I felt God calling me to respond when my church could not find a Sabbath school teacher for the beginner class (serving children up to two years of age). I decided to offer myself. I had never been a Sabbath school teacher before at any level. And now I was offering to teach the youngest in the church, who would come to me not to be healed, but to be spiritually nurtured. My wife and I began to teach the babies and toddlers in the cradle roll Sabbath school, and we felt God’s blessing upon us.

Once we take up God’s call to serve, we are enabled and strengthened to do the best the responsibility calls for. The God who calls is also the God who enables. I eventually began to teach Sabbath school for older children too, as well as in the Pathfinders Club. I have also become one of the leaders of my congregation, by being ordained as an elder of my local church. Currently, I am serving the church as coordinator of the local Adventist youth association. I am also treasurer of the Northeast Conference Association of Health Professionals, and I assist as a volunteer physician in the Pathfinders camping events across the region. n So besides your professional and personal activities, you spend time supporting your local church.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

Well, the church is in fact part of the community. As Christians, we must not only serve in our workplace, but also in our communities. That’s why I have taken part in various activities which promote health beyond the hospital walls. We have been in public squares in order to be contagious not about a disease, but about something that is just the opposite. We focus on prevention. I love leaving my office and the wards full of sick people and going outside to tell people: “Take care of your health; please follow a healthy lifestyle.”

Some time ago, we took part in a public impact event under the motto “I want to live healthy.” Among the various activities, perhaps the one that most attracted people’s attention was a very big salad bowl. Imagine! It contained salad for the 20,000 people present! A large group of volunteers in matching T-shirts distributed small 6.5-ounce bags of first-quality veggies that had been selected by qualified professionals. Thus, we were able to give a clear message about making the effort to live a healthy life by giving chemical-free vegetables and fresh fruits a prominent place in our diet.

We also received the support of the local media, which echoed our efforts by praising an initiative that proved to be both useful and attractive.

and forgiveness. Once the Holy Spirit touches your heart and mind, nothing will be the same. If you want to develop a personal relationship with God, as in the case of any other human being, you need to spend time and make efforts to be with Him. A close relationship with God requires spending time reading His Word, talking to Him regularly, and being a faithful witness. This is the foundation that will allow you to practice the faith you need in order to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Raquel Bouvet Korniejczuk (Ph.D., Andrews University) is vice president for academic affairs at the University of Montemorelos, Mexico. E-mail: rkorniej@um.edu. mx.

Fernando Montes Tapia’s e-mail: vinculaciondgest@gmail.com.

n How do you balance your time as a researcher, professor, and ward director with the time you need to spend with family and on your personal and devotional life?

Well, sometimes I feel that the time available is never enough. Through the years, my wife has helped me a lot to set my and my family’s priorities straight. n What could you say to current students in medicine or other programs, who are attending non-Adventist schools and often feel challenged to live their faith?

Experience for yourself God’s love 19

PROFILE R.J. Solomon

A dialogue with a leading Adventist educator-researcher in India Interview by John M. Fowler

When R.J. Solomon was an infant, he experienced the first of three miracles that were to shape his life and ministry. God, as Solomon’s father would later relate, opened the highway of truth to his parents, and for the first time they learnt of the marvelous message of the three angels, God’s Edenic plan of Sabbath, and history’s ultimate culmination in the Second Coming of Christ. Thus, Solomon had his early beginnings in a staunch Adventist home. The second miracle Solomon experienced was when he had to choose a collegiate education. Instead of selecting a wellreputed and accredited institution closer to home, Solomon followed his parental counsel and set off for Spicer Memorial College, in Pune, which had no governmental accreditation. But the God of miracles was not through with Solomon: He led him to graduate from Spicer, and then obtain a master’s degree in psychology from Pune University, followed by a doctoral degree in population sciences from the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai (2007).

In 2002, Solomon received a U.S. government exchange visitor award for research at East West Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu. In 2009, he was awarded the prestigious Major Research Project 20

Fellowship from the University Grants Commission of India to implement the Indian arm of the International Youth Development Study (IYDS).

The study monitors the healthy development of children and adolescents and contributes to advancing educational progress, mental health promotion, chronic disease prevention, and encouragement of positive behaviors such as volunteering, civic engagement, and behaviors.

Dr. Solomon’s research has connected him with many international universities, including the University of Washington in Seattle, the University of Melbourne, and Deakin University in Melbourne. Having presented research findings at international conferences in Australia, the USA, South Korea, and Thailand, Dr. Solomon is perhaps the leading Adventist educator-researcher in the Southern Asia Division.

Scholarship and research have not taken Dr. Solomon to the skies. He is a down-to-earth Adventist, teaching Sabbath school in his local church, planning the development of a modern church-owned high school in the city where he teaches, serving as a local elder, and being a responsible father and loving husband. His wife, Shreeletha, is also a research professional, and his daughter is a college freshman.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

n Dr. Solomon, can we begin with how you became a Seventh-day Adventist?

What is your family background?

My parents were members of the Anglican Church. A year after my birth, they received the Adventist message and were baptized. Right from my childhood, my parents were very particular that all their children would be brought up in the Adventist faith. Consequently, my siblings and I were more enriched in the knowledge of Scripture than my cousins and kids from other denominations. At times the child in me perceived my dad’s insistence of strictly following Adventist faith as an irritation, but today I realize it was the best thing a father could do for his son. The verse “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Psalms 22:6) proved very true in my life. n How did Adventist education help in the shaping of your character, career, and family commitment?

I had the opportunity of receiving a formal Adventist education only after completion of grade 10. At the age of 16, I joined Spicer Memorial College, in Pune, India. Having received freedom for the first time from the strict and authoritarian parenting of my dad, I began exploring life independently. My dad wanted me to study theology and become a pastor, but a year after joining Spicer I chose psychology as a major. The Adventist home that I grew up in and the Adventist education I received in college complemented each other, firmed my relationship with Jesus, and led me to be spiritually mature and socially responsible and involved. n Tell our readers something about your academic journey: what made you decide to be a research specialist, and what hurdles did you have to overcome?

I chose to study psychology partly to understand myself and partly to develop a better understanding of othDIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

ers. As a psychology teacher for college students, I was also deeply involved in counseling students with behavioral and adjustment problems. Very soon, I realized that as a counselor I could only help students with behavior problems. But as a researcher, I would be able to develop appropriate prevention strategies that could effectively check young people from getting into problem behaviors. Hence, I started my journey into research.

Doing research is a daunting and time-consuming task in a country like India, where your caste, class, religion, and linguistic background matter more than your merit. But the lessons in patience and endurance learned in those days strengthened my faith.

Perhaps God wanted me to learn in that way, and He knew that it was the best thing to happen to me. Looking back at life, I can see how God helped me compensate for all the loss of time in life. n What challenges did you have to overcome as you prepared for your professional life? And in those difficult times, did you find in your faith-life a place of refuge or assistance?

Like most other underprivileged boys who aspire to make it big in life, I too had my own dreams and fantasies. After completing master’s degree in Pune, I moved to Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, because I thought that would mean progress in life. While pursuing research, the first four years of my career were spent as a clinical psychologist at Mumbai’s J.J. Hospital. Later, I shifted to college teaching.

The Adventist lifestyle and beliefs are watched with curiosity in the secular world. Most Indians are religious and accept that one should worship God, but they can’t accept the view that it has to involve a designated day as Sabbath. Many feel that Adventists are very rigid about their beliefs and that our uncompromising stand on the Sabbath is irrational. However,

this gives us an opportunity to present them with a deeper understanding of our beliefs.

I believe that Adventists working in secular institutions have some real opportunities to witness for their faith.

It is more challenging to work outside than to work in Adventist institutions.

As with Joseph in Egypt, Obadiah in the days of Ahab, or Esther and Mordecai, God can also use those working outside the church in significant ways.

Apart from my spiritual life, my lifestyle and concern for health have also attracted much attention outside.

Most people wonder why a Christian chooses to be vegetarian, and why I don’t drink tea or coffee, which are commonly taken by all. These issues always gave me an opportunity to share our health and lifestyle message, and the importance of trusting the Creator.

As a psychologist, I provide counseling services, and this gives me an opportunity to share my personal testimony. Counseling is not used for proselytizing, but I cannot lie or remain silent about my personal experiences. n In today’s world, every organization – professional, educational, business, or government – must have a mission statement and a philosophy that drives that mission. How would you describe yours in your professional life?

I find my mission statement in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (NKJV). Every good thing that took place in my life is only because of my Lord Jesus Christ, without whom I am nothing.

He has blessed me abundantly. Even though I don’t deserve much of what He blessed me with, I am ever thankful to my Lord. n In addition to being a professor, you 21

have been a well-known educational researcher. Tell us about some of the research projects you have undertaken, and what or how they contributed to the advancement of knowledge and the good of the community.

I consider myself to be a youth researcher, and my area of research is adolescent health. This includes the study of both problem behaviors of youth and positive youth development.

The breakthrough in my research career came when I was selected in 2002 as one of 14 researchers from Asia Pacific nations to be trained at the East West Center of the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, in a summer seminar on adolescent health. The main instructor was Prof. John Toumbourou, who is currently chair of health psychology at Deakin University, Australia. Every Saturday, the center took its international participants for sightseeing and entertainment programs. On one such Saturday morning, John noticed me standing alone at a bus stop opposite the center and inquired about my plans for the day. I told him about Sabbath and that all my day’s activities would revolve around my faith commitments. Himself a God-fearing man, John took notice of my beliefs and appreciated my faith.

Later, I believe God impressed John to choose me to mentor and to assist in building my career. This became a turning point in my life.

John assisted me in completing my Ph.D. degree and later visited India and designed a plan to build my career in research with a goal to establish the Institute for Child and Adolescent Health Research (ICHAR) in India. The collaboration led me to receive two major awards from Indian competitive research schemes: a major research project award from the University Grants Commission of India, and more recently a Senior Research Fellowship award from the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR). In addition, in the last four years, I also secured two 22

Australian government fellowship grants, both internationally competitive and merit-based: an Endeavour Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship and an Endeavour Executive Fellowship. These scholarly involvements advanced the cause of the international adolescent health movement.

Working with Professor Toumbourou and his research team, I was able to develop the Mumbai arm of the longitudinal cross-national comparative study called the International Youth Development Study. This study of a representative sample of nearly 5,000 Mumbai youth has been designed to be compared with identical samples from Seattle in the U.S. and Melbourne in Australia. This study has enabled for the first time accurate comparisons of rates of adolescent health and social problems such as tobacco use and depression. By crossnationally comparing longitudinal influences on adolescent development, this study contributes to planning and developing prevention programs in Indian, American, and Australian contexts. It also helps build a scientific basis for advancing research and practice addressing the Indian government’s health priority targets. n Have you done any research that may be of some help to the church’s understanding of our youth? After all, the future of the church is in the hands of the youth.

Recently, we have developed a survey instrument named Adventist Youth Development Study (AYDS) for the Department of Youth Ministry of the Southern Asia Division (SUD).

AYDS is designed to study youth within the context and socio-cultural background of Southern Asia. The AYDS is a balanced and yet comprehensive survey instrument. It consists of a 13-page questionnaire and is divided into 13 sections. It looks into the health, family, spiritual development, and well-being of young people in the age group of 15 to 35 years.

Dr. Solomon addressing the launch of New Colombo Plan to promote Australia’s higher education initiative in Asia-Pacific Region.

AYDS was administered to 310 Adventist youth in 2014. The sex composition of the sample was 52% male and 48% female. The marital status of the sample was 82% single, 13% married, 3.5% engaged and the rest unknown. The academic level of the sample showed 35% with graduate degrees or above, 42% who had completed grade 12, and 23% who had completed some certificate course. The fact that only about one third of Adventist youth possessed a degree speaks about the urgent need for encouraging Adventist youth to pursue higher education. The SUD should make provision to have our youth secure higher degrees and build careers with greater aspirations.

The survey also brought out the obvious fact of the low social economic status that most Adventists come from. About 51% of all youth did not possess their own house. Half also reported going hungry at least once during the past one month because there was not enough food at home.

On health issues, even though 88% considered they had good health, most of their health practices could lead to adverse health conditions in later life: 75% youth often skipped breakfast, 79% didn’t receive eight hours of sleep, and 70% usually snacked instead of taking regular meals. The diet habits of Adventist youth showed that 46% were vegetarians resorting DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

to a lacto-ovarian diet, while 54% claimed to be meat/fish eaters. This happened even though 88% reported having been taught about the benefits of healthy eating, including a balanced diet and vegetarian diet.

The health risk behavior indicated that 81% never smoked, while 15% tried it sometimes, and 4% smoked regularly. Similarly, while 93% reported abstaining from chewing tobacco, 7% reported chewing tobacco regularly. About 17% reported that their parents smoked too, suggesting risky parental models at home. Alcohol consumption appeared to be more acceptable, with 60% of youth reporting trying it sometime in life. However, only 9% reported consuming alcohol, and 5% reported taking drugs regularly. Over 40% reported tension and conflicts in their families.

The mental health indicators of Adventist youth are a cause of great concern. About one third of all youth reported feeling hopeless in life, and 79% reported experiencing depression in their lives. About 28% of youth reported suicidal thoughts, and 13% reported self-harm behavior.

The survey showed an urgent need to tackle the adverse health risk behaviors noticed in the study. There, you have a job cut out for the family, pastoral, youth, and educational ministries of the church. n How would you counsel Adventist

youth who want to climb the professional and academic ladder in an extremely competitive world, where Adventist values may not be held or allowed to be held as dear?

Based on my personal experience, I strongly feel that if Adventist parents have laid a strong spiritual foundation in their children’s early life, as Scriptures say, the chances of them departing from the Lord are small.

The life of youth is strongly influenced by the contexts in which they grow. These contexts include family, school, peers, neighborhood/community, and church.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

My counsel to youth is to remain connected to Jesus and develop a personal relation with the Savior.

Youth may not have enough strength to deal with and overcome the challenges and competitions they face in life, but with Jesus on their side there is no obstacle they cannot overcome.

Youth should know that they are not alone in their battles, but Jesus is always with them. They should claim the promise in Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” n What is your feeling – professionally and spiritually – about Adventist education?

The Adventist philosophy of education is rather unique. It stresses a wholistic and balanced development and is more relevant today than ever before. Often education, even the best of it, prepares a young person to excel in life – in a job, in relationships, in society in general. But what is unique about Adventist education is its commitment to wholistic education – mind, body, and spirit – that prepares one not only for the joy and fulfillment of life here and now, but also for the life to come. Now, that may not sound very appropriate in the age of science and technology, but just the same, when our vision is fixed on something greater than us and now, that eternal dimension has its own challenge and rewards. n How do you portray faith as an important part of your life?

I have not built my faith overnight.

Building faith is a lifelong journey – indeed, a daily walk with God. I have seen God’s hand leading me, overcoming many adversities and safeguarding me from many dangers. Such an experience is not only mine, but it is available to all who wish to place their trust and confidence in God.

Further, in retrospect, I am able to recognize something important: when God did not respond to my prayers as I would have liked, it was because He had a much better plan than what I asked for. n Tell us something about your family.

I met my wife, Shreeletha, while studying for my Ph.D. at Mumbai University. We soon became friends.

We were from different states, spoke different languages, and held different faiths. So in every way we were different from each other, and Indian parents do not usually accept such marriages.

I prayed for months, asking God to give me a wife who was even more committed to Him than I was.

I believe God answered my prayer and built a bridge between the two of us. He did give me a God-fearing wife, strong and wise. For two years, Shree accompanied me to church and attended Bible studies. At the end of the studies, she accepted Jesus and was baptized. Marriage followed. Shree and I are blessed with a daughter, Sharon, who is 19 now and is pursuing her undergraduate study in psychology, like her dad.

n What counsel would you give to Adventist youth who want to plan and study toward a professional career?

Fix your eyes upon the Lord and begin your professional journey, abiding in Him with all your heart, mind, and soul. He will give you your heart’s desire and more.

John M. Fowler (Ed.D., Andrews University) is a former associate director of education, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and editor of Dialogue.

E-mail: fowlerj@gc.adventist.org.

R.J. Solomon’s e-mail: rj_solomon@yahoo.co.in 23

Books Problema de la Identidad Bíblica del Cristianismo [The Problem of the Biblical Identity of Christianity], by Raúl Kerbs (Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos: Ediciones Universidad Adventista del Plata; 2014; 682 pages).

Reviewed by Carmelo Martines Raúl Kerbs’ extensive and thorough study impacts both philosophers and theologians alike. In this remarkable work, the author discusses the issue of presuppositions and how they influenced the philosophical ideas of the ancient Greek world, and the way they eventually affected Christian theology. It is in this context that the author presents the issue of Christian identity. The author’s primary starting point is that the Bible is its own interpreter, and that the intrusion of philosophical interpretations resulted in the destruction of the biblical identity of Christianity.

The essential notion of interpretation in both philosophy and theology is the idea of God, and the presuppositions related to it. From that original notion, the author guides the reader along a journey through Greek and Western, as well Christian, thought.

Kerbs review starts with Presocratic philosophy. It was then that Heraclitus conceived of reality as something changing and cyclical, and Parmenides looked for a reality that could be beyond time and change, since for him, both the knowledge and the “being” of things were atemporal and immutable. Socrates came next, with the idea that in every single thing there is some true essence. Inspired by this idea, Plato went on a search for that true essence of things.

Kerbs argues that in his search for the essence of things within an atemporal understanding of material and temporal things, Plato follows Parmenides’ line of thought.

Later, the Aristotelian distinction between form and matter would keep dualism quite alive, since for Aristotle, the form of things is the atemporal and immutable reality.

In the chapter devoted to biblical interpretation of the presuppositions of thought, the author introduces a turning point between the presuppositions of Greek philosophy and biblical thought. According to Kerbs, in Exodus 3:14, 15 we find a biblical interpretation of being. Moses gets a revelation of both the revelatory and the historical presence of God. The revelation of God connects His historical presence with a past and a future. God’s own being is revealed

by His emergence in history. The Bible does not present a distinction between the atemporal level of God’s own being and the historical level of God’s work on behalf of His cre24

ation. Thus, the Bible must be read from its own and original interpretation of its own presuppositions, which are not the same as the presuppositions of philosophy.

Following this is the author’s exposition about how – when Christian faith collided with philosophy – the first church fathers included the basic presuppositions of philosophy, which then became the indisputable presuppositions of the interpretation of the Bible as a whole. Augustine’s role was decisive, since in Christian theology, the temporal and historical world presented by biblical revelation is not the sphere of true knowledge; on the contrary, God’s own being is interpreted through the lens of Parmenides and Plato.

When discussing God’s being, Thomas Aquinas also applies a philosophical interpretation of being as atemporal and immutable. The chapter devoted to William of Ockham tries to break from the hegemony of Scholasticism, even though he did not in fact rule out the philosophical interpretations of the presuppositions of the mind.

The following few chapters show us that even in the theology of Protestant reformers, the same issues would eventually appear, in a very similar way to what had already been suggested. When interpreting God, Luther – who apparently tried to get rid of philosophy – does it from a philosophical presupposition of atemporality. God acts in a way which favors predestination, and which is unconditional and eternal. In the case of Calvin, true reality is spiritual, which is immaterial and eternal, since out of the atemporality of divine decrees, everything – even evil – is determined. Thus, the idea of predestination finds its climax in Calvin’s thought. Not even Protestant orthodoxy manages to free itself from the philosophical presuppositions of being and God. In short, what Kerbs suggests is that, within Greek philosophy, epistemology through reason validates the presuppositions of atemporality and immutability, which then envisages beings – the ontos – which in turn dictates the “theo.” In the Bible, however, it is an inverse journey, in which the “theos” determines epistemology and its presuppositions in historicity and revelation, which accordingly, determines the “ontos” of the biblical God. Here we find the biblical identity of Christianism, its essential macro-hermeneutical reason. This presupposes not a deconstruction but a new construction of Christian theology as a whole.

It must be noted that Kerbs works with primary sources, presenting different authors not through the lens of history of philosophy or theology, but making each thinker stand on his own words. Another feature that makes this wellresearched book unique is that the various arguments discussed include more than 20 charts and 154 illustrations, that assist the reader in summarizing, contrasting, and Continued on page 35 DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

Logos Chosen: Living as a disciple in a strange land

by Bonita Joyner Shields

Christian discipleship occurs in relationships. It begins with responding to Jesus’ call to connect with and abide in Him. When we commune with Him regularly and participate with other believers in worshiping Him, we begin to be transformed.

What does it mean to live as disciples of Christ in a secular and strange environment? How shall we live in a world in which most of our classmates and friends have not chosen God? What will our lives look like as chosen ones?

In John 14, the disciples learn that Jesus will be leaving them and returning to His Father in heaven. In those final hours with His followers, Jesus seeks to comfort them. He promises that He will come back to take them home; He promises the Holy Spirit will comfort, counsel, and teach them; and He promises that they will have His peace. But He also challenges them. Beginning in Chapter 15, He challenges them with the image of a vine: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser … I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:1, 5).1 Observe how Jesus provides a heavenly link to the concept of discipleship. The Father is the vinedresser.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

The Son is the vine. The disciples are the branches on the vine. Jesus reminds His followers then and now that they are the branches of the true vine, not because of any worldly factor but because of their link with Jesus.

It is He who provides them life; it is their link to Him, which will cause them to bear the fruits of discipleship.

Our connection with the church is not what provides us life or makes us bear fruit. Although the body of Christ is crucial to our growth as disciples, and our coming together regularly to support and encourage each other is essential, it is our connection with Christ that sustains our life and role as disciples.

It is in this context that we approach His words: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last” (John 15:16, NIV).

Quantity versus quality

When one thinks of a vine and

branches, one realizes that the branches are an outgrowth of the vine. The branches are totally dependent on the vine for life. The vine initiates the growth of the branches; the branches merely hang on to the vine for dear life!

It is easy to think that because we are creatures of free will we are the only ones who are making choices in our relationship with God. Yes, like the branches, we are choosing to hang on to the true vine for life. But the vine chose us long before we chose it.

Why? To bear fruit. The vine depends on us to bring forth the fruit that will last. Our connection with Christ should empower us to love each other so deeply that we will lay down our lives for each other. “The closer we come to Christ, the nearer we shall be to one another. God is glorified as His people unite in harmonious action.”2 When the term “bearing fruit” is used, more often than not it is used in the context of evangelism. “Pastor 25

Melana really does bear fruit. He baptized 30 souls in his last evangelistic series.” Or, “Sister Maria is a tremendous worker for the Lord. She gave 20 Bible studies last month.” Yes, reproducing disciples numerically is an important aspect of what it means to bear fruit that will last. However, qualitative fruit is just as important as quantitative fruit. Becoming transformed into the image of Christ is the desired outcome of Christian life.

And discipleship is a lifelong process of transformation and ever-deepening maturity through the work of the Holy Spirit that aims for the likeness of Christ to be reproduced in the life of the disciple. Do we think that it honors God to bring people into His body only to neglect their growth?

Be a disciple, and disciple others

From botany, we learn that four nutrients are necessary for the growth of a plant: nitrogen, lime, phosphoric acid, and potash. The key to using these nutrients is to know their proper balance. Plants that receive too much nitrogen have a lot of foliage (leaf) growth, but are not strong. But if they don’t receive enough nitrogen, they turn yellow. When your plant gets too much lime, it makes the soil too alkaline. When your plant doesn’t get enough lime, it makes the soil too acidic.

Likewise, strong disciples are made not by their receiving only one nutrient. It takes a diversity of nutrients to make a child of God flourish. We shall speak of four “nutrients”3 essential for Christian growth, for producing strong, fruitful disciples of Jesus.

Connecting. Christian discipleship occurs in relationships. It begins with responding to Jesus’ call to connect with and abide in Him. When we commune with Him regularly, participate with other believers in worshiping Him, and pay attention to what He is doing in the world and in us, we begin to be transformed. Through this transforming connection with 26

Him, we come to know ourselves as Jesus created us to be, appreciate our infinite value to Him, and trust Him enough to surrender our hearts and wills to Him. As His Spirit guides us in the development of our identity in Christ, we are then able to connect with those around us in more healing and redeeming ways, in more fruitful ways.

Indeed, because of this Christconnection, we become radically new.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Don’t allow the enemy to steal your new identity. Your life depends on it.

Even when you don’t feel worthy to be chosen by God, cling to the fact that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Understanding. When Roy and I married, I knew him enough to know that I loved him and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Now, after 30 years of marriage, my understanding of who he is and my love for him have grown and deepened.

Our relationship with Jesus is similar. When we start our journey as disciples of Jesus, we know just enough about Him to know that we love Him and want to follow Him for the rest of our lives. But there’s so much more to discover about Him – who He is at His core! Satan, however, wants to distort our understanding of who Jesus is. Satan will warp our understanding primarily through two means. First, he will encourage us to believe that “Jesus is all I need,” without going deeper to discover the true character of the Jesus we serve. Second, Satan will deceive us by taking what we learn about Jesus from His Word and making us believe that we are unworthy to ever warrant receiving those promises.

One way in which God’s people can understand His character more deeply is through our beliefs or doctrines.

Of course, some Christians use their

beliefs to whip people into believing what they believe. However, doctrines are – or should be – at the core of our attempt to understand His character from His Word. Thus, when our understanding of His character deepens, we view the world, our relationships, and even our purpose for living through His eyes. We learn to depend on Him to provide everything we need for our redemption and restoration into His image.

Serving. As we develop an identity that is complete in Christ and seek to understand more of His character through His word, we will desire to share our journey with others.

A person does not have to become a pastor in order to share his/her journey with others and to serve them in Christ’s name. When we remember that being a disciple is not only what we do but who we are, we will realize that we can carry out our calling to ministry through whatever occupation to which the Lord has led us. When I pastored at a local church, I told my church members who worked outside of church employment, “You have an opportunity that I do not have. You have the opportunity to reach people in your work world who otherwise will not step foot in a church. The world needs praying doctors, faithful businesspersons, and spirit-filled artists who realize their calling and who walk with godly courage.”

Whether it is supporting the ministries of your local church with your time, talents, and finances; whether it is serving your local community by recognizing and responding with compassion to the suffering and injustices that take place there; whether it is investing yourself in mentoring other followers of Christ; or whether it is sharing the story of your relationship with Jesus with your family, friends, or coworkers: when you to choose to serve them, you are fulfilling your calling to serve.

Living in community. Do I have to go to church to be saved? The DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

answer is no. The Bible contains no commandment that says, “Thou shalt go to church in order to be saved.”

However, we do have several indications from God’s Word that show the importance of living and worshiping in community. Listen to this: “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

Scripture often speaks of “one anothering” in the Christian life.4 Living in community gives us the opportunity to walk alongside one another in order to: • Support, nurture, and strengthen one another in love • Deepen our relationship with God and one another • Study God’s Word together and live in obedience to its teaching • Hold ourselves accountable to one another for growing toward wholeness in Christ • Discern where God is working in the world and in our lives • Support one another in the use of our spiritual gifts to fulfill God’s mission However, we are not called to reside solely within the confines of Christian community in order to be fruitful disciples. Our Christian life must be manifested in the very midst of the world. Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s challenge is worth noting: “The value of the secular calling for the Christian is that it provides an opportunity of living the Christian life with the support of God’s grace, and of engaging more vigorously in the assault on the world and everything that it stands for.”5

The image of Christ

My mother suffered a massive stroke last year. It rendered her unable to walk or talk. Our communication became laughter, hugs, and kisses. I tried to instill in her the belief that

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

through her sweet spirit and loving nature, the Lord could use her to touch those around her. However, caring for her and watching her suffer through this ordeal was difficult.

During this time, she slid off her chair and broke her ankle. At first, we didn’t know her ankle was broken because she couldn’t speak to us, and her cognitive deficits from the stroke made her unable to point to the spot.

The physicians assumed her hip was broken. When the X-ray did not reveal a hip fracture, they sent her back to her assisted living home, but she was still in excruciating pain. She looked at me with a look of “Please do something.” But I was helpless. It was after giving her two rounds of heavy analgesic that didn’t even touch her pain that I lost it.

“Don’t You think she’s had enough?” I said to the Lord through angry tears. “She can’t walk. She can’t talk. Now she’s in unbearable pain.

What do You want from her?”

Soon after this ordeal, her assisted living home hosted a Christmas party.

One of the resident’s daughters came up to me afterward and said, “Bonita, your mom is so sweet. I just want you to know that when I look into your mother’s face, I see Jesus.”

I realized at this point that even though Mom couldn’t walk or talk, give Bible studies, or pass out literature, God was using her very being to touch the lives of those around her.

There will be times when you wonder if you’re making a difference in anyone’s life. But I believe that as we choose Christ daily and seek to be fruitful disciples – connecting, understanding, serving, and living in community – that we will be changed.

We will look more like Jesus. And the world will be drawn to Him through us, and embrace their chosenness as well.

Bonita Joyner Shields is editor and assistant director for discipleship in the Sabbath School/Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. E-mail: shieldsb@gc.adventist.org.

REFERENCES

1. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New King James Version.

2. Ellen G. White, Adventist Home (Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Pub. Assn., 1952), 179.

3. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and Andrews University have partnered in identifying and developing a spiritual growth model to aid in growing fruitful disciples. To access this model, go to www. growingfruitfuldisciples.com.

4. For a few examples, see John 13:34, 35; Romans 12:10; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 5:21.

5. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1959), 239.

27

Perspectives I am a millionaire – and much more!

by Chandler Riley

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or – worse! – stolen by burglars ….

It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” Matthew 6:19-21, Message Treasure and artifact seeker Forrest Fenn decided that he wanted to do something creative to get people outdoors and enjoying nature. So he took some prized possessions from his vast collection, put them into a gold box worth over $10,000 itself, and hid it somewhere out in nature to be found by a lucky explorer. But he didn’t leave the search completely to chance. With the announcement of this stash, he wrote a poem with clues to the bounty.

Part of the poem reads: Begin it where warm waters halt And take it in the canyon down Not far, but too far to walk.

Put in below the home of Brown.

From there it’s no place for the meek, The end if ever drawing nigh; There’ll be no paddle up your creek, Just heavy loads and water high.

News about this treasure has triggered a modern-day gold rush.

Prospectors have spent time and money in search of the prize, sometimes at the risk of their lives.

I’d heard about this hunt about a 28

year ago, just before a trip I took with my family to the American Southwest.

Fascinated by it, but also feeling like I could find a use for millions of dollars, I kept an eye out for places the stash could be located. I didn’t necessarily think I’d wander upon it, but a couple of times when I did find myself in a canyon with flowing water, my interest was piqued. I figured a river in a canyon was one of the landmarks.

But alas, I did not see that golden box.

Honestly, I hadn’t tried too hard to find it, so my failure was no surprise.

Clues to the treasure

In addition to the clues in the poem, Fenn has also mentioned on news programs and in interviews that the box is located in one of four states: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana, and is somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. He has also mentioned that it’s located above 1,500 meters.

Early in August, as I planned a road-trip loop around parts of Colorado’s mid-section, I came up with an extra day between two places

I wanted to visit. Looking at a map, I found a spot halfway between the two and decided to check it out. It seems as though every place in Colorado is amazing, and this spot was no exception: a deep canyon in the Rockies that had a river running through parts of it. I love a good canyon, and the convenience of the spot sealed the deal for me. It was also around this time that Fenn’s treasure came back to mind. A canyon? Water in that canyon? In the Rockies? This seemed interesting. I at least figured it was in the running as a potential spot.

Having decided that a “high” waterfall was involved in this treasure’s location, based on my understanding of the clues, I Googled the name of the park and the word “waterfall.” It didn’t seem as though this park had one, or one that was more than a few meters high, but my heart skipped a beat when a search-engine query revealed that not only was there a waterfall there, but it was almost 50 meters tall. At this point, I’d say I was about 40 percent sure this was the location. The percentage only DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

increased as time went on.

I looked online and didn’t find much information about the falls, but I did find a blog by a couple giving directions on how to get to the top of the falls in the winter. They also mentioned a cave at the top, which bumped up my certainty about the spot. I had always figured a cave would make a great place to store the box, as Fenn had mentioned once that it was possible the treasure could go undiscovered for quite some time. A cave would protect it from the elements. The cave at the top of the falls would be the first place I’d visit. I now had directions on how to get there from these good folks in the blog.

But something was happening that I didn’t like. I had been looking forward to this trip more than anything I had looked forward to for a long time. Time camping under the stars, mountain views in abundance, city views of Denver at night from the windows of my room, me and God and nature for over a week – I was a kid at Christmas. But that started to ebb away as the hunt for the treasure grew.

To be clear, I didn’t become moneyhungry at the hint of this treasure.

Actually, even if I had the right spot, I was aware that someone else could have beaten me to it. While Fenn says that he has not been given any evidence to date that someone has found the treasure, there was always the chance someone had discovered it and chosen to remain anonymous. But this treasure hunt was huge – millions of dollars huge – and by its nature was eating up more and more of my attention.

The excitement about the trip dwindled as the potential of finding the location of the box became more of a reality. And I didn’t like that. I considered scratching my trip to that area and having nothing to do with it, but I figured God could help me stay focused on what was real and certain and what I had looked forward to seeDIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

ing. Besides, if I did find the gold, I could buy the state of Colorado and go there whenever I wanted, without the distraction of the treasure.

Before long, I was on my trip and driving through the beautiful state of Colorado. The scenery was amazing, and the lack of distraction meant I could focus on God and my time out in the mountains. The possibility of hunting for Fenn’s treasure not only didn’t consume me as I had feared, but I figured rooting around for it at the end of my itinerary would be a fun and extremely unique addition to the trip.

The day of the search finally arrived. That morning was exciting.

To be involved in a real treasure hunt – and one of this magnitude – was bigger than me. After breakfast, I hurried to prepare my small backpack for the journey. I also had a collapsible cooler with a shoulder strap that I brought in case I had to carry something golden and boxy back to my car after my hike.

I parked where the blog recommended and walked down to the entry point into the canyon. It was a steep descent, made worse by the previous night’s heavy rains. Each step found me sliding about 30 centimeters down the soft hill. I hadn’t gotten far when I realized I needed to find another route. A second route also found me backtracking and looking for other options. I considered going through a dark water tunnel that went under the road, but getting to that seemed difficult and potentially problematic.

I went back to the first route, getting down as far as the creek at the bottom of the steep hill, but I quickly realized that going that way would not be feasible for various reasons. The blog writers had traveled with deep snow over everything, and I realized that may have been to their advantage.

Walking back to my car only 15 minutes after having left it, I felt extremely disappointed. All this buildup for nothing. I considered other

options, but to no avail. If only Fenn had told me how to get to the location, I thought. That’s when it hit me. He had. I’d used all his clues to determine the end point, but then did my own research and allowed myself to get sidetracked into hearing how to get there from others. I had forgotten that the treasure hider and poem writer had provided step-by-step directions.

As I realized this, the spiritual parallel to my situation became clear very quickly. What I had done with the poem, too often we do with God’s Word. Sometimes we feel like we know the end of the story with God, so we take our own path to the conclusion. We do this with the Bible when we ignore very clear Bible passages because they don’t seem to jive with our idea of a loving God or the view of God we have. So we ignore what we have read and take our own path to the end. However, that can sometimes lead us to the wrong conclusion, or a conclusion that is not completely correct.

Clues from the poem

The poem reads, “Begin it where warm waters halt.” As I considered approaching the waterfall from the base now, and getting to it from the river, an interpretation of this line seemed to make itself known. To get to the river, I’d have to cross over a dam. Dams definitely halt water. On one side of the dam was a reservoir surrounded by hills, on the other a deep canyon. You had to drive down into the canyon and walk down further to get to the river at the base of the canyon. In other words, “take it to the canyon down” – the next line of the poem.

“Put in below the home of Brown,” The only dock on this part of the river was below a brown outhouse/storage unit owned by the National Park Service. The falls were five kilometers away from this point if you could find a path that continued that far, so “too far to walk” but one could travel 29

by river. “No place for the meek”?

The river wound around high canyon walls. A tall waterfall at the end of the five-kilometer journey seemed like the likely home of the treasure to me.

However, not at the top as I’d been planning on, but in the pool of water at its base. It seemed to fit all the clues from the poem like step-by-step directions.

Feeling the rush of adventure again, I looked for a way to get to the waterfall. After considering different options and calling around, I had only one choice. I’d have to drive 30 minutes east to rent an inflatable kayak that could fit in the back seat of my car in its deflated state and then be inflated at the river’s edge. I quickly made plans to do this. But with the sun setting in a few hours, I’d need to wait until the next day to start the quest.

The morning of the trip, I carried more than 20 kilos of equipment just over 1.5 kilometers along the river’s edge to where I’d put in and inflated the craft. With excitement, I pushed off from shore, cooler bag snugly lodged between the outer edges of the inflatable kayak. Into the canyon I went, toward the falls.

It was a beautiful day. The blue sky, white puffy clouds, and rugged canyon walls around me seemed to paint a picture of the nature of God. I loved where I was and what I was experiencing – and not because of the bounty that I felt might lay before me.

In just under an hour, I pulled myself up to the rocky shore near the pool of water at the base of the waterfall. Having had all the clues line up perfectly to lead me here, I would say that I was now 90 percent certain this was the home of Fenn’s treasure. But I can tell you honestly that as I stepped out of the kayak and saw the pool of water below the falls, I felt 100 percent sure of it. Now my future came down to whether or not I was right about the location, and if so, whether or not someone else had already beat 30

me to the same realization. With humble, curious, unbelieving excitement, I walked up to the shallow pool at the base of the 50-meter waterfall and stepped in. So cold.

I figured that if this was the spot, the box would be under or behind the falls, so I checked there first. I had pictured it being in a dry area behind the falls, but the area behind the falls was a wall of rock. So instead, I felt around in the water under the falls. Getting cold quickly, and not yet ready to commit to sticking my hands into the murky water, I opted to inspect the shallower areas around the edge of the pool first. After finding nothing, I realized I needed to go back to the waterfall.

I started to feel around under the falling water, but the height of the falls, the temperature of the water, and having to reach down into areas I couldn’t see into made this a short attempt. I tried a few more times, shivering and gasping for cold breaths before retreating back to the shallow edge of the pool. I didn’t want to go back into the water or under the waterfall. I wanted to leave. Had I not been there looking for the box, I would have left. Honestly, I was a little freaked out.

But I couldn’t leave what could be instant millions, either. So I gathered up morsels of courage and sloshed back over to the falls. Arms in up to almost my shoulders, cold water dropping onto my head and back, I fully committed to the task this time, making sure I didn’t leave wondering if I should have given it more care.

Just then, the wind blew the narrow falls over to one side, out of my way and off my head. I reached in one more time, giving it my all, feeling everything, and making sure it wasn’t there. It was in this last attempt, while feeling around, that I realized … it wasn’t there. Disappointed, and feeling on the verge of passing out from hyperventilating and the extreme cold, I left the pool to warm up in the sun.

Certain this was the spot, I figured someone beat me to it. Then again, maybe I was mistaken. Maybe the similarities were just a coincidence.

The real kind of millionaires

I mentioned that the idea of this whole money grab thing nearly sapped my enthusiasm over the trip. I’ll tell you why it didn’t. It was looking at the city lights of Denver from my hotel room at night, and seeing the Rocky Mountains off in the distance the next morning after the sun came up. It was the amazing views from every campsite I stayed at. And the night I spent at the base of a canyon.

Have you ever seen stars on a clear night, in an area without any light, at the base of a canyon? I lay entranced on the hood of my car for hours. It was the hike in the mountains over Vail, with the view of the surrounding peaks and the varied mountain vistas at every turn as I drove from place to place. And the people. Everyone was so nice. Maybe they were on vacation too, or just more friendly or relaxed in general. Whatever it was, they made the trip better. And I can’t forget the solo kayaking trip through the canyon the morning of the trip to the falls.

Even as I paddled out, I said aloud, “Who cares if the box is there or not?

I got this experience, and that makes me rich.”

Millions of stars in the sky, a treasure box full of nature and amazing views around us, and caring people everywhere. Sometimes in our lives, we have to look for treasure, but to those who find God’s gifts to us, we’re millionaires for sure. The real kind of millionaires, not those with only boxes of gold.

Chandler Riley is senior benefits specialist, Human Resources Department, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. E-mail: rileyc@gc.adventist.org.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

viewpoint “Why she stays … why she leaves”

by Mable C. Dunbar

An abusive relationship in which one is subjected to physical, mental, social, or spiritual violence or rejection has no place or justification within Christian parameters.

Domestic violence is not just a symptom that when fully researched and understood can be repaired or fixed. It is symptomatic of biological and psychological problems that affect those who are abused, those who abuse, and those who observe the situation as onlookers, such as children, parents, other family members, and friends.

Victims are usually asked: Why don’t you just leave if it’s that bad? Why are you putting up with his abuse? What did you do to make him act that way?

Why don’t you just kick him out?

Such questions are asked by wellmeaning people, many of whom have little or no idea of what it is like for a victim to feel totally worthless, guilty, ashamed, hopeless, and powerless.

They do not understand how the whole process of abuse gradually degrades a victim little by little, piece by piece.

Maybe some of the questions people need to ask are: What can I do to help a victim leave the abusive relationship?

Why does the abuser do this? How can I help the survivor gain access to safety? Victims have many reasons to stay in an abusive relationship, and relatively few conditions necessary to help them leave.

Almost all battered women try to leave an abusive environment at some DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

point. For those who leave, the violence may be just beginning. However, abusers escalate their violence when a woman tries to leave or shows signs of independence. The abuser may try to coerce her into reconciliation or retaliate for her perceived rejection or abandonment of him. Men who believe they own their female partners view their departure as an ultimate betrayal that justifies retaliation. Cohabiting with such abusers is highly dangerous, as violence usually increases in frequency and severity over time.

Those who do not understand the dynamics of domestic violence believe that she should just leave. It is not that simple, though! Most women in violent relationships have two choices, and both of them are dangerous. Choice #1 is for her to stay. But battering is a pattern of behavior, and it doesn’t begin with a blow. It begins with a subtle look, an attitude, and a voice inflection. Because the abuser’s behavior is so calculated to keep her off balance, she treads more carefully and tries harder to abide by his wishes and please him.

By the time he actually strikes her, more than likely she believes that she provoked the assault and deserved it.

Choice #2 is for her to leave. But in this she risks losing even more of her

self-esteem and even faces painful, terrifying, and humiliating abuse. She’ll be losing economic security for herself and her children, her position in her community and/or her church, and eventually the partner whom she loves despite his cruel behavior.

Why she stays

She stays because of fear. The number one reason for a victim not leaving an abusive environment or relationship is fear. The victim’s fears are not unfounded, given the fact that battered women are most at risk during leaving or after having left the relationship. She is fearful that the abuser will spread rumors and lies about her, and she feels trapped, helpless, and hopeless.

She stays because of lack of information/education. Some battered women stay because they are not given accurate information about battering.

They are told by family, friends, and the batterer that alcohol or drugs are the cause for his behavior. They are told that the couple is codependent, and that if the wife could somehow help, then he would change. They attempt endlessly to modify their behavior, only to watch the violence escalate and find themselves blamed for not trying hard enough.

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She stays because the psychological effects of abuse may make leaving difficult. The victim believes that she is nothing and does not deserve better. She feels confused and paralyzed, and she does not trust herself to make decisions. She has been so manipulated and brainwashed that she feels she is not able to manage without her abuser. She gets used to abuse, and she feels more comfortable with what she knows rather than what she could experience in an unknown world.

She stays because she loves him.

People who have not experienced abuse may find this attitude difficult to understand. Our culture glorifies love.

Popular songs and movies reinforce the idea that love is the most important thing in life, and people – especially women – should do anything for it.

Women may love their abusers, and at the same time hate their violent and abusive actions. But they need to be reminded that they do not have to stop loving their abuser in order to leave.

Some women have difficulty terminating the emotional connection they have with their abuser. The abused woman believes the abuser when he says he will never abuse her again. She believes him when he appears remorseful and promises to go to counseling or go to church. She feels that she will incur God’s wrath if she walks out on him and breaks her marriage vows. Because she views sex as intimacy, she decides that when he has sex with her and treats her well for a time, he really loves her. She therefore renews her love and commitment to him and looks forward to an abuse-free relationship.

She stays because of concerns for her children. The enormous responsibility of raising children alone can be overwhelming. She does not want to disrupt their lives. Often, the abuser may threaten to take the children away from her if she makes an attempt to leave and/or turn them against her. She believes that her children would blame and resent her if she leaves. She is told that her children need a father and 32

that they need to be in a “real” family. Being a single parent is a strenuous experience under the best of circumstances, and for most women, conditions are often far from fair and the justice system is not always on her side when it comes to receiving either equal custodial access or full custody of their children from the court system.

She stays because she feels isolated.

Isolation may be the result of the abuser’s possessiveness or jealousy, or it may be an attempt on the part of the victim to hide signs of abuse from the outside world. Either way, such isolation leads many victims to feel they have nowhere to turn. Maybe the abuser won’t let her out of the house, or perhaps has threatened to hurt anyone she reaches out to for help, including her family.

More than likely, she is not believed if the abuser is popular, charming, educated, religious, wealthy, handsome, or talented.

She stays because of her family background in abuse. Her father might have abused her mother, so she believes that abuse is part of being in a relationship. She rationalizes that getting hit isn’t the worst thing that can happen in a family. Since her parents stayed together in an abusive and violent relationship, she believes that she should do the same.

She stays because she believes the messages she hears from her abuser.

Such messages include: You’re crazy and stupid. No one will believe you.

You’re the one who’s sick; you need help. You’re hysterical. The police will never arrest me. If you leave, I’ll find you and kill you.I’ll kill your family.

You’ll never be able to escape from me.

She stays because she has addictions that prevent her from taking action. Her abuser encourages or coerces her into using alcohol or drugs or watching pornography, but sabotages her recovery by preventing her from getting help. Some women consume alcohol or other drugs to numb the psychic, emotional, or physical pain caused by the violence. Some may take

tranquilizers to calm their “nerves,” but few know or are told that minor tranquilizers can be seriously and quickly addictive. Such substance addiction makes victims less able to act on their own, and gives their abusers a handy tool for discrediting, blaming, shaming, and manipulating them.

She stays because of economic dependency. The economic reality for women, especially those with children, is often bleak. The abuser tends to control the money, including what she may earn. She may feel that it is better to take the abuse than to be on the streets.

She stays because of pressure from others. Our culture sends the message that a woman’s value depends on her being in a relationship. Women without partners tend to be devalued.

Therefore, she believes that she needs him to give her credibility, self-worth, and motivation to survive. She feels that if she leaves she’ll be disgraced in her community or church and bring shame to her family. Even Scripture may be quoted to encourage her to stay in an abusive relationship.

Barriers to her leaving

Even when a woman wants to leave an abusive situation, she may find many barriers on her way out. Some of those major barriers are the criminal justice system, resource barriers, community, and religion.

The criminal justice system/legal issues. Police often treat incidents of domestic violence as mere “disputes” rather than as serious crimes in which one person is physically assaulting another, and hence they may try to discourage women from pressing criminal charges. Attorneys may also be reluctant to prosecute cases. In addition, restraining orders on the abusers do little to prevent them from repeating their violent patterns of behavior.

Resource barriers. A victim of abuse often finds her family ties and friendships strained, leaving her psychologically and economically dependent on her abusive partner. In addition, she DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

Absalom to Tamar*

by Soraya Safavid “Be quiet now, my sister.

He is your brother; do not take this to heart.”

2 Samuel 13:20

Say you’re the rain. Or the wing inside the rain

awakened or that you once had a brother named Amnon. Don’t think I missed

no thumb can summon. Remember: nothing scars water. Blot his face

how he eats with his eyes — with the hunger of an animal,

from the lake of your eyes.

Stand solid as Atargatis** —

circling slowly, waiting for weakness —

crowned with the moon, lions at her feet —

tearing the kill out of the jaws of the lion,

carved of stone, speaking and feeling nothing. Lie

as only jackals and the blood of kings dare to do, wanting

to your heart. If you tell it nothing happened, nothing happened.

what they are denied — their tastes no longer like other men’s,

Remember the kings inside you: and that I have a daughter, named for you,

able to desire only the forbidden

who needs your limbs to shade her. Let me wash

because they desire to be reminded of their power — the more strongly

the day from your face. Sleep.

Forget your body

a thing is forbidden, the more strongly it is desired.

*This poem is taken from the collection Tamar’s Anguish by Soraya Safavid (Stevensville Maryland; Wailing Juniper Press, 2014). Five of the nine poems from the collection were acted out during the END IT NOW Summit.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

**Atargatis was an Aramean fertility goddess, often portrayed wearing a headdress topped by a crescent moon, with lions at her feet. She was worshiped by the Geshurites, an Aramean people to whom David was allied through marriage.

Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, was David’s wife and the mother of his children, Absalom and Tamar.

Soraya Safavid is the pen name of Soraya Homayouni. Soraya is the associate editor of the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guides for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. A past recipient of the Katherine Ann Porter-Juan Ramón Jiménez Prize in literature, Soraya holds a Master of Fine Arts in poetry from the Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers. E-mail: wailingjuniper@yahoo.com.

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may be unaware of advocacy and support resources available in the community. She may not be gainfully employed, may not have a home to stay in, may not have access to money, and may have children to care for. Without sufficient resources to stand on her own, and with an abusive husband taking advantage of her economic situation, she may find herself in a position that does not give her the freedom to leave the relationship.

Community/society barriers. In many cultures, women are often taught that their self-worth is measured by their ability to get and keep a man.

When such is the situation, people often turn a deaf ear to marital violence and believe that what goes on behind closed doors is a private matter, and should stay behind those doors. Even in communities that have a friendly face toward women in need, their ability to help is limited, and there may be no alternative resources.

Religious/church barriers. This can be a formidable barrier for women who want to seek a way out of abusive situations. Some clergy and religious leaders who may be uninformed, uneducated, or inexperienced regarding the dynamics of domestic violence may use the argument that ending an abusive relationship and the resultant break-up of a marriage negatively impacts the image of the church. The abuse victim may be under pressure to succumb to such arguments. She may lose the support of traditional-minded family and church members, who believe she should endure all things in order to keep her family together. She may be told that if she believes and prays hard enough, God will give her the strength to endure.

Why she returns

It is not unusual for an abuse victim to leave for a while, and then return back to her spouse. Why does she return? Several reasons may be cited.

She feels that her children need their father, and hopes that her future will be

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better, and that she will be needed and loved. She may have no confidence that she will get justice in the present civil or criminal justice system. She may be frightened by the circulating myths about shelters, that they are lesbian recruiting stations, staffed by lesbians, and a place where she will be attacked by lesbians or become one. Isolation from friends, family, and community support resources, fear of retaliation and loneliness, concern that her husband may be arrested or imprisoned, a false hope/belief that he will change, or cultural pressures to keep the family together at all costs are also reasons why an abuse victim chooses to return.

A feeling of shame and guilt, a genuine desire to provide her children with a two-parent home, economic necessity, mounting legal costs, a belief that proper therapy may cure her husband’s behavior, issues of child custody, cost and fear of living alone, and difficulties in maintaining a good credit rating are some of the other reasons why abused women return to their husbands. In addition, societal myths (such as: She provoked the violence. She exaggerated the violence. She comes from a poor, uneducated, or minority background.

Her partner has a problem controlling anger or stress. This will go away with treatment or in time.) play a role in making the abuse victim return to her partner.

Stages of leaving

Studies of abuse victims reveal seven stages that characterize an abused person’s journey out of that relationship.

Stage 1: Denial. The victim refuses to admit, even to herself, that she is being abused or that there is a problem in the relationship. She may call each incident an “accident.”

Stage 2: Rationalization. The abuse victim acknowledges the problem. She may offer excuses for her partner’s violence, casting blame on circumstances such as stress, financial hardship, job situation, chemical dependency, etc.

When actual or perceived danger has

passed, she fantasizes about the relationship and thinks or talks about how wonderful he is.

Stage 3: Self blame. The victim continues to contemplate her situation, but considers herself responsible for it. She believes that she deserves to be beaten or treated badly. She feels that something is wrong with her because she is unable to live up to her partner’s expectations. She believes that she needs to change her behavior in order for the abuse to end.

Stage 4: Education/insight. The victim no longer assumes responsibility for her partner’s abusive treatment. She begins to realize that no one “deserves” to be abused. However, she is still committed to the relationship. She is open to and/or researches information about abuse and tries to share her education/ insight with him, hoping that he will change and stop abusing her. She still hopes to save the relationship.

Stage 5: Acceptance. The victim accepts the fact that she cannot stop the abuser’s violent behavior, she is not responsible for his behavior, and he will change only if he wants/decides to.

Stage 6: Determination/forgiveness. The victim decides she will no longer submit to the abuse and determines to get help so that she can live an abuse-free life. She forgives herself and her abuser, recognizing that in doing so she can move on.

Stage 7: Healing/empowerment.

The victim seeks resources. She explores options. She makes positive choices to create an abuse-free life for herself and her family. She determines to stay on the path of recovery, while helping others in their journey of healing and empowerment. She appreciates and embraces her identity and potential in Christ.

A woman who makes the decision to leave her abusive relationship seeks to learn why she allowed the abuse, why she was predisposed to abuse, and how to end the abuse. Therefore, she has already placed herself outside the sphere of being a victim and into the DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

realm of being a survivor and a thriver.

Even though, at the beginning of the relationship, she may not want to end it because of her emotional attachment and/or commitment to it, her position tends to change as the progression of abuse intensifies.

Conclusion

As Christians, we have a responsibility to care for abuse victims. An abusive relationship in which one is subjected to physical, mental, social, or spiritual violence or rejection has no place or justification within Christian parameters. Indeed, one can argue that it is our Christian duty to reach out to abuse victims and help them find a “shelter in the time of storm.” Such victims are entitled to an abuse-free life, a future of hope, and the freedom to be themselves without fear or guilt.

Our work as Christians is that of righteousness and justice, right doing or acting in accordance with the divine and moral law. “The work of righteousness will be peace,” says the prophet, “and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever” (Isaiah 32:17, NKJV). If that peace is a Christian’s privilege and prerogative, we must recognize that all, including abuse victims, have a right to that privilege.

Mable C. Dunbar (Ph.D., LaSalle University) is president/ CEO of Women’s Healing and Empowerment Network. E-mail: mablecdunbar@gmail.com.

This article is based on a presentation made at the END IT NOW summit, a conference on prevention of abuse against women, held May 2, 2014, at the headquarters of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, under the sponsorship of the Department of Women’s Ministry.

DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014

Racism and nationalism...

From page 8

(Ph.D. dissertation, Emory University, 2010), 38-41.

5. Ann E. Killebrew, Biblical Peoples and Ethnicity: An Archaeological Study of Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines, and Early Israel, 13001100 B.C.E. (Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2005), 8.

6. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson, Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).

7. Tzvetan Todorov, “Race and Racism,” in Les Back and John Solomos, eds. Theories of Race and Racism: A Reader (London: Routledge, 2000), 64-70 8. Cashmore, Banton, and Adam, 254.

9. Dennis L. Okholm, The Gospel in Black and White: Theological Resources for Racial Reconciliation (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1997), 118.

10. Duane L. Christensen, “Nations,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Bible Dictionary New York: Doubleday, 1992), 4:1037.

11. William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 276.

12. Ibid. 586.

13. N. Hillyer, “Tribe,” Colin Brown, ed. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 871.

14. J. Daniel Hays, From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity, 2003), 56-60.

Cf. Frank Crüsemann, “Human Solidarity and Ethnic Identity: Israel’s Self-Definition in the Genealogical System of Genesis,” in Mark G. Brett, ed. Ethnicity and the Bible (Leiden: Brill, 1996), 197-214.

15. Jon D. Levenson, “The Universal Horizon of Biblical Particularism,” in Mark G. Brett, ed. Ethnicity and the Bible (Leiden: Brill, 1996), 147. See also Reinaldo W. Siqueira, “The Presence of the Covenant Motif in Amos 1:2-2:16” (Ph.D. dissertation, Andrews University, 1996).

16. Keith Ferdinando, “The Ethnic Enemy – No Greek or Jew … Barbarian, Scythian: The Gospel and Ethnic Difference,” Themelios 2 (September 2008) 33:57.

17. Ibid. 10.

18. John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1986), 381.

19. Ferdinando, 58.

20. William Storrar, “‘Vertigo’ or ‘Imago’?

Nations in the Divine Economy,” Themelios 3 (April 1996) 21:4.

21. This sweeping statement does not obliterate gender functions and distinctions (male and female) established at Creation; rather, it affirms God’s restoration of Creation through the saving work of Jesus. See Thomas R. Schreiner, Galatians (Grand Rapids,

Michigan: Zondervan, 2010), 259.

22. See John M.G. Barclay, “‘Neither Jew Nor Greek’: Multiculturalism and the New Perspective on Paul,” in Brett, 197-214.

23. Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1996), 75. See the useful summary in Ferdinando, 59.

24. See R.J.D. Knauth, “Alien, Foreign Resident,” in T. Desmond Alexander and David W. Baker, eds. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 24-33.

25. David Benner and Peter Hill, eds. Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology and Counseling, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1999), 896

Books ...

From page 24

reflecting on the explanations in the text. The book also includes an extensive and updated bibliography.

By and large, this Adventist author has produced an outstanding book on a challenging topic – in short, a work recommended and useful for all those who are part of the adventure of human thought. It is hoped that this book will be available one day soon for our English readers.

Carmelo Martines (Ph.D.) is professor and research director, School of Theology, River Plate Adventist University, Argentina.

E-mail: carmelomartines@doc.uap. edu.ar.

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E n g l i s h

•

F r e n c h

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P o r t u g u e s e

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S p a n i s h

S

ome things never change — such as Dialogue’s mission and focus. Other things, though, are updated and enhanced — such as new ways in which you can access Dialogue. We want you to know that Dialogue is now available online, in addition to the regular printed format. At the Dialogue site, you will have the opportunity to read all of the articles, from the very beginning of Dialogue to the present. Additionally, you can read the articles in any of the four languages in which Dialogue is published.

So spread the good news to your friends and colleagues, so they can be a part of Dialogue.

We want to Dialogue with everyone, everywhere!

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DIALOGUE 26 • 2 2014