the semi fall 2013.4
Th e Ve t e r a n ’s D a y Issue 1
Semi-Coherent
Editor’s Notes
This issue of the SEMI is not about Pacifism or Just War Theory. There is a time and a place for that discussion, but it is not happening in this issue. This issue is about veterans and their experiences. We have included experiences by vets on both sides of the issue, some who are students writing for us, some by poets who wrote for the world. We are trying to get a big picture of what vets go through, so we have hopefully provided a wide gamut of perspectives. If you live in this country, this pertains to you. Pacifist or Just War Theorist, we are all part of the system that puts the US military in the field. We are all responsible for the men and women who come back from the service. They have undergone things that most the rest of us cannot imagine, so we need to wrestle with how to effectively communicate and live the Gospel to people who have had to kill or help kill other people for the sake of their fellow citizens, who have lived in danger of being attacked and have been attacked. Whether or not you agree with what the military does, you will still encounter veterans who desperately need to experience the love of the Prince of Peace. We are responsible for understanding them, hearing them, healing them, ministering to them. I would argue that Christ taught nonviolence. I would also tell you that Christ ministered to the Centurion, John the Baptist to the soldiers, Elijah to Naaman, Peter to Cornelius. In each case, it was an unconditional ministry; it wasn’t predicated upon whether or not the individual left the Roman or Syrian Army. The person in uniform or combat gear is still a person for whom Christ died, and they need to know the love and grace of God just as much as the civilian. As the body of Christ, let us learn to do this well. There will come a beautiful day when we beat our swords into plowshares, our rifles into garden trowels, our nuclear silos into grain silos, but until then, let us listen to our veterans. Let us love them. Reed Metcalf, Editor
The SEMI
Managing Editor Carmen Valdés Editor Reed Metcalf Production Editor Jonathan Stoner
Legal Jargon
The SEMI is published every other week as a service to the Fuller community by the Office of Student Affairs at Fuller Theological Seminary. Articles and commentaries do not necessarily reflect the views of
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the Fuller administration or the SEMI.
Letters to the Editor
The SEMI welcomes brief responses to articles and commentaries on issues relevant to the Fuller community. All submissions must include the author’s name and contact information and are subject to editing.
Write for Us
You read that correctly. Email us at semi@fuller.edu to add your voice to the SEMI.
Wo r d P l a y What's this? It's a word search, here for your enjoyment. Sometimes the SEMI will carry some heavy stuff. This is here to be decidedly unheavy. Each word search will have an overarching theme as its title to guide your answers. Please don't be doing this in class, though. It'll make us look bad.
THEOLOGIANS V O Z F T D F T X N R Y P G B
AUGUSTINE BARTH BOFF BRUNNER CALVIN CONE CRISP
L J C R B Y M E E B E V N N H
H F R E E K T N T R N L K U N
L Y I L R C I G I U N A I K B
X F S N E A O K S N A T Y A T
X E P A K N S A D N T D R D C
W J O K Z R I M B E O T F F H
D R R A Z A G T U R H E F B L
F A L M K H L R S S F O M J G
K E B T N N S B E U B P J Y B
Z I T R G O D I S N G Z S G S
ERASMUS GONZALEZ GRENZ KARKKAINEN KUNG LUTHER SCHLEIERMACHER
C O N E C V L W B U Z U B I E
S A L U O I Z I Z A M D A I Q
R S C H L E I E R M A C H E R
R E H T U L L C A L V I N E R
SYMEON TANNER VONHARNACK WESLEY ZIZIOULAS
CORRECTIONS In the last issue, we reported that Rebecca Testrake’s cat does not come when called. The cat does in fact come when called, but only about half the time, which makes it half as good as a dog.
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Life Characterized by the B e a t i t u d e s Serving those who Serve
by Jordan Henricks
A
national holiday like Veteran’s Day certainly brings about mixed emotions at a place like Fuller. With its diverse body of students and faculty, the views maintained by the people of Fuller represent the full gamut of perspectives on issues of violence and war. Some fall on one side of the spectrum, representing the philosophical and theological convictions of just-war theory. Others fall on the opposite side, representing pacifist convictions toward issues of violent direct action. The views of still others land somewhere in the middle, as some are uncertain or undeterminedas to what
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they think and believe. There is, however, one aspect of this conversation that seems to bring all of us together with regard to the topic of violence and war—thoughtful engagement. Thus, it is with acknowledgement of this common ground that I offer my perspective. As a First Lieutenant and Chaplain Candidate in the Army Reserves, I am somewhat invested in this topic. However, I think it might also be helpful to make it known up front that I am a pacifist as well. Some of you might be thinking, “How is that possible?” Well, it is messy… but then again, when have any
of us ever experienced life in a way that is not? The truth is, as with any heartfelt philosophical and theological conviction, there is a story behind the journey that has led me to be pacifist while also offering religious support within the military community. When I first joined the Army, I was a cadet in
in the ranks of our nation’s military seemed to be an honorable vocation. However, as I trained to fight, leading my peers in squad tactical exercises (STX) and working to master rifle marksmanship, I began to grow more uncomfortable with the idea of pointing a rifle at another human being in an attempt to take his or her life. Ev-
A Fi r s t L i e u t e n a n t . . . A p a c i f i s t a s we l l. S o m e o f yo u m i g h t b e t h i n k i n g, “ H o w i s t h a t p o s s i b l e ? ” We l l , i t i s m e s s y… b u t t h e n a g a i n , w h e n h a ve a ny o f u s e ve r e x p e r i e n c e d l i fe i n a w a y t h a t i s n o t ? the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at UCLA. I was a contracted cadet and received a scholarship as I pursued my undergraduate degree in philosophy and trained to be an Army officer. Having grown up in a conservative, Midwestern community, being patriotic and being Christian seemed to go hand in hand. Thus, to be a leader
ery time I pointed a rifle at cadets serving as the opposing force (OPFOR) to fire blank rounds so as to simulate combat training, I grew more and more distressed with my planned future vocation. The source of much of my anguish originated with Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matt 5—7. I had a difficult time reconcil5
ing what it meant to live a life characterized by the Beatitudes with the life of an Army officer in a combat branch. At that time, I was not privileged enough to have read books like The Moral Vision of the New Testament by Richard Hays, The Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder, or Kingdom Ethics by our own Glen Stassen; the words of Scripture alone began tugging at my heart to understand more deeply what it meant to be Christian within the military. As I wrestled with what to do in an attempt to discern a vocational calling for my future, it became more and more clear to me that my role within the military community was not to be a platoon leader or commander, but to be a completely different type of staff officer—a chaplain. Thus, the road toward military chaplaincy has led me to (and nearly through) Fuller. For my time here, 66
I am so grateful; I have had the opportunity to engage with so many of you who have such a wide range of perspectives on these issues. Just as the community in which I grew up reading the Bible shaped me, I have been molded and formed within this community as well. Reading Scripture in community allows us to meet around a common table, sharing pieces of ourselves through our readings and interpretations. As with many Christian pacifists, my perspective on the issue of violence and war is most influenced by my reading of Matt 5:43-48. I believe one cannot appropriately read Matt 5:43-48 without taking into account its connection to 5:38-42. According to Richard Hays, Matt 5:3842 is a section of Jesus’ teaching that calls us “to relinquish the tit-for-tat ethic of the lex talionis and live in a way that
eschews retaliation and defense of self-interest.” The focus of this pericope seems to be on how we react to ways that others treat us. Matt 5:43-48, on the other hand, seems to be concerned with how we treat others. Hays again points out, “By loving enemies, the disciples of
seek to bear witness to the kingdom of God through peaceful service and generosity; 5:43-48 mandates that we take action to love indiscriminately and show mercy on both the righteous and the unrighteous. Action is an integral part of what Jesus seems to
If we understand the witness of Matt. 5:43-48 to mandate that we take action to love indiscriminately and have mercy on all, then this key New Testament text advocates for military participation in a country that adheres to the ten practices of Just Peacemaking. Jesus, as the light of the world, reflect the character of God, who also offers mercy to the righteous and the unrighteous alike.” Both of these sections of Jesus’ teaching (5:38-42 and 5:43-48) require action on our part. Thus, in the same way that 5:38-42 mandates we act in such a way that we deny ourselves and, in humility,
be teaching within these sections of the Sermon on the Mount. Many people equate Christian pacifism with passivity, but this seems to me to be an inappropriate correlation. The Christian life is characterized more by action than inaction. We cannot boast about all of the things that we do not do and expect to be well-respected 7
ministers and Christian leaders. Instead, we must act and react with in love, seeking to serve and protect the poor, widowed, and orphaned within our communities. Thus, if we understand the witness of Matt 5:43-48 to mandate that we take action to
fessions entail. However, as a Christian pacifist and as someone seeking ecclesiastical endorsement for military chaplaincy, I implore you to consider our military service members as frontline workers for justice and peace in the international community.
I implore you to consider our military service members as frontline workers for justice and peace in the international community. After all, what could be more merciful than rescuing someone from ethnic cleansing? love indiscriminately and have mercy on all, then this key New Testament text advocates for military participation in a country that adheres to the ten practices of Just Peacemaking, which several of the faculty and students at Fuller have worked hard to promote. There are many ways that a person can view our military service members in light of what their pro8
After all, what could be more merciful than rescuing someone from an episode of ethnic cleansing with the possible threat of death, or refraining from violent direct action toward a person that just killed your best friend? Both of the aforementioned practices are standard military doctrine within this country. Thus, given adherence to the practices of Just Peacemaking, it seems to me
that Scripture advocates for workers of peace and justice in civilian clothes as well as in military uniforms. That being said, we must continue to pray fervently for a time when we might weld our tanks into tractors and our rifles into shovels. Jordan Henricks (MDiv ‘14) is a husband and soon-to-be father who enjoys reading, writing, and being outdoors. His wife, Brittany, is also a student at Fuller in the MAT and MFT programs, and they have two golden retrievers, Bri and Daisy. Together, they plan to spend their life working to serve military families and participate in God’s restorative work within the military community.
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Hey, Fuller! Check this out! • STUDENTS SERVING VETERANS GROUP VETERAN’S DAY EVENT!
From 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on November 11th, we will host an open-house type of forum where students can become acquainted with the Students Serving Veterans group. We plan to educate students on various careers within the military that pertain to areas of ministry here at Fuller (i.e. military chaplains, military psychologists, counselors, administrators, etc.), as well as FAQs people have regarding military life (i.e, What is the typical pay of a chaplain? What type of training is involved? What happens to family members?). To this effect, we plan on having approximately 3-4 recruiters who specialize specifically in military psychology from the various branches, as well as one from the chaplaincy to answer specific student questions. To commemorate veterans day, 2-3 Fuller students who have been in the military will speak about how and why they felt called to serve. Dr. Mareque Ireland, the club’s faculty advisor, is also inviting a guest--a Navy Captain who will talk about some of his experiences serving. There will also be a raffle drawing and food.
• MONDAY WORSHIP! The Office of Presbyterian Ministries at Fuller hosts
weekly worship in the Catalyst at 10am. Upcoming speakers include: 11/11: Patrick Butsapu (SIS student) 11/18: Dr. Lisseth Rojas Flores (SOP Professor) 11/25: Rev. Shawn Robinson (EPC Pastor and Moderator of Pacific Pres bytery) 12/2: Rev. Chris Murphy (Director of Presbyterian Ministries) and Maria Fee (PhD student in Theology and the Arts)
• Help End Homelessness! Theology, Faith and Practice: Be a part of
Pasadena’s plan to end homelessness. Volunteer with Fuller’s Office for Urban Initiatives to help conduct the 2014 Pasadena Homeless Count and Subpopulation Survey. Sign up through www.phhn.org. Questions? Contact Janice Chan at janicechan@urban-initiatives.org
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Parable of the Old Man and the Young by Wilfred Owen
So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went, And took the fire with him, and a knife. And as they sojourned both of them together, Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father, Behold the preparations, fire and iron, But where the lamb for this burnt-offering? Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps, and builded parapets and trenches there, And stretchèd forth the knife to slay his son. When lo! an angel called him out of heaven, Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him. Behold, A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns; Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him. But the old man would not so, but slew his son,
And half the seed of Europe, one by one.
Wilfred Owen served as an officer in the British Army during the First World War, receiving the Military Cross for bravery, the third highest medal in Britain’s Armed Forces. As the church bells tolled the celebration of ceasefire on November 11, 1918, Wilfred Owen’s parents learned of their son’s death seven days earlier in combat.
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TO HELL WITH THAT Loving my
enemies on the streets of Fallujah I
didn’t become convinced of Christian non-violence in an ivory tower, or because I grew up in a religious tradition that taught it; I adopted non-violence after the first time I shot at someone. I don’t say that as a point of pride, but to show that my experience is not theoretical or idealistic. For me, non-violence existed in the streets of Fallujah, Iraq. On my two deployments to Iraq, my fellow Marines and I were under constant threat of roadside bombs, suicide bombers, mortars, and sniper fire that injured and killed close friends. In spite of my desire to retaliate for the injury and death of 14 14
friends, I am fully convinced that responding to evil with violence is antithetical to the Christian life. More specifically, it is not possible to pray for and love enemies while lining them up in crosshairs of an assault rifle, seeking to end their life. I am convinced Christian discipleship necessitates that we take seriously Jesus’ call to love our enemies, which requires us to examine our complicity in violence. For an at-risk eighteenyear-old, the military serves as a place to belong and have meaning in life—a meaning which the prevailing narrative tells us is greater than any one per-
son. This is a narrative I was it is not. During the twelveconvinced of as a young week Marine basic training, man, and enlisted in the Marine recruits frequently Marine Corps infantry as shout “KILL” after receiving a result; but it was obvia command. For the Maous I never fit the mold of rine, the primary mission is a combat Marine. Rather combat, and combat means than take orders blindly, killing the enemy. And so dehumanize the enemy, it is for all of the military; and prepare to kill and/or for, in practice, all branches be killed for my country, I of the military are essenfound myself questioning tially the same, taking the the orders and instruction same oath to “support and I was given. I was told the defend the Constitution of most important things in the United States against I w a s t o l d t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t t h i n g s i n my l i fe we r e G o d, c o u n t r y, a n d Co r p s, b u t I w a s q u i c k l y s t a r t i n g t o q u e s t i o n t h e n a r r a t i ve I w a s b e i n g fe d a n d t h e a b i l i t y t o b e f a i t h f u l t o a l l t h r e e o f t h o s e t h i n g s s i m u l t a n e o u s l y. my life were God, country, all enemies, foreign and and Corps, but I was quick- domestic.” Indeed, this is ly starting to question the what the military does, to narrative I was being fed a greater or lesser degree, and the ability to be faithful using force and violence. to all three of those things And my job in the military simultaneously. was as an infantry Marine— the tip of the spear, as inHow can the will of God fantry Marines like to refer to protect and save life to themselves. Accordingly, be compatible with the it was my job to be directly mission of the Marines to involved in combat, to seek kill the enemy, I began to out, find, and kill the enewonder. That may sound my; it was my job to be viooverstated, but I assure you lent in service of my oath. 15
I have not always the natural response. Such thought that violence was was the case the first time bad. When I arrived in I shot at someone. While Fallujah for the first time in guarding a vehicle checkJanuary of 2006, the war point at a dam on the Euwas at its peak. It was a phrates River, a close friend daily reality to be shot at and I were changing guard and have roadside bombs posts; I was finishing the explode within the four post, and he was taking square mile area my unit over. After catching him was charged with protectup on the day’s activity, I ing. Countless times we picked up my things and were shot at, and on ten a bag of trash. As I walked separate occasions the con- along the concrete wall of voy I was traveling in was the dam into a field where hit with a roadside bomb. we burned our trash, the Over the course of the following weeks I slowly realized that if I star ted to pray for those I was fighting, it would make me see them as human, as equals, and as people whom God loves and wants to live, both now and eternally. Four of those ten occasions the vehicle I was in was struck by such bombs. A few people were seriously injured or killed, and we all suffered concussions, which were not taken seriously at the time. In an environment where your life is at stake, friends are being killed, and serious injury is somewhat regular, desiring revenge is 16
sound of gunfire rang out in the air and three bullets struck the wall only inches in front of my face. I will never forget the small cloud of concrete dust right in front of my eyes, emanating from where the bullets struck. Immediately, I took cover behind a mound of dirt and Marines scrambled out of the sleeping area with rifles in tow. After a few minutes, I spotted two
men with AK-47s attempting to flee. My training kicked in and I squeezed off three rounds from my M-16, missing the men by mere inches.
your enemy, it transforms your view of those who seem less-than-human to human again. Praying for enemies is not an ideal, or something meant to illustrate your depravity. No, The men escaped to a praying for enemies is a waiting boat and, before command to take initiative anything could be done, to end violence, restoring made their way down the human relationships, and river unharmed. In the mo- squelch enmity. ment, I was disappointed with myself for not killing As I began praying for the two men. As the day the enemy—terrorists who turned to night and I atwere seeking to end my life, tempted to sleep, I found and the life of my fellow myself thanking God I was Marines—I began to realize alive and asking that my I no longer had the capacaim be better the next time. ity to shoot at my fellow As I prayed that prayer, Je- human beings. I knew I sus’ words in Matthew 5:44 couldn’t bring this issue came to my mind, “But I say to my direct commanders, to you, love your enemies so I sought the advice of and pray for those who a Chaplain. After several harass you” (CEB). My immeetings, the Chaplain saw mediate thought was, “To that I had made the switch hell with that! They tried to from a combat Marine who kill me!” Over the course of embodies the training to the following weeks I slowly kill, to a person that valrealized that if I started to ues all human life with the pray for those I was fightsame dignity and respect. ing, it would make me see By this time, our deploythem as human, as equals, ment was nearing the end, and as people whom God so I did my best to ride out loves and wants to live, the remaining weeks with both now and eternally. the plan to file for consciThe reality is, if you pray for entious objector status 17
upon my return home—a plan which did not work. Instead, I was moved to a role within my unit that did low-level intelligence gathering and analysis, a job which I did on my second deployment. I quickly realized on my second deployment that, with few possible exceptions—chaplains and medical professionals—any role in the military is designed to support and enable those on the front lines, the people directly involved in combat. For example, the supply clerk, while working most of the time in a warehouse, exists to supply the combat professionals with the equipment necessary to carry out their mission. I was now charged with gathering intelligence, identifying targets, and providing the information to build a plan to kill or capture those targets. While I was no longer using a rifle and trying to pray for my enemies, I was placing the target on people whom I was attempting to pray for. In reality, I was supporting and enabling the killing of 18
human beings. I felt more comfortable with the role of intelligence gathering than when I was pointing a rifle at people; but, my comfort was a product of proximity to violence, not my complicity in the process. And so it is with every role in the military, and all us. The military is a vast network which enables and supports a system of violence and domination. This system is funded and run by tax dollars that we all pay. Accordingly, we all play a role in the system of military violence, though some play a more central role in the process. As such, we are all complicit in the system of military violence. If we really do think that there is systemic sin in the world, we must take seriously that those who enable and support such structural systems are at least implicit in their guilt. Consequently, we all share in the guilt of a violent, domineering system of war and violence. I don’t mean to speak against veterans,
the United States, or taxes. I mean to speak against the systemic violence and domination which calls the military home. But, some of that support is worth-
what my military experience taught me about the Triune God, human nature, the sanctity of life, sin, and the nature of violence. As we seek to examine our role
The military is a vast network ... funded and run by tax dollars that we all pay ... We are all complicit in the system of military violence. while. Taxes that support rehabilitation and support of veterans, particularly healthcare—and especially mental health—are worth our support; funding for covert and illegal CIA operations may not be. On this Veteran’s Day, I urge all of us to consider and examine the role of our support and guilt in the system of military violence, while taking seriously the command to love our enemies. For me, my time in the Marines made it clear that I could not reconcile the command to love with my active participation in a system of violence. To this point, I ask you not to thank me for my service of violence; but, rather, ask me
in the system of military violence, I leave us with the words of our Lord, “Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete” (Matt. 5:48, CEB).
Cory Townsend (MAT ‘14) is a veteran of the Iraq war who is now active in advocacy for peacemaking and arms proliferation. Cory has worked with non-profit organizations for five years as a Youth Pastor, Operations Executive, and Community Organizer. In his free time, Cory enjoys cycling and is an avid home brewer.
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Prayer
for the Dead from Mozart’s Requiem
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Grant them eternal rest, Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them. Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem. You are praised, God, in Zion, and homage will be paid to You in Jerusalem. Exaudi orationem meam, ad te omnis care veniet. Hear my prayer, to You all flesh will come. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Grant them eternal rest, Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them. Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Rex tremendae majestatis, qui salvandos savas gratis, salve me, fons pietatis. King of tremendous majesty, who freely saves those worthy ones, save me, source of mercy. 20
Recordare, Jesu pie, quod sum causa tuae viae; ne me perdas illa die. Quaerens me, sedisti lassus, redemisti crucem passus; tantus labor non sit cassus. Juste judex ultionis, donum fac remissionis ante diem rationis. Remember, kind Jesus, my salvation caused your suffering; do not forsake me on that day. Faint and weary you have sought me, redeemed me, suffering on the cross; may such great effort not be in vain. Righteous judge of vengeance, grant me the gift of absolution before the day of retribution. Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni et de profundo lacu. Libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum. Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, liberate the souls of the faithful departed, from the pains of hell and from the bottomless pit. Deliver them from the lion’s mouth, lest hell swallow them up, lest they fall into darkness. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem sempiternam. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant them eternal rest. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Grant them eternal rest. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant them eternal rest forever. Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. Requiem aeternum dona eis, Domine, et Lux perpetua luceat eis, cum Sanctus tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. Let eternal light shine on them, Lord, as with Your saints in eternity, because You are merciful. Grant them eternal rest, Lord, and let perpetual light shine on them, as with Your saints in eternity, because You are merciful. 21
Caught in the Machinery Teaching and Preaching to Veterans
When I first cooked up the idea for a Veteran’s Day issue of the SEMI, I immediately thought of balancing a smattering of veterans’ experiences with a professor’s thoughts on how to teach veterans. You might think it can’t be very different from teaching anyone else, but I first met one of the authors in this issue in a class where the professor seemingly dismissed veterans and their concerns as unimportant. The student felt they were not heard at all by the professor. So I tracked down Tommy Givens, a New Testament professor on campus, to talk about how to teach veterans well and respectfully. He suggested instead a conversation with Vanessa Hughes, a PhD student in the School of Psychology. Vanessa served in the US Marine Corps as a part of Crash, Fire, and Rescue; she now works at a local branch of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs as a trauma therapist for soldiers coming back from combat. The following is a conversation between the three of us, discussing pacifism, the veteran’s experience, teaching poorly, and learning to teach well. -Reed Metcalf, Editor
R: Tommy, you have a reputation on campus for being a rather outspoken pacifist—I don’t know if you knew that, but there you have it— T: Yeah, you can’t always control your reputation.
pacifist while a missionary in Spain, and to sum up the process, it was a dramatic and crisis-ridden process of revisiting central convictions of my faith as a Christian, trying to figure out who Jesus was and is. Reading scripture with a new
I am uncomfortable with the label of “Christian pacifist”... It can insinuate that to be committed to Christian nonviolence is something that is obvious. It isn’t. R: Have you always been a pacifist? Why pacifism? T: No, I haven’t always been a pacifist, and pacifism as a movement is not something that I entirely identify with, but it is a label I begrudgingly accept. I became a Christian 22 22
sense of concern as a missionary in a context different from my own opened my eyes to certain questions that had been marginal before and were now much more central to the people I was serving and the things I was reading. I came gradually to adopt a conviction that Jesus’ refusal
to the temptation of violence was key to who he was and that is part of what it means to be Christian. I’ve been ever since trying to make sense of what that means. Part of the reason I am uncomfortable with the label of “Christian pacifist” is that it can insinuate that to be committed to Christian nonviolence is something that is obvious. It isn’t. I also don’t think it is a position that you assume that is innocent of violence. It is a matter of waking up to my own participation in the violent tendencies that are our world. We need to confront these tendencies and repent from them. I always need to relearn what Christian nonviolence means, because it is not always obvious how we should live this in
welcome vets back well. There is either the Vietnam response—“you’re a horrible person for doing what you did and we don’t want to hear about it”—or there is the WWII response, which is a mode we are in now, that is “thank you for your service, but we still don’t really want to hear what you have gone through.” Is that part of the reason why you are so heavily involved with these guys and gals?
various contexts.
well done and horrendous guilt of having taken a life. There are a lot of vets that struggle with the moral injury, with seeing the results of what they have done. They come home, and one part of the church says, “It wasn’t okay,” which discredits and discounts the honor and service of defending, protecting, and trying to get home alive. The other part of the church says, “It was good,” but they do not want to hear about the moral injury sustained by the soldier. Each side misses the entirety of the individual. We need to do a better job.
V: I don’t think the church does a very good job of welcoming home vets, both sides that you just described—if I can polarize and generalize for simplicity’s sake. The majority of vets come home with an internal dissonance—pride in a job
When you work with them, you are trying to rescue the most beautiful parts of humanity out of the most horrible of circumstances; you are trying to restore the person who has seen the horrors of war. R: Vanessa, you do trauma therapy with Vets. What drives you to do that? V: I am already a part of the Veteran population, and when you work with them, you are trying to rescue the most beautiful parts of humanity out of the most horrible of circumstances; you are trying to restore the person who has seen the horrors of war. There is a huge misunderstanding of who vets are. There is a lot of literature, discussion, and analysis about the vet experience from the outside looking in, but that is a huge disconnect from the military population speaking for themselves and caring for each other. R: We don’t seem to know how to
The other issue is that this is not a job—being a soldier, sailor, Marine, airman, coast guard—this becomes an identity. It becomes who you are. This identity is connected to the collective. Thus, while one has not directly done this or that, you take on the actions of all others because
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you work as a system. I am not a combat vet, but I resonate with my brothers and sisters who are because of the mindset of the collective. So when there is the discussion of the rightness or wrongness of a military action, there is not a separateness of actions and individuals. These “Love the sinner but hate the sin” or “Support the troops but not the war” bumper stickers don’t match reality: these aren’t separate parallels. It is a “we are,” not just “we do.” That is something that is missed when trying to address my population. R: When I first talked to you about helping out on the Veteran’s Day issue, Tommy, you told me about a disagreement that happened in class between you and Vanessa. Do you remember the class or the lecture that prompted the debate?
The class is open for questions, and Vanessa asked some, but the footing wasn’t really there for students like her with very appropriate questions to be able to pursue them. I’m pretty sure that led to an accumulation of frustration over the first days of the intensive. After a few days of this, we talked in my office for a long time, and I think what was helpful—from at least my perspective—was that it was helpful for her to hear some of my backstory, to hear what I was not assuming, to know what my baggage was. As a teacher, you know, you can’t always control what people hear, and it is your job to be as wise with your words as possible. It was good for me to hear from Vanessa things that were coming through my speech—assumptions and what not—that were misleading. As a teacher, it is good to get that sort of feedback when your communication
In the case of veterans, their lives and bodies are caught up in the debates of violence and war in ways that are not easy to control or anticipate. T: It was an intensive NT 502, Romans through Revelation. It wasn’t about Christian nonviolence, but if that is part of your worldview, that is going to bleed into your exposition of Scripture. We were just going through Romans to Revelation, and the impetus of the debate was that I did no prep work for students like Vanessa—I did nothing to contextualize how I was reading or why I was reading that way. I just took off with an exposition. I don’t believe in an ethically neutral Gospel, so I was trying to do scripture justice. The way I presented my readings or claims about violence in general or the US’s participation in violence was an affront to Vanessa, to the point that it was nauseating. And of course, I wasn’t laying backstory….
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is either failing or somewhat distorted. There was no massive change of convictions for either of us, but I know that I grew in my sensibilities. I mean, in the case of veterans, their lives and bodies are caught up in the debates of violence and war in ways that are not easy to control or anticipate. Someone like me who is entering that debate with a certain kind of voice needs to hear over and over again what it sounds like, how it affects people with those kinds of stories; then we need to do our best to do justice to their lives in what we are saying. I don’t expect to do that very well, but I must try, and I must be open to correction. The more I interact with people who are touched by these matters, the more I see how unjustly the debate deals
with their lives. We need to reform how we treat veterans, regardless of what side we land on. I myself have lost many good friends who have come back from battle so very ill, and that is a source of grief for me and my family. Their lives can be cut up by our words, so we must be careful with how we speak. My in-
and stand-in target for the system. We challenge the system, but it is typically without regard for the guys and gals who return from the warzone unable to sleep, living in the woods because they are unable to handle physical contact from their families. These people get caught in the machinery of the debate, but
We challenge the system, but it is typically without regard for the guys and gals who return from the warzone unable to sleep, living in the woods because they are unable to handle physical contact from their families. These people get caught in the machinery of the debate, but most people don’t care to recognize that. teractions with Vanessa really drove that point home for me.
most people don’t care to recognize that.
V: I know the struggle for me was that I did not ultimately disagree with what was taught, but there was an exegetical jump from start to finish in Tommy’s lectures. He would show us the text and take us to the conclusion without spelling out why he landed where he did. When I talked with him one-on-one, I got the backstory that was missing from class. While it wouldn’t necessarily change my views, it certainly made things clearer and gave legitimacy to what previously appeared to be an overly provocative and insensitive statement. One of the other problems was that we were ultimately approaching the subject from two separate worlds, from different contexts, and the language of one will translate differently to the other. There is a chasm between the theoretical talk of a classroom and the on the ground interaction with veterans who are coming home. Yeah, we can talk about the system, but we cannot forget the individuals in the system are ultimately the face of
T: And I think that is a byproduct of the type of discourse in which we find ourselves. It’s not so much that you are ascribing intent to a teacher to blame and criticize veterans, it’s that the way this sort of talk works— talk about systems and power that are corrupt or need reforming— comes to its crystallization in the lives of these particular people. You think you’re talking about the system, but in the field of play, the lives being denied are the individuals—in this case, the veterans. Thus we have to ask what the function is of what we think we’re saying, because it is often not what we mean it to be. V: A good example of this is a specific phrase from one of Tommy’s lectures. Can I talk about the towers? T: Fair game according to me. V: He said something along the lines of the system of power and bullying resulting in a couple of planes being flown into two idolatrous towers.
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This would have been one of those comments that sent me over the edge. When we talked about it later and he was explaining, he clarified that he was talking about the system. I was talking about 3000 people who were killed, 3000 real lives of real people from all over the world who died horrifically. It’s this sort of discrepancy between the theoretical and concrete that cuts deep and hurts—not offends, but seriously in-
Bible, I don’t think are that much different. If you look at the people’s lives implicated in those things, we would be able to tell similar stories of loss and tragedy rather than dismissing it as some heartless rebellion against God. That is just not what idolatry is in the Bible; it’s actually a bunch of heartfelt, very concerned people trying to do what they think is right. But we don’t read it that way, because we read it from a place of assumed innocence. When
I am afraid of letting my pedagogy turn into a monster that always keeps people on their heels, doesn’t let them say what they are thinking, or just beats them into submission, because that’s crap. jures—people caught in the middle. T: And I would say that part of the problem is different types of concreteness. Vanessa asked me—and rightly so—to clarify what I meant by idolatrous. From her perspective, I was maligning or neglecting the terrible tragedy that people endured or died in. It sort of cast this label over a very complex event. We were able to come to a point of mutual understanding, but in the moment, our comments don’t get to carry the backstory of how those comments were formed. We want to do justice to these tragedies, but the desire to do them justice has been coopted by the systems that use them. I don’t want the tragedy of that event to be a way to hallow the ground or towers or to justify reciprocal violence; the unfortunate thing is that the loss of human life is often used that way. “Idolatry” is inflammatory speech in our day, and I can lose sight of that as a teacher. Idolatry for me is studying the very sacred places and events in Israel’s history; if you look at what is called idolatrous in the
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the Bible talks about idolatry or violence, it must be talking about those other people. The reality is that the Bible is talking about us and our real cares and concerns. The other option is a very poor reading of scripture that I unwittingly play into it sometimes by using the kind of language that works in that realm, and it leads to these kinds of situations where I trivialize individuals to everybody’s pain and detriment. V: At the same time, it is good to have space to be blunt, to not have to tiptoe around issues so that you can say what needs to be said. T: Yes, but I am afraid of letting my pedagogy turn into a monster that always keeps people on their heels, doesn’t let them say what they are thinking, or just beats them into submission, because that’s crap. There has to be a balance of provocation and space to think safely away from the charged atmosphere. R: Vanessa, Tommy already talked about how he didn’t do a good job
teaching the veteran in the room, and you are in a unique spot of working with these guys and gals every day. How can we do a better job of teaching and hearing them?
a detached criticism of the system. Part of this has to do with honor in service. And I mean service. Much of what the military does involves humanitarian projects—delivering foreign offered food, build-
It would be wrong to edit our message to save someone from being offended. Christ didn’t do that one bit. But our first calling is to love each other. V: It would be wrong to edit our message to save someone from being offended. Christ didn’t do that one bit. But our first calling is to love each other. When we consider the cultural differences between civilian life and military life, we have to understand the language or ideological barriers present. In the military, the individual becomes the collective. This means that talking about anything war requires knowing how the vets will interpret that. There is no clean line between where the war ends and the warrior begins. You cannot separate the veteran from the action he or she fought in. Our discourse does not do this justice, and it does not do justice to the mindset of the veteran. The veteran is in this in a very humanitarian mode—often living with the people, befriending and helping those they live among—but when the battle starts, the only thought is getting home and making sure their buddies get home. They are not fighting for whatever metanarrative the folks back home talk about—whether they say it’s conquest or liberation or right or wrong—the soldier is not concerned with that when the bullets are flying. Within that cultural context, handling difficult material—like Christ’s commands to love our enemy—we need to do so with the love of Christ, recognizing that it is not as simple for the veteran as
ing bridges and other infrastructure, running health clinics—that just doesn’t get covered by media. For most in the military, this is why they signed up: to sacrifice part of themselves to serve others and make the world a better and safer place. Recognizing the honor in having served in a very difficult mode and context will go a long way. T: What I hear from Vanessa is really promising and really applicable to many aspects of the church and its various ministries. It teaches us this: for criticism to be redemptive, it has to be in a context of hospitality. It is in the embrace of love that all of us will have the courage to admit all of our complicities in these vast systems that do injustice. But if a condition for veterans to come to the table is to take up the unadulterated title of “Killer,” that is completely dehumanizing, and they are right to refuse that invitation. At the end of the day, our talk and our focus has to be on honoring the lives of each individual human being and working with and for each other to be better servants of Christ and the world he loves.
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Being the Church, Hearing the Voiceless: Engaging Immigration
I
was raised in God-and-country middle class Evangelicalism in its heyday. My father would listen to talk radio in the car on the way to my private high school every morning. I heard more from Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh than I did from my pastor, not that their messages were so far off. My father, a third generation Italian, would tell us about how his grandfather built a house in Oakland, CA, with his bare hands and refused to teach his children his native tongue so as to “Americanize” them. Immigration reform was not an issue discussed around the dinner table. What strikes me the most is how little I know. I can’t tell you the latest legislation, or the nature of the debates on the Hill in DC. Even with my political background, I find this particular issue… silent. Everyday I am surrounded by those I assume to be undocumented workers. Whether I am picking up a quick bite from the local restaurant, buying a pack of gum from the convenience store around the corner, or walking through Korea town, the presence
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By Sara Angella
of the “foreigner” is obvious and everywhere. My world is part of the greater system - the tax-paying, legal citizen documented and taxed. Ironically, this system is largely dependent on yet oblivious to what must be an anxiety stricken existence for those undocumented and untaxed. Fleetingly, I may wonder about their story, their life, their journey or their current struggle, but I would never ask and I’m sure, for many reasons, they won’t tell. So I go on in my daily life, living a somewhat “us” versus “them” mentality, only superficially aware of the invisible yet powerful line of who is in and who is out at work. It’s complicated, confusing and has implications no one but the policy makers and the economists understand. At least, that’s what it seems like. I mean, when was the last time someone sat down to tell me about immigration reform? The subject has largely been relegated to the Hispanic constituency, but the California Policy Institute estimates there are 2.6 million undocumented workers in California, with only
58% being Latino. Ironically, the Latino population is represented by only 6.9% of the congressional members in the House of Representatives currently, with only 2.4% of the House foreign-born. California alone is home to 24% of what is estimated of 11 million immigrants. With numbers such as these, how is the silence so deafening?
as Protestants, as Lutherans and Methodists and Presbyterians, Charismatics, Catholics and Christ followers, I’m not sure we can find a more crystallized example of kingdom ethics to enter into.
Writing out these words, I am not sure I have ever been so acutely aware of how easy it is to ignore
We don’t have to be the lawmakers or the policy wonks, we have to be the Church, walking into any confusing and sticky conversation willing to be ones that learn, hear and give dignity. In this we become the voice to and for the
the voiceless and how impossible it must be for those that have no voice, to ever have hope.
voiceless, opening our table as well as accepting the invitation to the feast without excuse.
I can’t say I have the slightest clue where to begin, but I do know this isn’t a political issue, it’s a kingdom issue.
And this is the very problem, isn’t it? I know nothing, because those that should be able to tell their story either can’t for fear or don’t because no one is asking. So many of them right in front of me and I find myself ignorant to their stories and heartbreaks that come from not having access to what I take for granted everyday as a ‘legal citizen’.
On November 18th at 4:30pm on the mall, students and faculty will be starting the conversation. Stories will be told, issues raised, and at 5:00pm we will walk and pray our way down to city hall and begin asking for real change. The event will end on the steps of City Hall with our very own Dr. Labberton sharing his heart and the heart of the Fuller administration as we venture into what promises I can’t say I have the slightest to be an incredibly powerful mesclue where to begin, but I do sage of what peace and justice know this isn’t a political issue, it’s mean in action. a kingdom issue. As evangelicals, 29
Does it matter? — losing your legs?... For people will always be kind, And you need not show that you mind When the others come in after hunting To gobble their muffins and eggs.
Does it
Matter? by Siegfried Sassoon This item is from The First World War Poetry Digital Archive, University of Oxford (www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ ww1lit); © University of Oxford
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Does it matter? — losing your sight?... There’s such splendid work for the blind; And people will always be kind, As you sit on the terrace remembering And turning your face to the light. Do they matter? — those dreams from the pit?... You can drink and forget and be glad, And people won’t say that you’re mad; For they’ll know you’ve fought for your country And no one will worry a bit.
Semi-Responsible The All-Seminary Council Column
You’re on a football field. The grass is freshly cut. White chalk lines the boundaries of the field. The goal posts are dead ahead. You hold the football in your hand, your eyes gazing out towards the end zone, keenly looking for an open teammate for that perfect touchdown. You spot him twenty yards away, near the sidelines. You step back just a bit. You send the ball. It’s a perfect pass with a beautiful spiral. As the ball gets closer to your teammate, you realize you miscalculated. You overthrew. He jumps up, desperately reaching. The ball grazes his fingertips and the wild bounce on the grass sends it over the chain link fence. It falls onto the jogging track that circles the field. You call somebody passing by for a little help. There is a bit of relief when he walks towards the ball and picks it up. He throws it back over the fence, but something isn’t right. The ball is flat; there is a slit down the side of the pig skin. That person didn’t help you out; he just ruined your game. As ridiculous as this sounds, this really happened, and happened consistently. Let me introduce you to Samuel Ashe, a pious English clergyman, from the 18th century. He was great man devoted to preaching and discipling, rooted in a deep concern for the spiritual well-being of others. He took this to the extreme, though; he would spend
his Sunday afternoons interfering with football games to prevent people from sinning. His theology lead suggested that participating in and enjoying sports was not part of God’s plan. Fortunately, things have changed. Most Christians are of the opinion that a good game is perfectly acceptable, and even healthy; we at Fuller are in this boat. The All-Seminary Council is coming alongside the next generation of pastors, therapists, missionaries, chaplains, and teachers by providing opportunities for students to participate and enjoy some friendly competition. Throughout the fall quarter, teams will go head-to-head to earn bragging rights for being the best flag football team in the Seminary. Every Saturday, 8-12 teams will meet at Washington Middle School to show off their athletic finesse. We want to encourage you to come out cheer on your friends and favorite team. If football isn’t your sport, ASC will offer a volleyball and basketball league during the winter quarter, and more options in spring. Look for registration on the ASC website or contact ASC-admin@fuller.edu. In Love and Service, Denise Duke ASC Sports Coordinator
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MISSIOLOGY MISSIOLOGYLECTURES LECTURES2013 2013 MISSIOLOGY LECTURES 2013
FULLER FULLERTHEOLOGICAL THEOLOGICALSEMINARY SEMINARY FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY SCHOOL SCHOOLOFOFINTERCULTURAL INTERCULTURALSTUDIES STUDIES SCHOOL OF INTERCULTURAL STUDIES
FAITH, FAITH, SECULARISM, SECULARISM, AND AND HUMANITARIAN HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE RESPONSE Alastair Alastair Ager Ager Alastair Ager
WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER13, 13,2013 2013 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 CHAPEL: CHAPEL:PAYTON PAYTON101 101 CHAPEL: PAYTON 101
10:00–10:50 10:00–10:50a.m. a.m. Reasoning Reasoningin theMarketplace: Marketplace: 10:00–10:50 a.m. Reasoning ininthe the Marketplace: Pauline Pauline Principles Principles for foraaaPost-secular Post-secularAge Age(Acts (Acts17:16-32) 17:16-32) Pauline Principles for Post-secular Age (Acts 17:16-32) STUDENT STUDENTDISCUSSION: DISCUSSION:McCORMICK McCORMICKAND ANDSCHMICKS, SCHMICKS,PASADENA PASADENA STUDENT DISCUSSION: McCORMICK AND SCHMICKS, PASADENA
4:00–4:55 4:00–4:55p.m. p.m. Religion Religionand andthe thePublic PublicSquare Square(sponsored (sponsoredby bythe theSISGU) SISGU) 4:00–4:55 p.m. Religion and the Public Square (sponsored by the SISGU) LECTURE LECTUREONE ONEAND ANDPANEL PANELDISCUSSION: DISCUSSION:TRAVIS TRAVISAUDITORIUM AUDITORIUM LECTURE ONE AND PANEL DISCUSSION: TRAVIS AUDITORIUM
6:30–8:30 6:30–8:30p.m. p.m. Why WhyHumanitarianism HumanitarianismDoesn’t Doesn’t“get” “get”Religion Religion.. .. .. .and andWhy WhyItItItNeeds NeedsTo To 6:30–8:30 p.m. Why Humanitarianism Doesn’t “get” Religion and Why Needs To PANELISTS: PANELISTS:DR. DR.BRYANT BRYANTMYERS, MYERS,DR. DR.CECELIA CECELIAM.M.LYNCH LYNCH PANELISTS: DR. BRYANT MYERS, DR. CECELIA M. LYNCH
THURSDAY, THURSDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER14, 14,2013 2013 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013 SEMINAR: SEMINAR:TRAVIS TRAVISAUDITORIUM AUDITORIUM SEMINAR: TRAVIS AUDITORIUM
12:30–2:30 12:30–2:30p.m. p.m. Exploring Exploringthe theTheological TheologicalImaginary: Imaginary: 12:30–2:30 p.m. Exploring the Theological Imaginary: Bringing Bringing the the Language Language of of Faith Faithinto intothe thePublic PublicSphere Sphere Bringing the Language of Faith into the Public Sphere LECTURE LECTURETWO TWOAND ANDPANEL PANELDISCUSSION: DISCUSSION:TRAVIS TRAVISAUDITORIUM AUDITORIUM LECTURE TWO AND PANEL DISCUSSION: TRAVIS AUDITORIUM
3:00–5:00 3:00–5:00p.m. p.m. Resilience, Resilience,Faith Faithand andPsychosocial PsychosocialSupport: Support: 3:00–5:00 p.m. Resilience, Faith and Psychosocial Support: Competing Competingor ComplementaryVisions? Visions? Competing ororComplementary Complementary Visions? PANELISTS: PANELISTS:DR. DR.ALVIN ALVINDUECK, DUECK,DR. DR.CYNTHIA CYNTHIAERIKSSON ERIKSSON PANELISTS: DR. ALVIN DUECK, DR. CYNTHIA ERIKSSON
Alastair AlastairAger AgerisisProfessor ProfessorofofPopulation Populationand andFamily FamilyHealth Healthwith withthe theMailman MailmanSchool SchoolofofPublic PublicHealth, Health, Alastair Ager is Professor of Population and Family Health with the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia ColumbiaUniversity. University.HeHehas hasworked workedininthe thefield fieldofofinternational internationalhealth healthand anddevelopment developmentforfortwenty-five twenty-five Columbia University. He has worked in the field of international health and development for twenty-five years, years,after afteroriginally originallytraining trainingininpsychology psychologyatatthe theuniversities universitiesofofKeele, Keele,Wales, Wales,and andBirmingham Birminghamininthe theUK. UK. years, after originally training in psychology at the universities of Keele, Wales, and Birmingham in the UK. HeHeisisauthor authorofofover overone onehundred hundredscholarly scholarlypublications. publications.His Hiscurrent currentresearch researchand andwriting writingisisfocused focusedininthe the He is author of over one hundred scholarly publications. His current research and writing is focused in the areas areasofofpsychosocial psychosocialwell-being well-beingininhumanitarian humanitariancontexts, contexts,the theevaluation evaluationofofhumanitarian humanitarianinterventions, interventions, areas of psychosocial well-being in humanitarian contexts, the evaluation of humanitarian interventions, and andthe therole roleofoffaith faithcommunities communitiesininsupporting supportingrecovery. recovery.Recent Recentpublications publicationsinclude includework workjoint jointauthored authored and the role of faith communities in supporting recovery. Recent publications include work joint authored with withhishisson, son,Joey JoeyAger: Ager:“Faith “Faithand andthe theDiscourse DiscourseofofSecular SecularHumanitarianism” Humanitarianism”(in(inthe theJournal JournalofofRefugee Refugee with his son, Joey Ager: “Faith and the Discourse of Secular Humanitarianism” (in the Journal of Refugee Studies) Studies)and andLocal LocalFaith FaithCommunities Communitiesand andthe thePromotion PromotionofofResilience ResilienceininContexts ContextsofofHumanitarian HumanitarianCrisis Crisis Studies) and Local Faith Communities and the Promotion of Resilience in Contexts of Humanitarian Crisis (on (onbehalf behalfofofthe theJoint JointLearning LearningInitiative InitiativeononFaith Faithand andLocal LocalCommunities, Communities,with withElena ElenaFiddian-Qasmiyeh). Fiddian-Qasmiyeh). (on behalf of the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities, with Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh). HeHeisisa amember memberand andworship worshipleader leaderwith withEmmanuel EmmanuelPresbyterian PresbyterianChurch ChurchininNew NewYork. York. He is a member and worship leader with Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in New York.
32 For Formore more information informationvisit visit For more information visit www.fuller.edu/cmr www.fuller.edu/cmr www.fuller.edu/cmr
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