Us, Them and the "Love" Test

Last Sunday in our Dutch church the youth band led the congregation in singing, in English, Chris Tomlin’s song, Our God. It is a good song, but it led my thoughts to “us” and “them” as much as it did to God.

The chorus is:
     Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
     Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
     And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
     And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.

As I was singing I couldn’t help thinking that by repeatedly claiming God as “Our God,” and “Our God is for us,” that we are not just praising God. We are also, in a way, claiming that he is ours, and not those other people’s; that he is on our side, not their side.

I have always found it interesting that when we divide the world between “us” and “them,” God always ends up on the “us” side. I remember reading years ago the quote, “God made man in his own image, and man returned the favor.” (A quick Google search shows it attributed to many writers, but no one seems be able to actually pin down the origin.) Some atheists have taken it to mean that God is a product of human imagination, but I think that a more accurate interpretation is that we try to weigh God down with our own frailties and prejudices. If we care about skin color, then God must also. If we care about gender, then so does God. If we say that the Rio Grande is the border, then that must be where God divides the Mexican “rapists” from the God-fearing Americans.

When I was small child, my favorite Sunday School song was “Praise Him. Praise Him, all ye little children; God is love; God is love.” When I was 13 and started to develop a personal theology, I was very drawn to the fourth chapter of 1 John: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” At the time I was trying to understand the difference between agape love and the adolescent emotion of being “in love,” so I rationalized that the phrase “God is love” did not define God, it defined love. God, obviously, is much more than just love. While God is loving, he is also powerful and he gets angry and he punishes those who do wrong. And God chooses sides: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” He is a personality, just like I am. He is a “he,” just like I am.

What if I was wrong? What if the two terms are equal, like a mathematical or logical equation where the one term can be substituted for the other? Love is powerful, love demands justice, love rebukes wrongdoing but never seeks revenge.

What would happen if we took every statement made about God, and substituted the word “love”? Would the meaning of Chris Tomlin’s song, be any different?
     Love is greater, Love is stronger, Love is higher than any other.
     Love is Healer, Awesome in Power, Love! Love!
     And if Love is for us, then who could ever stop us.
     And if Love is with us, then what could stand against us.

But would every statement we make about God hold up to the “Love” test? Which of these would we agree with: “Love gave us this land.” “Love wants you to vote Republican.” “Love wants you to vote Democrat.” “Love doesn’t hear the prayers of Jews.” “Love Hates Fags.” Ridiculous statements, aren’t they.

Keith Holmes

Old Friends, New Friends

My old friend Tammy Stocks invited me to join her, 12 Romanian women (many Romany), and 5 American women for a quilt workshop. The workshop is held at the Naomi Center in Bucharest, Romania. This is an off-shoot of the Ruth School/Providence Foundation there. Children in the local neighborhood can attend the Ruth School. Women can sew, learn, and support each other at the Naomi Center.
And that's just what we've been doing so far this week. The American women have been leading a quilting workshop. The local women have been helping each other and befriending us. In fact, tomorrow one of my new friends is going to teach me how to make mayonnaise. She herself puts butter on her sandwiches because, she says, it's healthier and better for her children. Would you agree?

P.S. The name Naomi means "pleasant." Very apt choice for this women's center!
P.P.S. Guess who's birthday we celebrated today (September 1).

First Day of School

T successfully passed his entrance exams and is preparing to leave home in a couple of weeks to attend school.  He will move a couple of hours away from his family to begin his studies as a healthcare worker.  To help him gather everything needed, we took a trip to a nearby town so he could get photos made for his identification card that will be his pass to the dormitory.  As we were getting ready to head back to the village, I asked if there was anything else he needed to get ready to move.

"I do not have a suitcase." he said after carefully thinking through the long list of things he needs to bring.

It never occurred to me that among his limited possessions, that he would not have a single bag - a backpack or satchel or gym bag - he could use.  Of course we stopped into a store and picked him up a new travel bag.

T moves into the dorm on 1 September and school begins on the 2nd.  Dianne and I talked about how we both felt a little anxious and also a sense of pride that we were able to assist T.  Thanks to the financial support of faithful donors, we are able to provide T with a scholarship that will pay for his room and board as well as travel expenses.  We will also buy shoes, clothes, and toiletries to go along with that suitcase.

When we were having lunch, T and I spoke about how miserably I fail at taking pictures of the things we do so that other people can see for themselves.  He smiled and said he understood.  Perhaps then he will understand when I ask to take his "first day of school" photo in a couple of weeks.

Miracles through Different Means

We saw Lena* for the first time in several years on Sunday at the conclusion of the Children's Program in a Roma village in Moldova.

I gave her one of the little booklets of Peter & John healing a lame man. She looked at the cover, where we had printed the title in Ursari and Romanian. She puzzled over the words and turned behind her to ask Silvica about the meaning.

"A Beggar Is Changed," she repeated, rereading the words for herself. Then she turned to me with a 800 watt smile and said, "That's me."

Lena* was born with some eye problems. It used to be easy to see that one eye did not function properly. I learned more about this later in the week when Lena and her husband invited the entire team over for supper. While we were eating, she asked me whether Dennis was still alive. I didn’t know who she was referring to. He is an American, she explained, and he had cancer in one eye and always wore a patch over it. Eye problems are very close to Lena’s heart. Even when she was just one years old, one of her eyes was very sensitive to light. Often, she couldn’t really open that eye or stand to go outside. The light hurt her.

Nine years ago she told us, when Ion Matveev was pastor, he wrote several Christians he knew (including Dennis and Keith) about the possibility of Lena getting an eye operation at a hospital in Odessa, Ukraine. Altogether, they contributed the $2-3,000 needed for her passport to Odessa and her operation there. Her eyes were completely healed.

Luba thanked us all. 

“God takes care of us in a big way,” she said with that big smile of hers. Both eyes beamed.

*Name changed to protect her privacy.

P.S. It turns out that Dennis is connected with For God’s Children International, the foundation which supports a home for foster children in Nisporeni. And social media search showed that yes, Dennis is still alive. 

Giving Lessons

This lady on the left lives in a Romany village in Moldova. She recently chose to follow Jesus Christ. She is busy learning what that means.

She and her daughter invited the volunteer team members who were staying in her village over for tea one evening. We sat outside. In the course of the evening, it grew increasing cooler. She asked me several times if I was warm enough. Finally, she brought out a brand new sweater, pulled the tags off of it, and gave it to me.  Then she got concerned about the other two women who were wearing sandals with no socks. She brought out brand new pairs of socks for all three of us. Next she asked if we ever wore scarves. She brought out a new skirt (which Els took home for her teenaged daughter) and a scarf to match each of our outfits. Finally, she gave a man's polo shirt to Zoltan, the Wycliffe/SIL team member who had been translating from Romanian to English for us all evening.

She is busy learning. She might also be teaching?

Inspired Development

Development does not have to cost a lot. Sometimes, we don't even have to plan it. For example, Erika likes to fix things. Last year when we visited the Roma village of Vulcanesti, she fixed Nina's sewing machine. (This was Erika's 5th visit to the village; she and Nina have become fast friends as well as sisters in faith.)

This year, when we visited the village, a steady stream of villagers came to Nina's house. One had a pair of jeans that needed to be shortened. Another had a different alteration. And some had ordered items to be sewn, like this traditional-styled apron made from a colorful scarf.

Nina's husband passed away this last year. She needs the extra income and delights in the extra company. And sometimes she takes the opportunity to read from the Bible with her visitors or to pray. Did I say this development wasn't planned? Well, it wasn't planned by Erika and it wasn't planned by me, but . . . .

Cooperative Fellowship in Moldova

See these three women standing up in front of these Moldovan girls? One was born in a Romany village; her first language is Ursari Romani. One was a refugee from East Germany; her first language is German. One has two diplomas from Moldova; her first language is Romanian. What power could bring them together on one team?

See these four guys? One is the son of a hard-working couple from Kansas; first language English. One is the son of a hard-working Moldovan couple; first language Ursari Romani. One was born in Transylvania; first language Hungarian. One has family in Ukraine; first language Romanian. How on earth can they commune together?

See these two women? One is the daughter of solid, church-going Dutch farmers. The other grew up in a Moldovan orphanage. What basis do they have to cooperate so contentedly?

(If you do not already know the answer in your heart, you can see it in the right hand corner of this photo.)

Photos from Children's Program & Girls' Camp, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Romany village in Moldova, June 24-July 7.