Border, Drugs, and Rehabilitation

I welcome you to C.R.E.E.D.A. a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center located in the border town of Agua Prieta, Mexico. Along with drug and alcohol rehabilitation C.R.E.E.D.A. a Catholic ministry also provides psychological  for children and adults. The organization has developed a 12 step program for those who are a part of the program. Unfortunately, our group did not get a chance to learn what those twelve steps were, nonetheless the following stories I will share below will affirm the productivity and success of the program. 

Before I share these stories of successful rehabilitations I feel it will be helpful to provide some context concerning exactly what Agua Prieta is up against. As a border town, Agua Prieta became one of the ports in which drugs from Mexico would enter the United States. The recent movements of the U.S. government to ensure that drug lords will not have easy access to the United States soil have provided problem for the town of Agua Prieta. To be sure, I applaud this specific move of the U.S. government to fight drugs in our nation. Ideally one would hope that by cutting off the demand of the U.S. citizen the drug lords would consider some other occupation that would benefit the country of Mexico and its citizens. However, this is an unrealistic improbable expectation and the sad reality is that these drug lords have taken over the bordering cities causing a major problem of drug addiction. Thus, C.R.E.E.D.A. is doing a great justice to this Agua Prieta.

Now to introduce you to Estella. Estella is only 15 years old and has graduated the program, but she still visits nearly every day because of the family-like atmosphere and accountability she receives a C.R.E.E.D.A. Estella shared about the drug traffickers habits in Agua Prieta by informing us that these drug lords prey on younger children, because it is easier to take advantage of them.  They get the children addicted and/or selling their poison so these children are imprisoned to these traffickers their entire life. She described a very typical pre-teen/ teenager mentality of believing she knew better than her parents and she described her rebellious spirit. However, when her story took on a new scale of concern is when she confessed the age in which she started using drugs. Ten years old was the first time she used marijuana. At such a young age, she described the peer pressure of her friends. She declined a few times but after beings asked over and over she finally gave in. 

She became addicted and her parent quick realized what she was involved in and demanded she stop. By this time, it was too late, and Estella soon ran away from home looking for more and more drugs. She explained how marijuana had got boring so she looked for stronger highs. She took to the streets doing whatever she could to acquire more and more drugs.  She slept in abandon houses, under bridges and needless to say this was the lowest place for Estella as her reality had become hell on earth. One day Estella was walking on the street with one of her friends. She then saw her mom and uncle. They quickly took action are grab Estella against her will taking her back to her home. After contacting C.R.E.E.D.A., they enrolled her into the program holding on to the hope to get Estella back. 

Estella explained how at first she hated it. It was very difficult for her, but after a while she realized that they were not looking to hurt her but wanted to help her. She began to gain weight and felt alive again. She learned quickly that it was not a good thing to hang out with her old friends because of the temptation that presented its self. So as mentioned early she made a second home at C.R.E.E.D.A. Estella ended her story by saying, “ This is a great place to be and say no to drugs.” 

Estella was born in Douglas, Arizona thus she is a U.S. citizen. She has family in the U.S. and Mexico which is the case for some many people we came in contact with. Raymond another boy who was also a U.S. citizen had been a part of the program for 21 days. He was in the program to be healed from a marijuana addiction. 

After they shared our group got a chance to ask them a few questions: 

Q: It seems like parents could do the best they could to raise their children. They  could love, care and support them, but children can still end up on drugs; What advice would you give parents? 

A: Talk to them about drugs before their friends or other people do. 

Q: Why is there so much drug activity in Agua Prieta? 

A: The police are too lax. 

Q: In the U.S. there has been a recent push to legalize marijuana. Do you feel that that is a good idea? 

A: No, I believe it is wrong because marijuana is the door for other drugs, because after a person gets use to it they seek stronger drugs. 

A question was directed towards the issue of the time they are missing in school by being in the program. The response was it is better to miss a year of school to be healed than for the children to be allowed to attend school and risk being addicted to drugs their entire life. 

All in all, the organization is a beautiful ministry to the city of Agua Prieta. Unfortunately, the center has limited funding but this doesn’t seem to dampen the Spirit of everyone there. 
In my next post, we will venture into the desert to walk the trail that the migrants walk. I will show you the resting place for these weary travelers, the living water tanks setup at these spots and tough terrain of this region. See you soon! 

P.S. If you read my last post you may be curious as to where the scripture hermetical analysis is that I promised. In the light of the recent concerns in Ferguson Mo, I choose to direct that analysis towards the people in Ferguson. If you click here it will lead you to that post. Please continue praying for peace and justice for our nation in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! 

Ferguson: How can I curse who God has not cursed?

My soul is in distress. I have fought within in myself whether or not I should post my opinion of what has taken place in Ferguson, Mo. I have wondered if it is even worth it to maneuver through my inward struggles with the situation. As I scanned the newsfeed of my Facebook last night I was overwhelmed by the ignorance and insensitivity that many of my friends displayed toward this case. These things more than any, led to my hesitation to raise a voice.  However, I have come to believe that every voice is important and needs to be heard… even my own.

A Call for peace 

My main focus in this post is to lead the reader to a place where they can hope and pray for peace. I realize that in order for peace to move passed an idealistic concept, we must actively pursue it. That means we cannot just sit back in hiding expecting peace to appear. No, we must fight for peace by raising our force in the face of injustice. Peace cannot exist where justice does not prevail. Scripture tells us in the book of Ecclesiastes that there is “a time for war and a time for peace.” Yes, indeed for everything there is a season.  When justice is absent the time to fight is at hand; in order that we can turn and idealistic concept of peace into a realistic reality! 

A human life was lost

What does justice mean in this recent tragedy of Michael Brown’s death? What I find so hard is that both sides feel that they are in the right and they have been wronged. Nevertheless, we can all agree that Michael Brown losing his life is terrible. Regardless of the law of the land, it is the earth that cries out for the blood that was shed on its soil. This is an outright representation of the fallen-ness of our world and there is no other way to make sense of it. The command “ Thou shall not kill” forces us to recognize that human life is of value, especially to God and that it deserves the utmost respect. Criminalizing anyone including Michael Brown and justifying their death is just another testament to the how far our world has fallen.

Racial Tension is real 

The racial tension should not be pushed aside or ignored. This entire situation is an outcry from a people group who feel that they are unfairly treated. This is the justified uproar of a people whose history is immersed in being treated inhumanely, with prejudices and animosity. A people who were delivered from slavery. However, while there has been many steps forward and others may suggest that the struggle is over, those with my skin color are constantly aware of the daily struggle to succeed and the inequalities in this country. As an African American male, I stand behind these observations and can confirm them as true. 

They expect me to just let it go?

My biggest problem with all of this is I feel that many voices are demanding that I accept the decision that was made by the grand jury as justice. People are yelling that because Michael Brown was a “criminal” that he deserved to die and I am supposed to accept that. Was it not Jesus who promised paradise to the criminal who hung on the cross next to him (Luke 23: 39-43)?  I am upset that some people basically rejoiced in the riots that took place shortly after the decision was announced, because it allowed them to say, “I told you so.” I’m upset at the decision to change the time of the announcement to after the sun went down. Most of all I am upset that people expect me to just leave it alone and let it go. To watch the mother of Michael Brown send out a loud cry that made the earth tremble, and to just sit back and do nothing! It’s not happening! Not this time. This is just too much. I will not sit back I will not be silent and I will not give up on my people. 

Wake up and listen U.S.

It is time for the United States to wake up. It is time for the voices of the African American community to be validated in the eyes of the elite. These riots were cries from those who have yet to be heard. You could choose to blame those who were rioting or you can choose to blame everyone who ignored the voice of the black community and deemed it irrelevant. 

A word from the Lord

In the Book of Numbers, chapter 22, Balak the King of Israel begged a man named Balaam to curse Israelites saying, “Behold a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and they are dwelling opposite me. Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you cursed is cursed.” 

I feel like there is a lot of pressure for me and others to curse African Americans people who are the people of this country who were recently brought out of slavery.
However, God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse them for they are blessed.” 

This continues a few chapters with Balaam refusing to curse God’s people because the word that God gives to him. Balaam gives three prayers blessing Israel each time God speaks to him, but the one that really spoke to me was his first. Number 23: 8-9 (ESV)

8How can I curse whom God has not cursed? 
How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced? 
9For from the top of the crags I see him, 
From the hills, I behold him 
Behold a people dwelling alone, 
And not counting their self among this nation

So I ask you, how can I curse my people who God has not cursed? 
How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced? 
I see God 
And I see my people who feel alone 
And who do not count their self as a part of this nation 

I will not abandon my people! 

This is how I feel. I will fight for peace, but I will not abandon my people! I cannot. God has not cursed us, but has blessed us and cries out with us! 

This is not meant to be just a post a post. I am praying right now for proactive call from the Lord to make a difference. I have felt a call to prison ministry lately. I am trying to confirm this along with other calls. I will keep fighting for peace. However, as I said earlier, “ Peace cannot exist where justice does not prevail.” 

Putting a face to an "alien"

The last post I was left with a conundrum of what to do with my Christian faith and U.S. citizenship in the midst of what I was experiencing during my mission trip. A major revelation occurred during my morning bible reading in which a brilliantly orchestrated hermetical analysis was given to me and I was able to share it with the group during morning devotionals.   However, this will have to wait until the next post. The reason for this is one, I would like to keep these events in chronological order and the revelation I mentioned above happened on the morning of November 8th 2014 and the event I will highlight in this post happened on the evening of November 7th 2014, and two to explain exactly what God revealed to me in a post that captures the debt of it, but still is short enough for a blog post will take lots of hard work, so after this is posted I will immediately get to work on the next post!  

I will now to get to the main focus of this particular post. As you may recall, during the previous three posts our group was still on U.S. soil and had yet to move into Mexico’s territory. This is remarkable when I understand how much my eyes were already open to a new reality. After settling in a community center that was there as a resting place for people who did not have a place to stay, we were off to “Cena con CAME” a migrant shelter that provided resources for people who had no food and no place to stay. 

After hoping off the van, we gathered in the courtyard of the property while we introduced ourselves to four men who were currently staying at the shelter. We got a chance to listen to their stories of the horrible things they had experienced during their trip to the border. One man told us of the dangerous life of train hopping in Mexico. His friend and him were nearly shot as a Mexican soldier unloaded a machine gun in the train car they were riding in. He told us the terror of realizing how close the bullets were to their feet. They were then commanded to get out of the train car. They obeyed and both received some injuries from the jump off the train. Now they found themselves at gunpoint. The soldier gave them a command (what exactly it was has slipped my mind), the man who was talking to us complied and was unharmed, and unfortunately his friend did not comply and was shot. The bullet was not fatal, but I cannot begin to imagine how terrified they must have been.

For the first time during my mission trip journey I was faced with the reality that the country of Mexico soldiers were not the most humane of characters and actually increased the danger for people who were pursuing the dream of heading into the U.S. What was I supposed to do with this information and should that change how I feel towards the U.S. and our less than desired relationship with migrant people? 

After hearing a few more stories, we headed into the dining room area to share a meal with the men, women and children who were staying at the shelter. The excitement was evident and my nerves bouncing due to my lack of Spanish. We blessed the food and I settled down next to Omar (one of the men in our group who was not allowed to go the Border Patrol office tour). Directly across from me was a middle age Mexican mother and to the left of her were two teenage boys who were not her sons, but who she agreed to care for as her own as long as they were both in the shelter.   

The mother and her family’s story were heartbreaking. Her and her family (Husband and three children) had made a living for their selves in the U.S. None of the family were U.S. citizens expect for the woman’s youngest daughter. I do not recall if they were deported or they were visiting a family member who was ill (after all Omar was translating for me), but somehow they were on Mexico’s side of the border. The shelter informed them about the dangers and difficulties of cross the border today as opposed to years ago when the woman family first crossed. The workers of the shelter helped the women’s husband find a construction job so they decided to stay in Mexico, so as not to risk harm to her family or the loose her daughter who was a U.S. citizen. 

Interestingly enough, the two teenage boys who I thought resemble a famous boy band, viewed crossing the border as an adventure. In their boyish youth, they did not fully comprehend nor did they seem to care about the dangers they would encounter in making the attempt to cross. They have family that lives in Indianapolis and if they could make it successfully they were going to attempt to meet up with them. It occurred to me that they had no clue how far it was from the region of Arizona they would be into Indianapolis. But again in their boyish youth they just viewed it as an adventure. They were in school in Mexico and had come up with an excuse as to why they need to be gone for a week. Their first attempt failed and I got the impression that they were going to give it one more shot and if they didn’t make it they would return home. 

This post has simply been real life experiences of people which I think is just as powerful as any profound revelation and perhaps is a revelation in its own respect. I tell these stories in hope that the reader, whoever you are, are able to put faces and personalities on those people who are called “aliens” or immigrants. First and Foremost we must remember that these people are just that, people, created in the image of God. 

I pledge allegiances to ... the U.S. or My Lord?

The time was about 1:15 p.m. on Friday of November 7th, 2014. The group had just finished our first lunch together and we were headed to the van when suddenly Mark called us back to the entrance of the restaurant. We form a circle, and I assume that we are about to pray over our next step of the journey. Unfortunately, that was not the case and Mark had some bad news. While we were eating, Mark received a call informing him that three of the five Hispanic members of the group would not be allowed to receive a tour of the Border Patrol office. The sorrow was immediately recognizable in the eyes of the majority of the group, but so was the daring determination to not let this defeat or overcome our morale.

Personally, I was so impacted by the scripture reading at the Border Infrastructure Tour and so delighted with the food that we had just received that when we were standing in the circle I did not even comprehend what Mark was telling us. It wasn’t until we were leaving the Border Patrol office that Sister Christine who is Hispanic and was allow to take the tour, informed Omar, “ I didn’t ask them why a man with U.S. citizenship and a U.S. Passport could not take a tour, but I really wanted to.”

Around 2:00 p.m. we arrived at the Border Patrol office. Our leader Mark (who is a white male) choose to stay outside with the members of our group who were not allowed to receive the tour. The rest of the group headed inside to receive our guest passes. Again at this point I was still oblivious to the irony of the entire situation, but now that I recall the situation I realize that the older members of the group were well aware of the tension in the room. 

Our tour guide who was one of the Border patrol officers led us into the building. She was young and pretty and to be quite honest she appeared to be completely opposite of whom I expected to see working in the border patrol (more about her story later). We entered a hallway with many pictures hung on either side. ATVs, Helicopters, Drones, Patrol officers on horses were all highlighted in these photos.  Previous and current generals and commanding officers pictures displayed.

Unexpectedly as I walked with the rest of the group and listen to the Border Patrol officers I was overcome with a strong sense of patriotism. The arguments concerning the safety and concerns of the nation that were stated were beginning to take priority over the strong experience of God’s presence of the Border Infrastructure.

Thing such as:

• The Border Patrol prides itself on ensuring that drugs from Mexico do not enter the U.S.
• After 9-11, it has become a main priority of the Border Patrol to stop the threat of terrorist entering the U.S. from the Border of Mexico and the U.S.
• We have laws and a system set up for people who want to become citizens and it is not fair for those who are doing this legally to allow those who are not to bypass the process.

These were the rehearsed talking points of the border patrol tour guide

.

One of the women in our group asked the question I’m sure everyone was wondering, “How did you (The Border Patrol officer) get involved in the Border Patrol.” Seriously, saying that she was young a pretty does not even begin to explain the women that stood before us. Nothing about her said Border Patrol, it crossed my mind a time or two that there is no way this young lady agrees with everything this organization stands for. The first red flag I got is when she told us she grew up in Boston.

“Well”, she responded, “when the economy tanked there were not very many job opportunities.” I could not really afford college, but I really wanted to further my education. I was tired of working server positions so I started researching different opportunities.” That brought her to the government position of the Border Patrol which is rich in opportunities for one to further their education. “I never started out saying I really want to work on the Border Patrol… it was just an opportunity that I took advantage of that helps me pursue my goals.” It was obvious that she did not plan to work with the Border Patrol the rest of her life. She needed a job that would help her pursue her goals and she found that in the Border Patrol.

This is where I feel like the irony of the situation cripples me. This woman from Boston could not find a good enough job up North to help her meet her goals due to the poor economy. The jobs that she could find, she quickly realized that they were not going to take her far in life and nowhere near her personal goals. Thus, she migrated from here homeland of Boston to the Southwest region of the U.S. to acquire a job that gave her the finical stability and the educational opportunities she desired. It just so happens that the job she has chosen is to stop people from doing the exact same thing!

Please someone, tell me if I am missing something here. I mean to be so concerned with keeping people out of this country that three of my Hispanic friends could not take a tour with us is ridiculous. I might add that of the three members that were told they could not go in, one was born in Guatemala, but had since moved to the U.S. He has a college degree from a U.S. University in Business, he speaks perfect English and currently lives in the U.S. He is a U.S. citizen with a U.S. Passport. The other two work with the ministry organization Frontera de Cristo which is an U.S. organization. They have visited the U.S. to talked with Churches many times about immigration and Café Justo, thus have received numerous Visas for visits to the U.S.

Once I realized what happened I approach Omar and apologized on behalf of my country. I was so hurt and embarrassed. It hit me that what had just happened was an old fashion act of discrimination. At this point in the trip, I stood faced with the conundrum of pledging allegiances to my Lord and my U.S. Citizenship. Should it be one or the other? Where was God going to lead me now…?

Fenced in

"People should not be dying trying to live and find work for  their  family" Mark Adams demanded as he revealed to us how many sojourners have lost their lives in the Arizona desert. 

 

Friday November 7, 2014 had arrived and after a breakfast at a nearby hotel from the Shalom House, it was finally time for Bob and Carol and myself to meet the rest of the posse. Slowly but surely we all arrive at the Frontera de Cristo headquarters in Douglas, Arizona. The process of trying to feel each other out had begun. Chairs were arranged in a circle with our “Border to Border: Coffee, Migration and Faith” booklet in the seats with our names listed in the bottom right-hand corner of the booklet. I found mine and sat down as we prepared for biblical reflection. The passage for the day was Ephesians 2: 1-22. Verses 14- 18 stuck out to me the most:

14 For Christ himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. Christ purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 Christ came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Christ we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

I love how Paul explains how Christ has made peace and destroyed the barriers and dividing walls of hostility. Our Lord and Savior makes peace, creating a new humanity out of what once was two. This word of God hits so hard.

 After the introductions and reflections we hopped in the van and do not stop until we approached one of the largest (and ugliest) fences I have ever seen.

It was time for the border infrastructure tour. Taking into consideration the passage we just reflected on, this border infrastructure presented itself as a stark contrast to Paul’s words. Having realized this, I was immediately struck with sorrow.

We climbed out of the van and were able to see that the fence extended as far as the eye could see in both directions.

 We also quickly became aware of the border patrol officer with the large border patrol suburban and his machine gun, watching us intently.

About every 200 to 300 yards, a tall pole towered out of the ground with several cameras on the top. As we drove towards the hills I looked through the gaps on the fence and saw a town on the other side which I later discovered was Agua Prieta. It didn’t look too much different than the side we were on, but someone felt it was necessary to spend millions of dollars for this barrier of a fence.

Our plan was to drive up the large hill but, officers on the U.S. and Mexico side had stop on the road to talk so we stayed at the end of the fence. 

Mark Adams asked us to walk up and touch the fences. As we were holding on to it he read the passage to us and asked us to repeat after him. In unison we chanted, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ… For Christ himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility… Christ purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace and in his one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility…” We continued through the rest of our passage.

“My goodness, that was powerful,” I thought to myself. There was  something  that appeared to be freakishly wrong as we reflected on  Scripture and stood by the fence.

We climb back in the van all awestruck from our experience and the obvious presence of the divine in the reading of Scripture. We then ate at another wonderful Mexican restaurant and prepared to visit the U.S. Border Patrol headquarters.

So now we head to the place where it is the Border  patrol  government workers duty to ensure that “outsiders” are not successful in their attempt to cross into the U.S. What will that be like?  

Shalom (Peace) House

Welcome all!

These next series of post will be highlights the events, difficulties and spiritual implications of my border to border trip from Auga, Prieta Mexico to Chiapas, Mexico. Our trip was organized and led  by Frontera de Cristo. It was very well done and I am extremely impressed with my experience so if you are looking for a mission trip I would highly recommend their organization.

Now to take you on my journey, Thursday November 6th, 2014 I wake up well aware that my luggage is half way packed and there are still some last minute things that need to be picked up from Wal-Mart before I head to the airport. However, this is of no surprise to my wife or me as I always seem to be in a dazed paralyzed state of mind right up until it is crunch time. Finally, after everything is gathered together Sarah drops me off at the airport I say my goodbye and Sarah sheds her tears, then I’m off to retrieve my boarding pass.

While I am on my short flight from Wichita to DFW I realize that my feelings about the trip are very stagnated. For one, my wife and I had just moved into a new apartment not even a week before the plane left the ground so we were not by any means fully unpacked. I knew nothing about the trip (however I did know that the Church I work at and the Presbytery offered to cover the cost so I was not going to turn it down). Finally, I was somewhat concerned about not knowing any Spanish.

After switching flights in DFW, I arrive at Tucson, Arizona where I awaited my bag. A women approaches me and ask, “Are you Damian?” and I respond, “I sure am” and she informed me that Jeff (a member of the FDC’s board) was ready to pick us up. The women’s name was Carol and her husband's Bod. Bod is a retired Methodist Pastor and Carol is a retired Math teacher. They both attend a Methodist/ Presbyterian congregation. I should also add they are two of the sweetest individuals I have ever met.

We arrived at a Mexican restaurant in a part of Tucson that is projected to be 90% Hispanic, needless to say the food was authentic Mexican food and the first fruit of what would be a plentiful harvest of tasty goodness that my teeth got the pleasure of plowing into! We learned very little from Jeff about our trip, but it was obvious that his purpose was to get from point A to point B and feed us. I did however learn that Jeff's Presbyterian Church which is 2 hours from the border did not really concern itself with the difficulties of immigration; and even in a town with a large Hispanic population their Church still lacks diversity and is predominantly white (Go figure welcome to the Presbyterian Church U.S.A denomination smh).

After a two-hour delay we said our goodbyes to Jeff and our caravan finally was on the road for a close to 3-hour journey to Douglas, Arizona where we would stay for the night. When we arrived we were greeted by Jack and member of the Mennonite denomination who transported us to the Shalom house (Shalom means peace in Hebrew). 

It sounds more epic than it was, but it was still pretty impressive. Jack informed us that his wife and he had a heart for taking in anyone who may needed assistance or a place to stay. 

They simply provide people in need with the things one needs to survive, food, shelter, care and love!  However, they realized that their own home was not big enough. 

So they bought a house to give to anyone who needed it at no charge. 

The house had two bedrooms one bathroom a living room, dining room, kitchen and laundry room.

Jack and Linda pay the utilities and if someone calls when it is open they are happy to let them stay.

It was a wonderful example of the love of Christ. This set the tone of the trip that Carol, Bob and I would experience. A couple who was willing to open their arms to people in need!

Oh yeah… I’m going to Chiapas Mexico today for a mission trip

Yeah you read it right. Today November 6, 2014 I’m will be heading to Mexico on a mission trip. The organization I am traveling with is the Frontera de Cristo mission organization located in Douglas, Arizona. The Southern Kansas Presbytery is sponsoring the trip and I think it’s safe to assume that I will need to create a presentation with photos and notes about my experience in Mexico. The Mexican citizens in the area surrounding and of Chiapas have developed a source of economic stability through coffee harvest. A partnership has been established between the local farmers who deliver their coffee beans to the processing plant and the plant workers that ensure that the coffee beans are cleaned, dried, and packaged up to sent to the United States where they have partnerships with Church organization like the Presbytery I am currently working under.

I am sure I will have a great time meeting everyone and learning the difficulties facing the Mexican people. Nevertheless, to be honest, I am very indifferent about the trip. For one I found out about the trip about a month and a half before today.  Secondly, I believe concerning this trip the term “Mission” should be used loosely as it appears the more suitable name for the trip should be observational trip. That is to say, it appears we (I and the other member who are from all over the U.S.) will be observing the things that are going on in this region of Mexico and relaying that information back to our Churches so we can continue to support their business. Perhaps, it’s safe to say it is a mission trip, but just one where we help the citizens continue to gain the support they need to support their economy. Third there seems to be no inclination that we will either join in fellowship with the Mexican citizens for worship or get to preach the gospel. Romans 1:16-17 (I must say getting to preach through a translator in Vietnam to a good number of Vietnamese college students was one of the greatest things I have done to date.)

I’m excited because I am well aware that whether we are worshiping or not God will always reveal His presence in mighty ways. I cannot wait to see the geography of the region. I have been told we will hike in the mountains and visit a big waterfall and of course I’m going swimming no matter how cold the water is. I want to give a special thanks to my Church family, Trinity PresbyterianChurch for their strong support and prayers on this journey. Also I would like to thank my wife for letting me travel the southern region of Mexico, especially since we just moved in to a new place less than a week ago. There are many other things in which I am concerned and many other things that I am excited about.  The most important thing now is that you (the reader) know that I will be gone from November the 6^th – 15^th. Most importantly I ask for your prayers as I depart on this new adventure!

Damian Berry

PS: The Barth series will be on hold until I get back

Barth series 4 of 7 (Just War)

Introduction:

During my second year of Seminary, I had the pleasure of taking a yearlong “theology and ethics of Karl Barth” course at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary taught by Dr. John Burgess.  The year accounted for three credits hours in which we covered Karl Barth’s “Church Dogmatics Volume 3: The Doctrine of Creation Part 4.” The setup of the class was to read anywhere from 25-40 pages of Barth a week and produce a detailed outline of the material in the readings. We then would meet once a week to discuss the readings. At the end of the course, we were asked to prepare a 20-page paper that covered a main theme in the Church Dogmatics Volume. This series of blogs consists of sections from my paper that I wrote for the course. As you will see in the posts, I was specifically impressed by Barth’s discussion of ethical issues in the light of the Command of God and what he calls the exceptional case to that command. There are many other things that I loved in this volume that are not covered in these post, and I am in no way claiming to have fully comprehend what Barth is getting at, I just want to share some of my thoughts in hope to continue my theological pursuit after seminary!

Part 1 of 7 (Introduction)

Part 2 of 7 (On Suicide) 

Part 3 of 7 (Ethical issues) 

The last issue that will be addressed in the attempt to understand Barth’s view of the Command of God “thou shall not kill”, is the question can there be a just war? For Barth, if there is such a thing as a just war, then the restrictions would be stricter than those placed on suicide, self-defense, and capital punishment. Barth understands war as an action in which the nation and all its members are engaged in killing. What Barth means by this is that though the citizens may not be a part of the military and involved in the actual killings, all who desire or permit the war are also involved in it.[1]  The only way this would not be the case is in the rare occasion that the citizens were to wage war against the service of their country. But since this is often not the case, when loyalty and devotion to a country is taken into account, it is safe to say that all people are in some way involved in a war. Barth suggests that killing in war calls into question the whole morality and obedience to the Command of God. It certainly raises the question among Christians, “how can a Christian believe and pray when at the climax of this whole world of dubious action there is a brutal matter of killing?[2]”  In the light of the Command of God and its demand for the respect of human life, war seems to fall very short for many reasons, an obvious one being that war does not make a person better.

    The first essential notion Barth wants his reader to understand is that war should not, on any account, be recognized as normal for the Christian view of a just state.[3]  But Barth does not shy away from the fact that the state possesses power and must be able to exercise it. Nevertheless, according to Barth, Christians must push for the state to use their power only in the case of an ultimate ultimatum. The Christian Church must challenge the state in every way in properly determining and judging what qualifies as the ultimate ultimatum.[4] Barth pushes for the Church to have an active voice in the state’s process of determining the ultimate ultimatum for justification of war. If the Church fails to step into this role then they cannot expect their voice to have any meaning in the state’s darkest hour. Guidelines are given by Barth as to what Christian ethics is to emphasize. The Church should push to ensure that it never is the case that the state’s motivation and focus in war are the annihilations of human life.[5]  They should rather be concerned with fostering life of all parties involved in the dispute. There should also never be an argument that suggests that annihilating life is a process of maintaining and fostering it. This type of biological perspective is corrupt and cannot serve as a normal rule of ethic. Barth makes his point clear when he says, “According to Christian understanding, it is no part of the normal task of the state to wage war; its normal task is to fashion peace in such a way that life is served and war kept at bay.[6]”

    However, as displayed earlier and championed by Barth, absolute principles are not ideal in approaches to ethics and so he sees and identifies the mistakes of pacifism.

The major objection regarding pacifism is, “in its abstraction of war, it fails to understand it as in relation to the peace which precedes it.[7]”  Barth is not concerned with absolute principles or rules against war, but the motivation and reason behind the state’s decision. If the motivation is wrong, for example, when the interest of the state is bearing capital, rather than preserving the life of humanity, Christian ethics demands an outcry from the Church.[8]  On the other hand, Barth seems to suggest that if there was a war in which motivation rested in the fact that the state was seeking to preserve the life of humanity then it would not be against the Command of God. This comes from Barth’s concept of freedom of the Command of God to reign in the lives of believers.

    Peace is the real emergency in which all the time, power, and ability of Christian ethics is devoted. The justifiable war must be focused on the restoration of an order of life that is meaningful and just.  The Church should be encouraging the state to do its best for justice and peace, to look for solid agreements and alliances with international courts and conventions, to push for all nations to display openness, understanding and patience towards others, and educate the young people to lead them to prefer peace over war. All this concludes that the Church should not preach pacifism, but instead encourage peace, and only treat war as the last resort.

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[1] P. 447

[2] P. 454

[3] P. 440

[4] P. 398

[5] P. 441

[6] P. 458

[7] P. 458

[8] P. 459

Barth series part 3 or 7 (Important ethical issues and the Command of God)

Introduction:

During my second year of Seminary, I had the pleasure of taking a yearlong “theology and ethics of Karl Barth” course at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary taught by Dr. John Burgess.  The year accounted for three credits hours in which we covered Karl Barth’s “Church Dogmatics Volume 3: The Doctrine of Creation Part 4.” The setup of the class was to read anywhere from 25-40 pages of Barth a week and produce a detailed outline of the material in the readings. We then would meet once a week to discuss the readings. At the end of the course, we were asked to prepare a 20-page paper that covered a main theme in the Church Dogmatics Volume. This series of blogs consists of sections from my paper that I wrote for the course. As you will see in the posts, I was specifically impressed by Barth’s discussion of ethical issues in the light of the Command of God and what he calls the exceptional case to that command. There are many other things that I loved in this volume that are not covered in these post, and I am in no way claiming to have fully comprehend what Barth is getting at, I just want to share some of my thoughts in hope to continue my theological pursuit after seminary!

Series collection:

Part 1 of 7 (Introduction)

Part 2 of 7 (On suicide) 

Euthanasia

As mentioned earlier, when attempting to understand how Barth understands the Command of God, specifically “thou shall not kill”, it is helpful to take into mind how Barth understands the value of human life under the Command of God. For Barth humanity’s life and meaning is not based on if, or how much, they are able to work.  A person’s life has meaning even if they are unable to work.[1] To the outside world it may not appear so, but their worth is God’s secret.[2]  God sees the true inward reality of their life. Barth takes a stern stance on any state or ruling government that would try to vindicate the meaning of a person’s life based off what they can offer to society. It is not up to a state to vindicate or discredit a person’s life.[3]  The incurably sick, or disabled are not a criminal or enemy of the state. The state is not a victim of these people inability to work, but Barth feels these people are victims of society, because the state has allowed them to fall into the gaps and deficiencies of the existing orders of society.[4]  Barth explains, “A community which regards and treats its weak member as a hindrance, and even proceeds to their extermination, is on the verge of collapses.[5] ”

Self-defense

Barth’s respect for the Command of God and human life also complicates the subject of self-defense. The question arises for Barth, can a self-defense killing ever be a Command given by God? Self-defense is understood “as one who is assaulted, in the absence of police, and who kills the person who is assaulting them by an act of reason and concern for their own life where they have no option but to defend themselves.  ” Barth presents the question, should a person fight back and can the retaliation be in accord with the Command of God?[6] It is no surprise that when a person is attacked and they are completely innocent, in the eyes of society if they retaliate their reaction is justifiable. However, Barth feels that while the self-defense instinct may be natural and justifiable in the eyes of secular society, it might not be Holy and acceptable in the eyes of God.[7] The push back to a natural reaction of self-defense is that the Command of God does not coincide with what happens concerning the natural response of a person. The Command of God may order a person to go against their natural urge of self-protection. Barth understands that the real emergency is not only the possible loss of life for the one in danger, but the other possibility that a person may enter into the harmful cycle by becoming an aggressor.[8]  

Retaliation

    This leads Barth into a discussion of the consequences of retaliation. This section differs slightly in that it is observing the possibility of a person getting attacked, but not in a life threatening manner. Therefore, it is evaluating physical, verbal, and personal attacks. If a person says demeaning things to another person, returning another unfriendly word will not satisfy the person who was attacked. It will only succeed in placing the person retaliating in a disagreeable position.[9]  The person on the attack may have no reason to harm the other person, but it still does the victim no good if they harm the attacker back.[10]  The retaliation may even encourage greater retaliation forcing a never-ending cycle of harmful acts toward both parties. Barth’s interpretation of the Command of God and the protection of human life imply that if there is no threat on the life of the one getting attacked, then God does not Command a human being to harm another human.[11] 

Killings another over possessions

    There is no surprise then concerning Barth’s views of the option of a person taking the life of another to protect their own possession.[12]  This type of behavior is out of the question as far as Barth is concerned. Barth is more focused on finding out why the person is stealing. It appears Barth feels that the person who is stealing another person’s possessions may have a reasonable excuse for taking the possession of another person.[13]  This of course, is an obvious exception to God’s Command thou shall not steal.  If there are dire circumstances that would lead a person to take possession, such as the threat of starvation for their child, then it is not up to the person in which those possessions belong, to take the life of another.[14]  After all, all things belong to God, including life, and are given as a loan. Therefore, it is not up to a person to take a life, which is a loan from God, for their possessions which are also a loan from God. Accordingly, Barth concludes that the exceptional case of the Command “do not murder” is not permitted in this case.

The exceptional case

Barth deems that the Command of God must be permitted to summon us to be intelligent, willing and ready for the execution of His Command.[15]  The obedience of the Command derives from the requirement of service in the New Testament. Within this obedience, humanity must allow freedom for the Command of God to reign in their life. Consequently, Barth warns against those who are strictly rigid concerning the Command “Thou shall not kill”, but are unconcerned with how this Command may shift due to different circumstances. Concerning this Command Barth explains, “We may receive from the Lord orders which lead us beyond this life.[16]” This leads Barth to his explanation of the exceptional case in which he feels God can will a person to defend themselves. Because of the freedom that comes with the Command of God, it also may be the case that God Commands a person to defend their neighbor in danger. God is able to will that a man should not allow his neighbor to be insulted, robbed, injured, or even killed by a third party. However, none of the circumstances means that a person should plunge into evil. It should always be remembered that this order from God is never in the context of a person’s mere impulsion for their own needs.

Capital punishment

Barth’s problem with the idea of capital punishment is another great example for understanding his approach to the Command of God. Barth suggests if self-defense and a counter attack are acceptable within the context of the exceptional case, then that very much may mean that there is a place for capital punishment in the case of the state.[17]  In the same sense, just as the person who harms another in self-defense becomes the attacker, so does the state that retaliates against a man or women by taking their life.[18]  It is also to be noted that when the state takes it upon themselves to administer capital punishment and when the citizens approve of the act, they in unison declare that the states constitution is good. Thus, it appears that there is strong potential danger in any state that is an allowed to inflict this punishment.  Not only does this punishment raise the question how good is the state, it also raises the question of whether capital punishment is Commanded or forbidden in light of the Command “thou shall not kill”.

    Barth feels when it comes to capital punishment; the Christian Church has failed to live accordingly to the required Command of God. He calls the Church to a higher standard in approaching the subject.[19]  He feels it is not too late for the Church to espouse the renunciation of capital punishment on a worldwide scale.[20]  Nevertheless, as is the case with other ethical issues Barth always returns to the freedom that must come with the Command of God. Even so, Barth will not go so far as to say that capital punishment should be completely excluded and is forbidden by the Command of God in all forms and circumstances. In the exceptional case that the state is truly threatened, there must be an exception to the death penalty.[21] 

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[1] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4, Edited by G.W / Bromiley and T.F. Torrance. S.l.: T. & t. Clark, 1961 P. 423

[2] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3,the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 423

[3] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3,the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 423

[4] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3,the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 424

[5] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3,the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 424

[6] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3,the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 431

[7] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3,the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 431

[8] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3,the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 430

[9] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3,the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 431

[10] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 431

[11] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 431

[12] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 432

[13] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 432

[14] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 432

[15] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 434

[16] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 435

[17] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 440

[18] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 440

[19] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 445

[20] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 446

[21] Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics; Volume 3, the Doctrine of Creation, Part 4 P. 446