I know this is a long post, feel  free to skip to the third paragraph if you don’t want to read the context (but the post was prayerfully therapeutic for me).

We grabbed lunch after our arrival to Cambodia and then headed out to the DC-Cam Center.  It’s an NGO with the purpose of remembering the genocide by documenting the myriad crimes and atrocities of the Khmer Rouge era and bringing those responsible to justice.

We received a thorough overview of the work and were took a tour.  In one room, they were converting all the data to microfilm and expressed that they will eventually upload it online for everyone to have access to.  They have staff dedicated to fundraising, a tech department, a team of writers that produce a lot of their own literature, books, brochures, magazines and they even have their own printing press. 

As we were climbing the stairs, a younger distinguished gentlemen  who asked us what kind of group we were.  We gave our introduction , we are a seminary,  religion students, yada, yada, and he said, “Religion students huh;  Let me tell you a story …”  He was sharp, well-spoken, had commanding attention and to summarize he basically said, “Religion in the face of genocide does not offer much.“  He gave us the horrific numbers (some estimate up two million people killed by the Khmer Rouge), he told us about the Cambodians’ suffering, he told us that his sister that was taken by them and we all understood why he was angry (as one who could not imagine if such a thing happened to my sister or bother, I grieve with him). 

He wanted justice and it seems very clear that he is channeling all his energy to that cause (we later found out that he is extremely influential, very accomplished, and is doing great work in light of the genocide).  He said that forgiveness to him was prosecution of those responsible for this atrocity.  And while he admitted that his mother was able to forgive  (and that she was religious), he was looking for something greater, something more.   Everyone wished we could have had a one-on-one conversation with him but this was not the time.  Our brother Tom, thanked him for sharing with us and offered his sympathies on our behalf.  We knew that this was no time for a one on twenty debate and that listening was the appropriate response.

Adding to the irony of it was a sizeable framed poster that hung on a wall to his right that was for an exhibit entitled, “Forgiveness and Reconciliation”.  Wendy asked him about that and he quickly dismissed it as just a theme for an exhibit and reminded us that forgiveness was seeing the guilty come to prosecution.  He used the example of Khieu Samphan (aka the Duch) who is the first of the infamous 5 to go to trial (the others are dead or in hiding).  As the story goes, he becomes a Christian after going into exile, confesses to his heinous crimes, is arrested, provides an enormous amount of information for prosecutors against the remaining Khmer generals  and asks for forgiveness from the countless Cambodians whose lives he destroyed.   I need to do a little more research into this but at first glance, it seems that his Christian conversion led him to take responsibility for his crimes.  (Sorry I have a poor internet connection and want to quickly post this so I can skype with my wife.  I may try to add links when I get back.  Til then, there’s Google).

One of the greatest truths one can gain from Christianity is the understanding of forgiveness. It is only when we as fallen, depraved people take responsibility for our evil actions, our sin, our brokenness that we can experience the beauty of God’s forgiveness  through the sacrificial work of Christ.  I find that to be an incredible feature to this complicated story but I would still feel this way even if Samphan remained Buddhist.

I wanted to ask the articulate gentlemen what he would do if the prosecution does not render a decision that meets his demands of justice?  Or worse, what if the tribunal acts unjustly?   This is not to say that Samphan should be acquitted because of his Christian conversion, that is certainly not my case at all (he is seeking release and may God give wisdom to this tribunal) but my only point is if God can forgive him, so can we.  Further, I am more interested in the fate of his soul and where he sits in our memory than the fate of his remaining years in this life. Whether he be found guilty or not, he can be forgiven.

Forgiveness is the path to freedom in many ways.  It liberates us from our depraved fate of being aliened from God, it allows the only possibility for reconciliation between those who we have committed evil against  and seeking forgiveness is the only response one can make to the Risen Christ who suffered for all of us so that we may be redeemed.   It’s in that light that religion can stand in the face of genocide.

I have had a couple thoughts swirling around since my last post but the past couple of days have not lent themselves to organize them.

Here’s a little bit:

On Saturday, we spent an incredible day in Long Xuyen. We visited another pagoda, this time a Cao Dai Temple. Cao Dai is a fairly new eastern religion that combines Buddhism, Confucianism, the teachings of Jesus, and meshes them together for what they call this new, third period of existence. You can read more here.

The first thing that stuck out at me is the structure in front of the pagoda that had numerous swastikas. I know they are everywhere in the East, from temples to farms and it is a symbol for Buddhism and “good fortune” but I haven’t been able to shake the connotation that I bring to it.

Inside the pagoda is extremely colorful. Of the ones we have seen, it was the most spacious, cleanest, most colorful and there was a picture of Jesus in it. His face sat third under Buddha and Confucius. Whether it be Islam or wherever, Jesus tends to pop up in various places and I have always found that interesting.

I wish I had more time to import and post pictures but I am a couple posts behind and time is not on my side (But I was able to read NT Wright’s Last Word on the 6 hour boat ride to Cambodia. It was pretty cool to see the countryside from that way).

As far as the practical things go, aside it from being extremely hot, I’ve been feeling fine. And for the most part, everyone else is too. We are eating a lot and often, walking quite a bit, and we haven’t had any real bad moments as a group (but the night is young … ;-)

I hope to post soon on our worship service at the Protestant church, the talent show at the school, more of the conversations that we had with the students and our first day in Cambodia.  Tomorrow we visit the Killing Fields Memorial amongst a number of other memorials.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, grace to you.

We spent yesterday driving to the An Giang University in Xuyen Long? It was about a 6 hour drive from Ho Chi Minh and like most developing countries, the road system is always a bit interesting. Our dorm room accomadations aren’t bad. Sort of like a 2 room, cabin-style double room with its own bathroom. The room s are bigger than our Ho Chi Minh hotels but mold is a bit of a problem here – so are mosquitos and geckos. We have nets for the mosquitos (and boots for the lizards – lol. JK – they’re great actually because they eat the mosquitos. Jeremy and I have been luring more of them into our room with granola bars, “Come eat the mosquitos. We have mold in the bathroom too.”)

Anyway, after we got a bit settled, we went out to eat with about 20 of the university students. As with most of these types of moments, the beginnings are always awkward and no one can say anything right, and you are looking around for the reset button. Then with the arrival of food, the miracle of actual conversation happens (trust me, it’s always after the food arrives, even back in the States).

A lot to say of course but here’s a couple of things I found interesting.

– They were all English majors. The thought of that in light of their parents’ war generation really intrigued me.

– It isn’t until you leave the States that you realize just how popular Brittany Spears and Taylor Swift really are. Back home, Taylor is cool, Brittany is uhh, well, you know. Here’s the thing though – if you were talking to someone 10 years younger than you from the other side of the world, which people would you both know? I know this is normal but I’m going to ask more of these types of questions in the next two days but I don’t think it’s a stretch for me to say that I do not know anyone from this part of the world. Jackie Chan and the “other guy” (Jet Li?). I think the only Asian person on my iPod was the dude from Hoobestank and that was so 2004. This really exposes a couple of things about being an American and I know we have the benefit of having a huge entertainmnet industry but it does make me wonder what it means when that’s the first name we come up with is Brittany (ahead of Obama, the Pope, and even Bono! Note that only one of these is American).

Much more to say but I need to run and it’s going to be a hot one. Today we are visited a pagoda temple here and taking in some other sights before our times of dialogue and tonight’s talent show.

Today, our objective was to observe how cosmopolitan the religious climate was in the 4 major world religions in Ho Chi Minh. So we went to a mosque, a Buddhist temple, then to a Hindu one, and lastly to a Catholic church.

The mosque was pretty small, quiet and I am not sure anyone showed up for morning prayers which is sort of a shame because I like the idea of gathering for prayer. The iman was welcoming and we tried to engage in conversation but unfortunately, our language barrier proved to be too much. I think what I liked most about the mosque was how conveniently it was situated in the neighborhood. It was accessible and that would prove to be one of the themes of the day.

Next we headed to a Buddhist temple. It had numerous shrines and rooms and landings with more shrines and rooms and while it wasn’t large enough to get lost in, it was pretty big. There was a lot to take in, a lot of aesthetics, statues, flashing lights, candles, motion, etc. While it was great to be there, I never got settled and felt distracted. The room that I liked the most was off to the left of the main hall. Aside from a ringing a bell when a worshipper would enter, pray, and “cross themselves” (I could never figure out what sign the hands actually made), that was the only room that I could find some stillness in. It turned out that room had what was called the 12 scenes of hell in it. I found that interesting for several reasons, it was the least visited room, the quietest and until i was told that, it was the room that I liked the most. Not sure what that means exactly but I did give a pray of confession and praised the Lord for forgivness and walked away appreciating that the Buddhists shared the idea of separation from God (from my vantage point).

After enjoying lunch at “The Saigon Lunch Lady” as featured by Anthony Bourdain, grabbing some iced coffee and catching our breath for a little bit, we set out to the Hindu temple. It was considerably smaller and simpler than the Buddhist temple and I also found those who worked there to be more hospitable to us obvious foreigners. We were offered incense sticks and a couple people employed and non-employed engaged us in conversation. One worshipper explained to Jay and I that all are welcomed to pray to whomeever. Jay said that he prayed to Jesus and she said that was great. She went on to explaion that when praying, you should use 8 or 16 sticks of incense. Feeling very comfortable, I grabbed 7 sticks (because that number has more significance for me), removed my shoes, and spent a considerable time lighting them (I admit, it was a bit anti-climactic – lol). After finally getting them lit appropriately (such a newbie), and identifying 3 stations, I prayed to my Lord and I must say, it did not feel odd at all. In fact, as I was praying, I felt the insense sitcks moving a bit and so I slowed down my breathing and tried to still my body hoping that the rest of me would be stilled. That was beautiful. I prayed in three’s (normal things like my family, my ministry and different aspects of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – too awkward to really explain here). In leaving, i was grateful for that experience. I have prayed in the car, in movie theaters, in hospitals and have always sensed my God hearing those prayers, today did not feel any different. Also, I could not help but not think of Paul in Athens. So much more to say on that but I’m still processing.The last place we visited was this beautiful Catholic church. It was absolutely beautiful. It was in a nice part of the town and not only was it accessible but sitting on a city block by itself, it seemed dedicated. I have always loved the gothic architecture and all the stations inside such sanctuaries. It was quiet, dark, and very inviting for prayer and meditation. It was the perfect place to sit and reflect and converse with the Lord. I could not help but feel envious for not living in a city where this type of sanctuary was not available. Living next door to ours, I admit not feeling awed by the room (although it is a nice looking sanctuary for Proteastant churches built in the last 50 years but let’s face it, you just can’t compete with that gothic arhictecture). It’s probably part of the reason I almost always stop at St. Patricks Cathedral or the Grace Church (in the Village) in NYC.

Lastly, sitting in the church, I could not help but be grateful for all the different types of sanctuaries that God inhabits. It seemed very clear to me that the sign on the door could not keep His presence in or out and I found myself praying that all seeked would find. Jesus’ Gospel is for all and I was once again reminded from different angles of that essential truth today.

Tomorrow we go to Long Xuyen and begin our time of dialogue with the An Giang University students. Aside from the 6 hour bus ride, we are all pretty excited about this and these past two days of walking, observing and dialouging with each other has served us well. I think we are rested and prepared as we can be.

 

It was a longwalk, very hot but we was worth going to. The museum was pretty intense, very sad and emotionally taxing. To say the least, there are lot of feelings there, very tragic pictures, horrible stories, a lot of hurt and hate expressions – hard to take in.

I remember visiting the Holocaust Museum in Israel and being so moved by it. But if I had to describe another aspect of what I was feeling, it was relief because I wasn’t the “oppresser” or the “oppressed”. Years later, I would visit the Holocaust Museum in Berlin and I felt much closer to the many Jews and minorities who suffered so severely.

Today, being an American visiting the Remnants Museum, was difficult. I am a very gratful American, but still, if you can separate yourself from your national alliance and be human, you cannot help but be overwhelmed by these stories. I probably won’t post the pictures, interested people can google the museum for themselves but seeing the effects of the Agent Orange, reading the stories of brutality, and feeling the pain causes you to be so alarmed by the world we live in. These places reveal the fallness and the evil within all of us.

I think walking away from the exhibits, I felt the enormity of our broken, sinful natures. Throughout human history, we have always succeeded in hurting each other. A lot more could be said here but to move the thought forward, I also felt the great importance of the Gospel. When Jesus teaches us to love our neighor as ourselves and to love our enemies, I see that as a fundamental key to all aspects of life, not just personal politeness in my local context.

Afterwards, we went to dinner at a real interesting place called Pho Bin. It was used as a front for the Vietcong. So downstairs noodles were fed to the American GI’s and upstairs, things like the TET Offesnive were planned. Unbelievable. We headed back to the hotel and had a small team meeting before endinng the first night. I was pretty tired by then so I went to sleep and for the most part, slept well and here I am.

I’m going to try and update the blog but wanted to say hey. Thanks for your prayers, thoughts and love, hope you are well too.

Today I leave for our seminary trip to Vietnam and Cambodia (calling it ‘Nambodia).  What can I say but I’m really excited. About halfway through my packing, I came to the realization that I was not feeling the usual anxiety. Initially I thought, “I must be maturing and getting used to traveling.” Then it hit me – I didn’t feel the anxiety because I’m not leading a group of 20 teenagers! Ha, ha, I do love our students and mission trips but I did also like the idea of not being in charge.

A quick overview: Each year the graduating class of our seminary goes on an international mission experience (IME Trip). Among its many objectives is to see how the church interacts with the culture. This year we have the unique experience of interacting with university students. Western evangelicals are a rarity in that part of the world; in fact, the percentage of Protestants makes up less than 1 percent of its total population of 80 million people. In addition to interactions with fellow students, we will be taking in numerous sights of Vietnamese and Cambodian culture, touring historic sights in Vietnam, the Killing Fields memorial in Cambodia, and the Angkor Watt Temple.

Though I will miss my family terribly, I am really excited. Like most people, I enjoy traveling and gain so much from the experience. I believe firmly that there are certain lessons that you can only learn once outside your zip code. Most likely, I will enjoy this trip but at the same time, I have been trying to prepare my heart in these specific ways.

First I hope it is humble and broken before God.
Second, this is the last Hoorah! for Cohort 10. It is no exaggeration when I say that I am going to miss these dear friends. It won’t be complete though, we will be missing two of our brothers – KJ & Evan due to extenuating circumstances (like a birth of a new boy!!!).
Third, I want to listen: to the students, to the locals, to my friends as they listen, and to the Lord through whispers and proclamations.  There will be moments of beauty, brilliance, disappointment, shock (like when visiting the war museums, have you see the pictures of babies who have been affected by Agent Orange?) and among others – hope.

There’s a couple other hopes and thoughts that I will keep to myself for now. But I imagine that I will do a lot of reflecting on family life (being a husband, a father, son, brother, friend, etc.). Also, I will be reading more NT Wright for my independent study (who better?). Anyway, I am really grateful that Biblical Seminary and the Eastern Mennonite Conference answered the invitation from the Vietnamese Government to interact with a group of their university students and I really grateful to the Vietnamese officials who are welcoming us.

If you don’t mind please keep me and our team and our families in prayer. Grateful for all our support in finances and intercession. Grace and peace.