equality?

Hi Folks,

While I was having breakfast this morning, it suddenly occured to me that the issue of "equality of the sexes" does an injustice to one side of this issue.

I was sitting at the table, in a room full of visiting missionaries, and as I gazed around I realied that at each table, it was the women that were taking the lead. The men were "engaged" in the conversations, but for the most part were stoically awaiting their "call to duty". Because that's what seems to the case for us men. We wait until we are "needed" to completely take part in an activity.

Keep in mind folks that as I generalize about the gender differences, I mean no offense to anyone that has managed to conduct their lives outside the societal norms of gender behavior. In other words, if my observations do not apply to you, don't take offense....it's just "me" meandering through the thicket of inept communications...grin!

But for the most part, men as a group, will calmly stand by for the call to "action"....most never realizing it seems that the call to action is constantly taking place.

At one table near me, there was a young woman who was the obvious "translator", and grasped every opportunity to help those around her with the nuances of the language which the missions group found itself surrounded amongst. She was truly a Godsend, for that table, and I would guess for the entire group as well. Another table had a young lady who was very helpful to each and every person therein seated. She would offer to get glasses of fruit juice, and retrieve dropped napkins or silverware as needed. This young womans eyes were bright and shining with the joy of being there and of use to others. Another table showed off three women who had hair dyed with red streaks and animated conversation, punctuated with bursts of laughter and hilarity.

It was probably just me, but I was amazed by each and every one of the women in the room. There were men at each table also. I am sure that each and every one of the men had a contribution to offer the group, obviously. The women just made their distinct personalities and contributions more evident.

What a wonderful God we have, who can take each of us and form partnerships amongst us together. We each play our roles in life, and what a blessing that we have that opportunity.

Each table that was in the room this morning had at least one, and most tables had several....bibles....prominently displayed. I was thrilled to know the GOOD that these heaven sent folks were embarking upon for the country of Nicaragua.

Please encourage YOUR churches and YOUR groups to plan a trip here. What a blessing YOU can be, and what a privelege YOU have, to have the ability to bless others.

God Bless you,

Richard Becton
flight@flash.net
www.casadeservicio.org

like a giant

Hi Folks,

 

     I am only six feet tall.  So I consider myself to be of average, to very slightly above average height.  As I was walking around Dubai today, I realied that most of the people were closer to five feet than six.  It must be difficult to not be able to easily see over the heads of the majority of the crowd. 

 

     Spiritually, how tall are we?  Can we see over the crowd?  I feel so lost sometimes, like I am merely struggling to exist, much less to do His bidding.  I feel insignificantly small, spiritually.  Please keep our ministry in your prayers as we seek to become David amongst giants.  Our rock is the bible, and our sling is our willingness.  Our foe, is a spiritual giant, which leads men astray.  Pray that our rock be firm, and that our sling be strong...and that our aim never waver.

 

God bless!

 

Richard Becton

flight@flash.net

www.casadeservicio.org

 

 

 

conservative thoughts

Hi Folks,

Having lived and interacted within a society (Saudi Arabia, and other parts of the Middle East) which is based upon and dedicated to a lifestyle of conservative religious culture, I have experienced doubts as to my previously conservative outlook. What I mean is that my previously conservative outlook has come under evaluation.

I am a religiously conservative person, by nature. However when I see the effect that ultra-conservative control may have upon a society, by observing the nations which I am passing through in the middle east it makes me reflect upon the effect which conservatism has the potential to cause in my home country.

There are some very good things which are outgrowths of conservative thought and religious influence upon middle eastern society. For instance, there seems to be very little crime here, as compared to any large city in the United States for example. THAT is a good thing. The other side of this lack of crime is the reportedly harsh criminal justice system which to this day allows stonings, and decapitations, and the severing of extremities for relatively minor crimes. There is little chance of rehabilitation when one of the baser human vices inevitably rears it's ugly head in this society.

Living in a society which is based upon ancestrial lineage, a kingdom, makes it obvious to the most casual observer that there is an "elite segment" of society here. People of certain families can do as they will, without recrimination it seems. There is no "equality of every human" in this society. The lifestyle here however is prosperous. In Saudi Arabia you rarely see someone who is truly indigent...and if you do, they are most commonly immigrants, not Saudi nationals.

So it seems there is prosperity, without equality, and safety but intolerance of human frailty. This seems to be a society of "avoid", not "recover", which is a very conservative outlook. This is also a society of extreme civility and open, generous even, friendship. But that is a different discussion, isn't it.

I would not want my country to travel far down the path of legalized conservatism. I would not care for my wife, to live in a society where her freedom is contricted because of her gender. As I live and work in other societies I continue to treasure my American heritage, and the freedoms which have been earned through the blood of our nations sons and daughters.

I am guardedly conscious of the tendency in Christians society to become ultra-conservative. It is a path which requires balance...let us never forget that fact, as Americans. The laws of our free society are based upon the moral premises of Christian society, and the Christian societies which preceeded the nation of America. We must never forget this fact, or our freedoms may become licentious instead of uplifting. There is a sizeable segment in OUR NATIONS population which sees Christianity as undesirable, and it is the right of these Americans to have this opinion. When they choose to exercise THEIR right to this opinion at the expense of MY right to MY opinion then they cross the line of inherent freedom into the zone of intolerence.

Intolerence is every bit as wrong from BOTH ends of the spectrum. Conservatism and Liberality are valid viewpoints, until they begin to infringe upon the RIGHT of another to claim his or her personal belief system. I am not the kind of person who believes in lukewarm opinions or beliefs, but I AM the kind of person who will not force MY opinions and beliefs on others. I will share, and encourage, and promote what I believe to be the "true path" as revealed to me through the bible, and God's Holy Spirit. You will NOT ever find me to be an intellectual bully, taking advantage of a persons ignorance or lack of sophistication to influence their personal decision and belief system. That is just the kind of missionary I am. I believe that Jesus Himself was this type of person too. One of the reasons that Jesus came to this earth was to show us a better way; a better way of life, and a better way of humanity. The better way of Jesus was NOT an intolerant way of life, far from it. Jesus was very inclusive (thank you Lord, for including us gentiles) and far from intolerant.

Much to the surprise of many liberalistic people, I think that most Christians would agree. As Christians we sometimes appear to be much more conservative, to those who lack our belief system, than we actually are. If only that segment of our society which chooses to revile us for our beliefs would actually spend time with us, I feel that they would see that we are in fact quite revolutionary. We as a group actually believe in the inherent equality of human beings for instance, we don't merely mouth the words, but act upon them. I encourage each of us in our daily lives to exhibit the peaceful and inclusive demeanor which Jesus Christ Himself, our Lord and Saviour, exhibited to US.

God bless,

Richard Becton

jealousy and intolerance

Hi Folks,

I have been exposed to many different cultures in the world in the last few years. This continued exposure to widely diverse cultures has made my little brain start wondering about intolerance.

Intolerance:

lack of toleration; unwillingness or refusal to tolerate or respect contrary opinions or beliefs, persons of different races or backgrounds, etc.

My first inclination was to view "intolerance" as though it were a sin. But intolerance is NOT inherently sinful, though there are sins which come from continued intolerance in some areas of our lives, isn't that true?

For example, being intolerant of murder, is to be expected of a normal person. To be intolerant of racism and bigotry is to be expected of a normal person. To be intolerant of child abuse, and theft and fraud is to be expected. So intolerance is a state, or condition whose inherent "rightness", or "wrongness" changes according to the situation and societal norms.

Intolerance of people of Jewish heritage, for instance, is commonly accepted as a societal norm in many places in the middle east, whereas in the United States this exact same intolerance would be considered to be extremely vile.

So I am forced to conclude that intolerance, much like beauty...is in the eye of the originator. What we as westerners consider to be sinful, or abnormal behavior, and therefore have a lack of tolerance for, may be radically different than what someone in the middle east considers abnormal, and therefore is intolerant of.

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, He always stretched the limits of tolerance of the culture in which He lived. In that day and age, it was normal to "stone to death" a woman who had commited adultery...and yet as we all know, Jesus chose to defend a woman who was accused of this exact "crime". Jesus illustrated to us in a very obvious way that sin is sin, and we MUST therefore choose to not put ourselves in the judgement seat...since we ALL have sin.

Can you imagine a world without intolerance? No, neither can I, nor would I welcome such a world. We must, as rational and moral human beings, be intolerant of certain things. We must diligently study then to determine exactly what we MUST be intolerant of in this world. Jesus was "inclusive", not divisive. We must strive to follow His example, mustn't we? Jesus included the gentiles, and the samaritans, and many others which in His day and age was considered not only radical but heretical.

How can we claim the mantle of His protection and the privelege of following His leadership and still cling to the prejudices and intolerances of the past? When we hear someone make a remark about a neighbor or a coworker that is divisive or intolerant of race, or heritage...are we quick to laugh, or quick to correct? WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do)

I struggle with how alien the culture I am working in these days is to me.

For instance:

I walked up to the elevator this morning to go down to breakfast. There was a woman waiting for the elevator when I walked up to it. She was wearing the obaya (tradional, full coverage dress) and so I was careful to not even glance in her direction...so as not to offend. The elevator arrived, and I got on, and she didn't. I pushed the button and went down to breakfast. She could not get onto the elevator alone with me...that would have been VERY against her culture. There are constant reminders of how very different the western world is to the culture here. I find it strange, but at the same time must be careful to be respectful of the culture in which SHE is living. In the western world I would have held the door open, and invited her into the elevator...of course. It would have been rude of me in the western world to not do so.

Sorry, I am rambling this morning. I am just trying to point out the differences between us humans, geographically. I am also "ruminating" on the basis of sin. Is sin cultural or regional, or international? Is sin a changeable precept based upon our location in the world, or is sin something which can be realistically perceived and therefore avoided? I choose to believe the latter, that sin may be reliably avoided by studying the bible. Without the word of God, how can we reliably know what is "wrong, or right"? Our western society, whether agnostics and atheists choose to believe it or not is based upon the morality of God's Holy word, the Bible. So, as Christians we MUST struggle to reflect that Holy Light, that morality and lack of sinfulness...mustn't we?

Do we invalidate our beliefs when we choose to become intolerant? Are we perceived as "something less" than what Jesus Himself wants us to be when we unthinkingly exhibit intolerance? The next time someone makes an off-color joke, or denigrates by aspersion an entire race or region of people...should we laugh along, or should we move closer to the way Jesus led His life ... by showing an inclusive and less intolerant attitude. Food for thought.

Wow...I'm not sure any of what I said makes sense, much less that it is the least bit understandable. I guess I am getting a bit tired of the intolerance of the world. Intolerance seems to be the basis for war, and inhumane treatment of other humans, and unchristianlike behaviour.

God bless you,

Richard Becton

flight@flash.net

011 505 8 613-5824

www.casadeservicio.org

Setting the timing to the correct setting

Hi Folks,

 

     I have had occasion, mostly when I was a younger man, to have to set or reset the timing on a vehicle or two.  So I know from experience how important it can be to get it just right.  Timing is a critical setting.

 

     If the timing is set too fast the engine will run slightly ahead of the perfect time for the ignition of the fuel/air mixture inside of the cylinders.  If the timing is set to far back (retarded) then the engine will lag behind the perfect time and produce less power and incomplete combustion.  Either way, when the timing is off your engine suffers for it.  The great thing about timing is that the setting of it is completely in our hands.  WE can set the timing.  All we need to know is what the engineers have set the perfect timing to be. 

 

     Most of the time we must go to the book to discover what this timing setting should be set at to be the most perfect combustion possible.  It is ALWAYS in the book.

 

     How is your timing lately?

 

God Bless,

 

Richard Becton

Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua

Missionary Aviation

flight@flash.net

www.casadeservicio.org