Living Behind the Veil

I'm often asked what I wear in Afghanistan and what it's like to wear a veil. It's freedom. Freedom to have a bad hair day, freedom to arrange my chadar to conceal the curve of my breasts and backside, freedom to not be an expatriate for a little while. It means freedom to hide even on the street from the Afghan men's eyes which seem to strip me naked.
When I relax my shoulders and walk less purposefully, less confidently, my eyes downcast and covered by sunglasses, I pass for an Afghan woman. I hear the men whisper in Dari, "Is she a foreigner or local woman?" I chuckle but am silent. On the street, I'm also a free target....freely exposed to groping, sexual innuendos whispered to me as a man bicycles by, free to have stones thrown at me, freely seen as no one's wife, daughter, sister, mother, friend, or boss. I step inside my gate, and remove my chapan and chadar. Now I'm someone's boss, motherhood returns to me as little steps run to greet me, and I receive a kiss from my adoring husband. Now I'm free to his loving and gentle eyes which know and enjoy my curves, free to once again be under the protective umbrella of being a wife, mother, friend, colleague, boss, niece, sister, daughter, woman.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Who Do You See?



Of all the issues followers of Jesus face in 2014, which are the most important to address?  poverty, war, interpersonal conflicts, anxiety and fear, addictions and hidden sins, spiritual dryness, denominational divisions, stress?  A few highlights from Genesis 33:10 may give some insight.      

Context:  Jacob is uprooted - traveling from a place he called home for 20 years, homeless, and in major transition to find a new home. He is taking a major risk with all he holds dear...should Esau be coming to take revenge.  He has been experiencing spiritual distress - wrestling all night with the pre-incarnate Christ.  He has great anxiety and fear of being killed by his brother Esau due to the bitter conflict between them (Gen. 32:7). He sent on ahead a huge number of gifts, perhaps mindful of the Middle Eastern proverb "Bravery without foresight is like a blind horse."       

But when the two hardened desert men come together, they weep and embrace. There is a very Eastern orientation of this passage - three times Jacob urges Esau to accept the gifts, and Esau finally accepts them after the third time. Esau warmly calls Jacob "brother" but Jacob, as the younger, demonstrates humility and shows honor for Esau, calling him "my lord" and bowing 7 times as one did before an important leader in ancient Eastern culture.  

Structure:   Doublets are a Hebraic way to emphasize that something is true or is certain to happen.  Hebraic thought often shows the main point in the middle of a section, not at the end as in Greek linear thought.  Genesis 33:10 has a chiasmic structure, 5 times saying nuances of the same thought with the major emphasis in the middle.

A "If I have found favor in your sight
                B Then accept my present from my hand
                                C  For I have seen your face
                B' Which is like seeing the face of God
A' and you have accepted me."

Meaning:   In Hebrew, "seeing the face of God" is a Hebrew idiom which carries the connotation for being in right relationship with God, having personal dialogue with Him, being accepted by Him, experiencing his presence (Exodus 33:12-23).    This verse is connected to Jacob's seeing God's face just a few hours before (32:30).  The phrase "finding favor" is the same as being accepted.   Most English Bibles elsewhere translate "His face" with "His Presence." 1  Finding God's favor is NOT experiencing the western definition of success in our work. It's being accepted by our Heavenly Father and experiencing his presence

In Eastern culture, the face mirrors the character and feelings of the heart (Proverbs 15:3, Dan 8:23).  Once Jacob personally saw God after a night of struggle, he was able to see God reflected through the one with whom he had the most conflict.  Jacob and and Esau are finally in right relationship and at peace with each other. Through them, we see the depth and quality of our personal relationship with God impacts how we interact with othes.  Do our words help point others to the true heart of our heavenly Father? 

It's significant that Jacob's struggle with God happened right on the edge of a major transition and spiritual breakthrough. "Whenever our historical memory becomes dim, the forsaken Spirit shakes us, and we know once more that we are servants by the grace of God. Faith is the art of responding to God in moments of divine revelation and as God's servants, of bearing witness to God in moments of divine silence."2  

The pattern for growing more resilient, increased spiritual awareness, grasp on eternal reality, and firmer faith from this passage seems to be: a struggle with God, a touch of healing pain in the deepest, strongest place, awareness of the reality of the scars of the struggle (Jacob's limp), and improved ability to see the unseen in the seen3  (2 Cor. 4:17-18).  Who do you see?     

If we see the wrong God, we're serving an idol.

Practical Shepherding:  As pastoral encouragers, we see that many followers often have a difficult time applying the Gospel message to themselves.  Here are a few questions we often ask folks:

·         How is God working in you through this difficulty?
·         If God's resurrection power would enter this overwhelming challenge or conflict, what could it look like...how would it change? 
·         If you were walking on a street of heaven, and you overheard God talking around the corner about you, what would he be saying about you? 

Many have often never considered these questions and many find it almost impossible to see how God's power can change their complex and overwhelming situations.   We've seen men and women respond by sobbing as they see the lies they've been believing brought into the light.   

Seeing the wonder of the reality and permanence of God in his holy glory reigning on his throne with his feet propped up on his enemies (Psalm 110:1 ; 1 Cor.15:25) will help the saints endure another day of mundane details and awesome challenges  We're praying his Bride to more clearly see God’s face.

1. A Collection of Hebrew Idioms: Understanding the Language of Heaven, Lecture notes by Bob Gorelik
2. Approaching God: The Way of Abraham J. Heschel, by John Merkel
3. Faith Development and Pastoral Care, by James Fowler

Monday, January 6, 2014

Jesus Came To My Door Today

The rice was cooking, salad dressing had to be made, dinner needed to be served in 5 minutes so the guys could get to their meeting.  The doorbell rings. Quick glance at the clock...too early for the building worker to pick up the daily trash.

"Yes?" I inquire as I open the front door. The young man shoves some candles in my face and quotes the price. My mind races, "Who let him in? We're supposed to have good security in this apartment! Now I have to deal with him!"

I notice he is nicely dressed, and is clean, and at least is trying to sell something and not just beg, but I refuse to take the candles he is trying to hand me, and barely listen to his explanation in the local language of raising money for school. His broad, hopeful smile shines as he stammers out his explanation for selling candles.

I begin to shut the door, and he increases the speed of his explanation and tries again.  I ignore him, and almost have the door shut, thank goodness. He tries one last desperate time, but success! The door is shut.

The rice is rescued. Dinner proceeds at a tranquil pace. But my heart is smitten with guilt.  Yet one more time, living in Central Asia, I missed my lover of my soul. Jesus came, and I shut the door in his face. 

"I was hungry and you gave me me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer him, 'Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." --Jesus (Matt. 25:35-40)