Election 08

So, the election is over :)  Congratulations Mr. Obama.

While I don't particularly care what color our president's skin is, I think having our first minority president is a nice milestone.

Things I look forward to in the Obama administration:

1) A chief executive and head of state that I, and the world, can take really seriously.  It makes me feel better about my country.  Sorry George, it hasn't really happened for a while now.  You never really did grow into the job. 

2) Every problem that has been the Republicans' is now the Democrats' problem.  They can bear the burden of being the majority and the Republican party can reform and reshape so as to be effective in  two or four years.  Strong leaders and innovative thinkers won't have to toe the line with the president and can actually do their jobs and think for themselves a little bit.  The few years are crucial for the development of the new conservative brand.  It will interesting to see who emerges as the new leader.

Negatives I foresee with the Obama administration:

1)  Quick withdrawal from Iraq and the destabilization of the Middle East.  If the US leaves Iraq before the country is stabilized and unified it seems likely that the Kurds with push for independence agitating Turkey, Iran, and Syria.  Plus, central and southern Iraq could completely fall apart.  But, for all of Barack's talk, I doubt he will be able to put together his withdrawal.  As soon as all the consequences become more clear he won't want the destabilization of the Middle East as part of his legacy.  The weight of the Iraq war will feel different to Obama when he's in the Oval office.  If you voted for Obama because you think he will bring a quick end to the Iraq war I think you will be disappointed.  

2) A massive leftward swing in policy as the one-party rule gives the Democrats free-reign.  How non-partisan will an Obama presidency be if he doesn't need the Republicans for anything?  It could be like the 1930s and 1960s.  If you voted for Obama because you think he will govern from the center, I think you will be disappointed. 

3)  While I don't buy the fear mongering about Obama by some on the right, I think he represents a radical swing in worldview.  He could be our first post-modern president.  He could bring some freshness to the presidency, but watch out for everything that comes with it.

My hope is not in a politician or a party.  I'm not losing any sleep over this, I hope you're not either.

The Enormity of God

I was in Isaiah this morning (40:12-17):

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span,

enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and hills in a balance?  

Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?  

Whom did he consult, and who made him understand?  

Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?  

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.  

Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.  

All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness."

Reading this sent me in two directions: 

First, it renewed my sense of awe at who God is.  I often reduce God to the confines of my life and my problems (even though His nature and Word point in the opposite direction).  We did not create God, He created us.  We are nothing compared to Him, but in His great love and to magnify His beautiful grace, He came to us and makes much of us in the way He loves us and involves Himself in every detail of our lives.  This is a great encouragement to me as I raise support.

Second, this reminds me of a vital transformation in my heart that took place about 5 years ago.  When I began to get a "world Christian" perspective God became so much bigger in my heart and mind.  When I only thought of Him as God of my comfortable, white American, middle-class world He didn't seem that big.  However, as I caught a glimpse of Him as God of all nations, of all peoples, cultures and languages in their great diversity He looked huge.  I remember picturing this during a time of worship: Jesus kind of hovering over the whole earth from a space-like perspective, knowing every detail of every joy and sorrow in every corner of the earth, sovereignly ruling over it all.

I guess I should get over myself and really open my eyes to the beauty of His grace.

Back in the game

So I guess you could say I took a bit of a blogging break.  Things got a little busier and my days didn't get any longer and well. . . I don't know how many people actually read this.

I am back in the U.S. enjoying life.  There definitely are some conveniences and luxuries here that are nice to have again: my bike, pork, all of my stuff, a car.  This is all stuff that is, shall we say, flammable.  Don't get me wrong, it is great to be closer to a lot of important people in my life and that is meaningful and a huge blessing.  But, some of the things that I would just really want sometimes really aren't that important.  Now that I have the things I wanted, I want the things that I had (I long to spice up my diet with a adana durum or to mop up some lentil soup with ekmek).  It is a pretty cool illustration in my own life of how the material is immaterial.  It ultimately doesn't matter.  This is a good thing to remember during my forays into bastions of American commercialism when it is so easy to think that stuff will make me happy.

I am living in a very different place, surrounded by very different things.  My time looks different.  But, interestingly, things inside of me aren't really that different.  Maybe that seems obvious, but I think it is interesting.  I have pretty much the same issues and struggles as I did living overseas.

Recently, I was telling someone that the transition has made me think more about the core of who I am.  This would be the things about you that never change with circumstances.  When so much changes around you, it seems that your immutable core should become more and more defined.   

A great guy named Daniel . . .

I'm talking about the prophet and Old Testament figure, who did you think I was talking about?  This morning I led a Bible study on Daniel 1-6 focusing on the story of Daniel in the lions' den.  I think the Lord blessed the time and I wanted to share a bit of what God showed me as a prepared and led.  

Chapters 1-5 really point to the Lord's pursuit of his glory and renown in Babylon.  I think we easily look at this out of context and assume that Daniel should be faithful as he is and scoff at the characters that don't fear the LORD.  But, let's remember that this story takes place during the exile of Judah in Babylon.  The Lord's people have been defeated and enslaved, the Lord's temple is desecrated and destroyed, and the Promised Land is overrun.  We understand that these events happened only by the Lord's permission and that they are part of the unfolding of His plan for His people.  However, few people at the time would have recognized this and in Babylon the LORD would have appeared as just another god of just another defeated people.  In this context God pursues His glory and brings kings (the most powerful kings in the world at that time!) to fear him.  The LORD glorifies himself in saving Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and through the humiliation of Nebachudnezzar.  

After the unfolding of these events Daniel is set up by his rival bureaucrats and King Darius, against his will, must send Daniel to the lions' den.  The LORD saves Daniel because He found him blameless (Daniel means, "the Lord is judge").  The text also says that God saved Daniel because Daniel trusted in Him.  Darius worships the LORD because the LORD saved his trusted servant Daniel from seemingly impossible circumstances.  

God is ultimately glorified by Daniel's trust in Him.  Daniel stepped out and took a risk in continuing to petition the LORD.  By his action Daniel said "the LORD is this good, He is this trustworthy, He is this faithful, He is this worthy".  God stepped in and acted to save Daniel in a miraculous way.  Do I live in a way that leaves room for God to work?  Do I take risks and steps of faith?  Do I trust the LORD enough to put myself into situations from which only the LORD can rescue me?  

I like to think about this as standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon looking to the opposite rim with a vast expanse spreading out before and below us.  The LORD gently beckons us straight across to the other side, to step out towards Him.  Am I willing to trust God, to believe His goodness and ability to save me from crashing to the canyon floor?  Am I willing to experience the sinking feeling of everything falling out from beneath me as I take the first step?  Am I willing to hold on until the LORD's hand swoops in and rescues me?

  

If we are, the LORD is certain to be glorified in it.  

Berlin-Prague Travel Log

Well, I've just returned from the last major international trip of my two years in Turkey.  We flew into and out of Berlin and traveled by train to Prague in the Czech Republic for four days in the middle of the seven day trip.  If you like, you can follow along with pictures.

We arrived in Berlin at 5:00 am on May 1 and made our way to Alexanderplatz, the center of unified Berlin and home to the TV Tower, the tallest structure in Germany.  It turns out that May 1 is a public holiday in Germany.  Being good capitalists we didn't really consider this possibility and were a little surprised by the lack of people on the streets during our first day in Germany.  We started the day at the East Side Gallery, the largest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall.  Today, it is hard to distinguish between the former East and West Berlin.  The enclave in the center of East Germany that was West Berlin is pretty thoroughly integrated with the former East Berlin now.  Occasionally throughout the city you see historical markers reminding you were the wall once ran. 

Next we saw the government district: the Federal Chancellory, the Bundestag Building and the Reichstag.  Just a few hundred meters away is the Brandenburg Gate, site of many famous Cold War events: Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, Regan's "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" speech, and the dramatic fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.  It is hard to believe now since the area has been redeveloped and bears little resemblance to those famous scenes.  We checked out Potsdamer Platz, Berlin's answer to Times Square and wandered down Unter den Linden, the tree-lined avenue running down the middle of the old German imperial capital.  Eventually we passed the Berliner Dom, the most important cathedral (protestant) in the city.  

We finished off the day with dinner at "White Trash", an American restaurant and a favorite of our American friends in Berlin.  Speaking of those friends, they generously hosted us during our stay in Berlin.  The three of us guys stayed in a Christian community house that in previous  years has been used as a Catholic orphanage for Jewish children and a Nazi S.S. headquarters.  While the building's history was fascinating for me, it was a little disconcerting for my friends who slept in a dark, dingy basement storage room.  

Day 2 in Berlin took me to morning coffee and the German History Museum.  I learned about my people then headed to Kreuzberg with my friends.  This neighborhood is home to many of the Turks who make up 10% of Berlin's population.  Doner kebap and Turkish tea were plentiful in the shops and restaurants.  We ate dinner in Scheunenviertel.

Early on Day 3 we boarded the Deutsche Bahn for Prague.  The ride through the countryside was refreshing.  Throughout our trip we saw fields full of plants blooming in bright yellow flowers.  Its was beautiful, but a little mystifying.  A little research revealed that it was rapeseed, the source of canola oil and now some biodiesel.   

We toured the New and Old Towns of Prague on our first afternoon there.  Prague's claim to fame is that, unlike most other European cities, very little of Prague was destroyed in World War II.  It is thus an architectural treasure with styles ranging from Gothic to Baroque to Art Nouveau.  Block after block in the city is filled with extraordinary looking ordinary buildings.  The classic site of the old town is the clock tower with its astronomical clock -- I wasn't that impressed.  Again, we relied on the generosity of friends (and later a hostel) for housing in Prague.

Day 4 took us to Prague Castle.  Less a castle and more a small town on a hill, it is nonetheless impressive.  The main site is St. Vitus Cathedral.  This gothic cathedral is the largest in the Czech Republic and its tower offers an awesome view of Prague.  However, the slow and claustrophobic 297 steps made us debate whether it was worth it.  Below the castle on the Vltava River is the Charles Bridge built in 1400.  While we originally planned to spend our last two days in the Czech Republic with a rented car in southwest of the country, this plan fell through and we decided to take an unusually slow pace (for us) and have a pretty relaxing final two days.  

We took off to find our hostel at 10:00 pm that night with seemingly detailed directions in hand.  Coming up from the metro we began searching for the tram stop we needed only to find that, due to construction on the tram lines, the line we needed was not running!  We found another line we thought would work, and well, it didn't.  When it was obvious we were headed in the wrong direction we got off.  There we were, three foreigners, backpacks slung on our shoulders, alone on a dark street void of people and cars at 11:30 pm.  At one point we asked a lady who got off a passing tram for help.  She spoke a little bit of English and was somewhat helpful.  It turned out however, that she was a tram inspector who had gotten off to write tickets for people whose transportation passes were expired.  By this point in our "adventure" one of us was also using an expired pass.  Luckily she didn't ask to see our passes, we probably looked to desperate to bother.  After some more searching and careful map and sign reading we made it to the hostel and collapsed exhausted.

The fifth day of the trip was perhaps the best.  I took off by myself in the morning to explore the neighborhood we were staying in.  After a stroll, a tram ride, and a coffee in a cafe I ran across a sight few tourist probably ever experience - a combination butcher shop and lunch counter.  Always one to seek "the real experience" I headed in for lunch.  Without a word of English to be seen I had to rely upon my skills of cultural observation to figure out "the system".  I jumped in line and soon noticed that as each person received their food over the cafeteria-style counter the lady was writing on a piece of paper.  A quick survey of the room revealed that the papers were in a stack at the cash register.  Having retrieved mine, I re-entered the line and prepared to make my selection ( i.e. to point).  I pointed towards the steam tray filled with a dark soup and shouldered my way into a position at the high tables lining the room.  The tasty soup contained a couple kinds of sausage (like kielbasa), potatoes, and lentils.    As I stood hunkered over my soup I did my best to look like a blue-collar Czech, but I don't think anyone was fooled.  Finished with my soup and bread and satisfied with my cultural experience I took my slip of paper, marked illegibly with red marker, handed it to the lady at the cash register with what seemed like it should be more than enough Czech crowns, received my change and walked out feeling like I had been with "the people".

That afternoon we rented paddle boats and spent on hour cruising the Vltava River within sight of the Charles Bridge.  It was a great way to have fun in an otherwise serious city.  We headed off to a unexplored neighborhood, ate a great dinner at a little local restaurant and at dusk climbed to the citadel overlooking the river and the city.  The city was amazingly quiet and beautiful at night.  

Day 6 took us 45 minutes outside of Prague to the castle at Karlstejn.  Probably the best part of the day was being inside the castle during a thunderstorm.  It felt like we were in a vampire movie.  On our day outside of Prague a few of us went on a bit of a hike into the countryside to catch some nature before returning to city life.

On our last day we returned to Berlin by train, spent a few more hours in in the city and left on a flight that evening finally arriving back to our apartments around 4:00 am.

Berlin met my expectations.  It definitely lived up to its reputation as home of the "Bohemian" lifestyle.  There are tons of young single people, there is a thriving cafe/bar/restaurant culture that spills outdoors onto the sidewalks of the city making a stroll through most neighborhoods an inviting experience.  Berlin is also a city of bikes.  Every street has a bike lane and there are two-wheeled machines locked to everything and anything throughout the city.  I was also very impressed by, of all things, the street musicians.  One morning on the train I was treated to a great version of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" on a straight-muted trumpet and acoustic guitar.  I'm usually a musical purist, but I enjoyed their unusual instrumentation and skilled performance.  Another interesting group was made up of a tuba, 4 baritones, and a saxophone.  Their rousing performance in Alexandersplatz was part classical , part polka band, and part circus music.

This trip was also my first experience in former communist countries.  The remnants of the past were especially noticeable in the Czech Republic where there hasn't been reunification to speed development.  Outside of the tourist core of Prague there are a lot of abandoned buildings and graffiti giving the suburbs a worn-out feel.  I don't know if you can blame this on communism, but Czech people definitely have a cool, distant demeanor even compared to most Germans.  Bland concrete Communist-style apartment blocks are still to be found in Prague in great contrast to much of the city's architecture.  While these physical symptoms are quickly being remedied by Czech's booming economy, the spiritual damage of communism remains.  About 60% of the population claims to be atheist and most people scoff at even the idea of God.

Of course, any trip that I am on involves food and this one was no different.  In Germany I enjoyed many German classics: bratwurst, currywurst, pretzels, sauerbraten, and Berlin style pork knuckle.  Food is the Czech Republic can safely be summarized as red meat, dumplings, and gravy.  While not exactly inspiring, the hearty Czech food hit the spot for me as a nice change to Turkish food.  Throughout Germany and the Czech Republic I was also, of course, able to experience many fine pilseners and dunkels (dark lagers).

Thanks for making it to the end.  Hopefully you've gotten a bit of a taste of the places I was able to experience.

A Sweet Moment

You will have to wait for more details about my recent trip to Central Europe, but I wanted to share a great moment.  On the last day of our trip we were enjoying the train ride on the Deutsche Bahn from Prague to Berlin.  For probably 50 miles the train ran along the Elbe River through the "Czech Alps", a region near the Czech and German border.  There really aren't mountains to speak of, but wooded bluffs that rise up from the river and are crowned with craggy rock.  I was following the mood and listening to some classical music.  This is after all the land of the famous classical composers.  Mozart wrote in Salzburg, Beethoven and Brahms in Vienna, and Bach (who I was listening to) barely a hundred miles away in Leipzig.  The vistas unfurled before me as I sat facing backwards in the train.  The spring green leaves were a relief to my nature-starved soul.  "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" came on and I had a few moments of deep and spontaneous worship.  I was captured by the goodness of the Creator that made the hills streaming past me.  I felt a powerful desire for the Christ, the One who gave Himself for an insignificant and sinful person like me.  It as a great moment of meeting with the Lord, one in which no one could tell me that God isn't real and doesn't want to be with us.

I've looked up Bach's original words (translated from German to English).  I think He's right on.  I wonder what inspired him to write this.

Jesu, joy of man's desiring,
Holy Wisdom, Love most bright;
Drawn by Thee, our souls, aspiring,
Soar to uncreated light.
Word of God, our flesh that fashion'd,
With the fire of life impassion'd,
Striving still to truth unknown,
Soaring, dying, round Thy throne.

True Perception

This morning as I was meeting with the Lord my eyes were opened in a small way.  I felt my brokenness in a new way.  The Lord showed me not just my acts of sin that I normally see, but the general corruption, confusion, and brokenness of my mind, my desires, and my life.  Many of the "hard" aspects of my life are a result of my broken person; they aren't God's mistakes or oversights.  This brokenness is just as much a part of my fallenness as my active sin.  I need the Lord to rebuild and heal all of this just like I need His strength in resisting temptation.  Even in this state, He loves me and is eager to do the work in my life - if I will let Him.  

Yasa Fenerbahce!*

I will continue with the sports themed posts.  Saturday night I went with my roommates to a professional "futbol" match here in Istanbul.  Our neighborhood is home to Fenerbahce S.K. (literally, Lighthouse Garden Sport Club).  Currently, Fenerbahce leads the Turkish Super Liga with only a fews weeks to go in the season.  

I had to make to a match before leaving Turkey.  This night Fenerbahce handily defeated Denizli Spor 4-1.  We sat in the very top row of the upper deck, the far side of the field was blocked when we stood up.  While the crowd wasn't too fierce for this game, it was at least on par with most American sports events.  Fenerbahce is the "Sari Kanaryilar" (Yellow Canaries) so on defense the stadium absolutely rings with the sound of people whistling (like canaries I guess).   We had trouble following the chants, but caught onto a few . . ."Lie, lie, lie. . ."

Overall the experience was pretty similar to American sports events.  Everyone stood for the national anthem and there was a moment of silence for those in the armed services.  I am however, not accustomed to being frisked twice before I can enter the stadium.   

*"Long Live Fenerbahce!"

Cycling Comes to Turkey

Today I watched the prologue stage of the Tour of Turkey, a week-long cycling race in western Turkey.  This is a collision of worlds, my life in Turkey and my love of cycling (and its absence in my life right now).  The race included a few top level Pro Tour teams that ride in the big European races though very few big names are riding in the race this week.  

 

The course today's criterium wound through the old city passing the Aya Sofya and Sultanahmet Mosque as well as some historic neighborhoods.  Large sections of the course were cobblestone or brick-paved and featured some narrow streets.  

The whole experience was fun, but a little bizarre.  The whir of the tires on the pavement made me want to join in.  It was also fun to actually know the strategies of the teams as they jockied for position.  Ever since I've been in to cycling I've wanted to see a professional race with the big name teams.  I never thought it would happen in Istanbul.  

This will "get your blood up"

So even here, on the other side of the world I manage to keep up with the US presidential election.  I think I enjoy being able to follow it at arms length more than I miss being there for every detail and press conference.  I just heard about Obama's comment about "bitter" working-class voters in Pennslyvannia who have been suffering layoffs and seeing their jobs shipped overseas for 25 years.  Interesting stuff, but he might just be pulling his foot out of his mouth up until the day he loses the PA primary.  In at lot of ways I think the comment is on the mark, but that of course isn't always what politics is about.  Our buddy Barack did however venture into uncharted waters when he claimed that working-class voters, in their bitterness, are "clinging to guns or religion".  Whoo.  That stings.  First, Barack, I thought you were a committed Christian (not a Muslim).  Second, thanks for showing us just your high-minded, elitist, extremist liberal, wacked-out secular humanist, and prickish side so we don't get confused in November.  Until then, best of luck against Hillary.

Its a good thing I'm from a comfortable middle class background or I might have been insulted.

To make the whole deal even more interesting I checked out CNN.com to get an American perspective on the situation.  In their article they quoted much of what Obama said, but conveniently failed to mention the "clinging to guns or religion" line.  I have been reading complaints about CNN's proBama stance, but now I believe it.  

Who am I?

I have just returned from a week in the US for the wedding of a very close friend (congratulations Jeremy and Sarah).  The week had its ups and downs.  It as almost like a vision trip for returning to the US after my time overseas.  I got a sneak peak of what life will be like in three and half months.

A lot of things came across my path that caused me to think and search.  The questions of who I am and what defines me came as I traveled between two places that, in some ways, feel like home.  I feel like I left home to go home and then left home to return home.  I am an American, I grew up in the US, the US is home.  At the same time, I've spent the majority of the last two years in Turkey.  I have done a lot of adjusting here.   This is where my work and purpose is at the moment.  I feel pretty normal here (though there are always gawking eyes to remind me that I don't fit in as much as I might think).  I have two normals.  This struck me as I pretty easily slipped back into American life driving the freeways of Detroit with my brother.  Differences in scenery and culture that were a little shocking when I returned to the US in the past were just there this time.  I don't know if this makes sense, maybe you have to experience it.

Culture is a fascinating and confusing thing.  My experiences living overseas lead me to wonder how binding culture is.  Will someone who has grown up in the United States always be an "American"?  How much of our original culture do we unknowingly carry with us.  I have seen how quickly people can adapt to another culture, but I have also seen how deeply engrained culture can be.  This makes me wonder about my great, great, great, great grandparents.  They, probably like some of your ancestors (at least if you are like the average American), came to a strange place from far away and were thrown into a new world.  For most going back was never an option.  It was sink or swim in their new world.  What of their culture did they try to hold on to?  What did they try to cast off?.  

I am nearing the end of a two year cross-cultural immersion and I find myself asking the question "who am I?"  I don't know if my identity is growing or shrinking.  Sometimes I feel like the Dan who has experienced a lot and is a well-traveled "man of the world".  Maybe in this way my understanding has grown and I am able to relate to more and more people.  At other times I feel like my identity is "smaller", made up of and connected to less things.  I feel like just Dan, not American Dan, UM graduate Dan, and not economics and political science student Dan.  All the ornaments that have been hung on the tree of my person to form my identity suddenly mean less when they are pulled out of context.  This is kind of freeing as those things don't actually define me anyways.  I am defined by my being in Christ.  He is my constant no matter where I find myself.  He never loses meaning because He is never out of context. 

When I enter a new place I love to say to myself, "The LORD is the Lord of this place too."  Whether it has been on a beach in Thailand, a runway in Uzbekistan, or a crowded street in Turkey, the LORD is always Lord.  As much as I like to travel and explore, sometimes when I am in a new and strange place I get a cold, empty feeling in my stomach that voices the loneliness of being a stranger not just in a foreign place, but in this world.  Its in those moments when I really feel the immediacy of my need to run to Him and be found in Him.  The Lord has used this stripping away of the familiar to send me running to Him.

Mining the Word

Looking back over the past year or so I realize that I have taken a big step in Christian maturity as I have learned to handle the Word better. Having grown up in a church with a high view of the Bible the idea of studying the Bible to learn God's authoritative Word on everything was never really new to me. However, I did not really know how to do this at all until I was in college. I learned an inductive study method as a freshman and began using it. This was enough for a while, but in the last year and a half I had a building conviction of my need to begin studying the Word at a deeper level. If I hope to be used by the Lord I had better be able to use the primary tool He has given me.

At a conference a year ago I heard what has turned out to be a revolutionary idea in my understanding of scripture. A speaker explained the need to first understand the Biblical author's original meaning and then to address the present importance of the author's meaning to our lives. This two step process forces us to understand the context, audience, author, etc. This approach also emphasizes application, bringing the Word to bear in our lives. This is a rather simple concept, but I guess I had never heard it put so clearly before and it really clicked in my mind.

It can be tempting and easy to read the words off the page of your Bible and take the most obvious, favorable, controversial meaning. Much of the Bible can be easily misunderstood because it so different in form and content than our modern literature. When we are seeking to understand what the author is saying we can avoid a lot of these problems because we are actually seeking to understand what God is saying through His inspired servant/authors.

All of this is not to say that the Bible is meant to be an opaque piece of literature. The meaning of many parts of the Bible is quite plain and certainly all of the crucial points of the Gospel are evident. I do however see, as I study and read more, that some of the richest truths that the Lord offers us in His Word take some work to get to (check out the previous post for examples). This encourages me to continue laboring in the Word.

First John Recap

Over the last five months I've been studying 1 John with friends here. It has been a big project, but we've wrapped it up now and I've been taking some time to collect my thoughts and boil down five months of thoughts into a few take-away points.

John wrote to a group of churches in southeast Asia Minor. These churches had been battling Gnostic heresy which was a teaching that, among other things, claimed that Jesus was not divine. As a result, in and around the churches John is writing to there were many people who had been caught up in this heresy. It wasn't clear where they stood with God. They claimed to be believers, but were influenced by this incorrect teaching. The faithful among these churches needed to know how to sort out who the real believers were.

I understand John's first letter as his attempt to define what it means to be a true believer and, through three tests, help people to assess their own hearts and then to test the teaching and teachers surrounding them. According to John, true believers are born of God and as children of God with a new nature and new spiritual life they believe in Jesus as the Christ, their Savior (Doctrinal test), they obey God's commands (Moral test), and they love other people (Social test). John does not set out an expectation of perfection in these tests, but instead that they would with live out a pattern of obedience and love. As true believers we can be reassured because of the reliable apostalic testimony that we have of Christ's coming, the evidence of new life in us as we "pass" the tests, the mutual abiding of us in God and God in us, and the certainty that God hears us.

In terms of application I see John's letter primarily as a call to live as a son of God. As a son of God I will be affirmed in the doctrinal, moral, and social tests as I live out the new nature that is mine through being born again. I live out this new nature by cooperating with the Holy Spirit in the mutual abiding. As I do live this out I ought to be confident of my standing before God, loved and righteous just like Christ, belieing God for what He says about me.

John Stott's "The Letters of John" was a helpful resource throughout out study.

Sunny Thoughts

On my day off this week I was able to sit in the sunlight in our salon (a privilege in itself in February) and think. I've found that since coming overseas I need more time to think, I guess there is more to process through. In the warmth of the sunlight I thought some about the future, about things I could do, about passions and interests God has put in my heart and I got really excited. I actually intended to spend this time focused in the Word and in prayer but the sunlight and the post-workout endorphin rush combined with the food coma from the post workout breakfast just made it really hard. But, the thinking was good and God-focused, so it was really prayer anyways. Usually thinking about the future brings some anxiety, or at least the knowledge of the weight of decisions, not wanting to make a wrong decision that would take my life on the wrong path, a path that God doesn't desire. But on this day I was really excited about what God might do in my life and how he might use me in the coming 50 or 60 years. Usually I am very focused on the next step and don't look at the long-term process. I consider the immediately available options and rule them in or out through carefully reasoned analysis. I guess this short perspective is partly the product of youth. In the sunlight however, ideas were flowing through my mind about the different settings in which He might use me, the passions and skills that He is building in me, and the fruit I might be able to see. I didn't feel the pressure of serving as a slave, but the joy and freedom of the son inheriting his father's business. I felt excited to be about the Father's business.

If you find yourself making a decision I pray that you too would feel joy, freedom, and excitement in letting your mind and heart wander amidst the ways in which God might use you.

Something I've been wondering about

Why does God call us to do difficult even impossible (for us) things? Why does He bother with us? How do we follow Him as He calls us to those things? I've certainly got some ideas, but I want to understand this better as I search out difficult/impossible things God may call me to. I want to study this in the Word more. If you have thoughts of what to study to learn about God's difficult/impossible callings leave me a comment.

On the High Seas

The other day I was crossing over to Europe and I noticed I large warship starting to enter the Bosphorus from the Sea of Marmara. As it drew close to my ferry I could see the flag identifying it as an American ship. My ferry stopped to let the ship pass so I got a great stem to stern view of the ship from a few hundred feet away. After a little bit of research later I found out that it was the USS San Jacinto (thanks US Navy website), a Ticonderoga class Guided Missle Cruiser. As the ship passed I could see a bunch of sailors on the decks taking in the beautiful but very foreign view of the Aya Sofya, Topkapi Palace, and Bosphorus shore. I bet they would be surprised to learn that there was an American, probably very similar to themselves, peering back at them.

Winter Wonderland

This past weekend brought a surprise - significant snowfall. We had about 6 in. of snow over three days. Not too impressive to Midwesterners, but significant in Istanbul. While it didn't shut things down it certainly slowed them. I've never seen Turks have so much fun. There were many snowball fights and snowmen on the streets. The fish-sellers built a snowman in the middle of the fish market and topped it with the head of a swordfish, umm. It is also interesting to note that a Turkish snowman is made simple by packing snow into a torso shape, not with the American three ball method. The initial snowfall was beautiful, but the aftermath has, always, been less desirable. Since almost none of the snow was removed most sidewalks were coated with packed snow and then trecherous ice that has since been shoveled into the street (so it will melt?). We all know how nasty dirty snow is after a couple of days. Turkish dirty snow however has the added trash-factor. The litter that people tend to drop on the sidewalks and streets is normally not a problem as the roving street sweepers are quite effective. But, with snow on the ground most of that trash has ended up in the snowpiles linning the streets. Clouds and snow was a nice change from clouds and rain, but I am ready for spring.

Spain Travel Log

It's been almost two weeks since I've returned from Spain so I better get this written before I forget all the details. . .

Follow along with pictures and a map at http://picasaweb.google.com/havariyim

During the last week of January I headed off with my team to Spain. The main purpose of the trip was to attend our Midyear Conference, but we decided to get our money's worth out the plane ticket and make a 4 day tour of Spain before the conference. On our way to Madrid we had a layover in Frankfurt. We did what you're not supposed to do and left the airport during a 5.5 hour layover. After traveling in Germany last year I felt comfortable using the trains so I wasn't too worried. We got into the city center and walked around for a couple of hours. We saw the Romer (rebuilt medieval city square) the Main river, the cathedral, and had some great German pastries. The city center wasn't anything amazying on a gloomy winter morning, but a good little taste of Germany none the less.

Madrid
We reached Madrid without problem, settled in, and got some food. The hostel wasn't the best, kind of loud and busy. But that is part of the experience I guess. We spent that Friday touring Madrid. We started with the Prado art musuem. It has the largest collection of paintings in the world and is known for hosting many of the best works of the Spanish masters: Goya, Valazquez, and El Greco. Afterwords we headed to the Parque del Retiro, a massive park in the city center. Supposedly Spaniards love a good stroll in the park. It was nice but I'm sure it is incredible in the summer. We made our way through some of the famous commercial areas of the city looking for lunch and ran across "Nebraska". Cafeteria Nebraska was a lunch shop on the Gran Via. I of course made my team eat there. The only thing particularly "Nebraska" about it was the prominently featured hamburgers, in particular the "Lincoln Burger". It seemed that the restaraunt's creators were familiar with Nebraksa though as the menu had a red color scheme and showed some other insider knowledge. Unfortunately, there was no prime rib, Runza, or Valentinos Pizza (sorry Michael).

Friday afternoon brought us to Puerto del Sol, a prominent square in the city center and arbitrary center of Spain from which road distances are measured. We then visited the Palacio Real built in the 1700s with loot from the New World. It has more rooms than any other European palace. We admired it and the surrounding square and park and cathedral without paying the entrance fee. Towards evening with made our way south into "Los Austrias". This old area of the city gives has some architecturla influences from the Austrian Hapsburgs who married into the Spanish throne. There were several interesting streets and plazas as well as some great food. We ate at two different tapas bars there. Tapas bars serve small portions of dishes and everyone shares what is brought out. Typical tapas items are Spanish ham, fried seafood, cold salads, and vegetable dishes. Madird has the "grand European capital" feel - overblown buildings, large boulevards, palaces, cathedrals. It was good to experience but didn't feel distinctly Spanish, we could have been any place in Europe. We left Madrid at 10:00pm on a night bus to Sevilla.

Sevilla
We arrived at 4:00am, checked into our hostel, and got a few hours of sleep. In the morning we met up with our friends who are serving in Rome. We checked out the Cathedral of Sevilla first. It is the largest gothic cathedral in the world and depending on how you measure it is larger than St. Peter's in Rome making it the largest church in the world. It was a typical cathedral inside. I was very impressed by the woodcarvings though. It got my creative mind working. Attached to the cathedral in the Girabalda, the Moorish-style belltower. We climbed the ramp to the top for a great view of the city. In the afternoon all 13 of us rented bikes and saw more of the city this way. Sevilla has a muncipal bike program that allows you to check-in and check-out bikes at many station all over the city. It was a great way to get around. Nothing says "tourists" like a group of 13 people on identical rented bikes.

In Sevilla we also go to know "Moomoo", our middle-aged Spanish hostel roommate. We think he was probably unemployed and searching for a job. Or, maybe he was waiting for a job because he never really stopped watching television in our room. The first morning we met him he came into the room in a light blue night gown and slippers, kind of Rip VanWinkle-esque (only missing a pointed sleeping cap), and we rarely saw him in anything else. He was a little entertainment on the side I guess.

Sunday was a relaxing day. We started off with visiting the Alcazar, a Moorish then Spanish palace. While nothing noteworthy from the outside the inside was beautiful. There was a lot of great Moorsih architecture to see as well as extensive gardens. We were more or less by ourselves in the gardens and were able to enjoy a sunny but brisk morning wandering through the garden. In the afternoon we had a picnic in the city's main park and saw Plaza de Espana. Sunday evening a few of us checked out a couple of a tapas bars in Barrio Santa Cruz, Sevilla's most historic and lively district.

Monday we had to leave Sevilla and head to the conference. Sevilla was definitely the highlight of the trip and a place I would recommend. We traveled by train to Malaga and then by bus to the small town on the Mediterrean coast where our conference was held. The conference itself was great. It was good to see friends serving all over the world. My time there was blessed as God seemed to speak to different questions that were in my mind through the counsel of various men that I met with. The weather on the coast was fantastic, 60s and sunny for most of the 6 days we were there.

Halfway through the week we had a day off and the option to go on an organized day trip. I chose to go to Granada, a couple hours away up in the mountains. It wasn't a bad choice. The main attraction in Granada is the Alhambra. Built mostly by the Moors in the 13th and 14th centuries. It is considered the height of Islamic architecture in Europe. It was quite impressive. The incredible detail of the stone carving and wood work amazed me. The Gardens of the Generalife were very interesting as well. Water plays a big part in the design with many pools and fountains and running water in some unsual places. In Granada we were also able to wander around in the Abaycin. The is a largely original Moorish quarter from the 13th century. All the buildings lining the steep and twisting streets are white stucco.

My time in Spain was another great adventure. Enjoy the pictures and leave comments if you like.