Contact Magazine - Spring 2014

magazine for members of the armed forces Spring 2014 £2

life after theArabSpring

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redemption for TheRailway Man

finding faithHMS Raleigh

8801 contact spring 2014a.qxp:contact spring 2007.qxd 24/2/14 08:47 Page 2

www.afcu.org.uk

YYoouu are all around me on every side...

yyoouu pprrootteecctt me with your power

Psalm 139:5

AFCU (Armed Forces’ Christian Union), Havelock House, Barrack Rd, Aldershot, Hants GU11 3NP Tel 01252 311221 E mail: [email protected] www.afcu.org.u

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Transformationseems to be thetheme runningthrough this issueof Contactmagazine. Startingwith a true story of

forgiveness that transformed people’slives linked to film, The Railway Man,it’s amazing to see what happenswhen people open themselves up toGod’s transforming power.

Cadets in Cornwall have also beenseeing how God can break throughinto lives as they step out in baptism;their chaplain also shares her story ofGod breaking into her situation andmaking a dramatic difference.

Nations have been transformed bywar and political strife in the MiddleEast, starting with the Arab Spring.Although some of this has led toterrible suffering and hardships, thearticle by Richard Sandy looks athow Christians can continue tosupport those caught in the midst ofthese circumstances.

In this issue it’s good to welcome anew contributor, the Revd BrianMcAvoy, who is writing a series ofarticles on ethics, starting with afocus on World War I and the use ofchemical warfare.

The next issue of Contact will be outduring June in time for sometransformational sizzling hot summerweather - we hope!

RRaacchheell FFaarrmmeerrRachel FarmerEditor

If you wish to know more about what itmeans to be a Christian and/or how tobecome a Christian, find and ask your localchaplain or a Christian you may know orpick up the phone and ask the AFCU office01252 311221

forgiveness & The Railway Man -one daughter’s storycadets take the plunge -baptisms at HMS Raleighethics and World War I -by the Revd Brian McAvoyChristians in the Middle East -Col (Retd) Richard Sandy writes

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Adamaged soldier candamage others... TheRailway Man, now anacclaimed film starringColin Firth, JeremyIrvine and NicoleKidman, is the true

story of a former Royal Signals soldier, EricLomax, who was ‘damaged’ through tortureat the hands of the Japanese in World WarII. On returning from the concentrationcamp he was discharged from the armyand declared fit. There was littleunderstanding for what Prisoners of Warhad undergone and the public did not wishto hear about defeats in the Far East, so hewas effectively silenced and left to his owndevices to rebuild his life. But he wasunable to communicate, make decisions,cope with authority, develop relationships,handle conflict or negotiate normal humaninteraction. This ended up costing himmany friendships, challenged his faith andhis first marriage.

And while the film records his incrediblejourney to face the past, even confrontinghis own torturer and finding a way toforgive, there is an untold story of adifferent struggle experienced by his onlysurviving daughter, who was a different kindof victim of the war.

Charmaine McMeekin, formerly Lomax, isEric’s daughter from his first marriage. Afterher father left her mother, Nan, for hissecond wife, Patti (played by NicoleKidman in the film), she had little contactwith him, blaming him for the struggles theyhad undergone financially and for the hurthe had inflicted on her mother.

Charmaine said: “Initially my mum had noidea what he had been through – shesacrificed a huge amount for him – she hadthree children and I’m the only one still

alive.” For Charmaine, growing up, onephrase continually cropped up. "I wasforever being told, 'Your dad was tortured',"she recalls. "But no one ever explainedwhat tortured meant." Her father wasunable to talk about his experiences. "Hehad this armour around him and you couldnever get beneath it to find out what wasreally going on," she says. "My dad'sfeelings were locked inside himself. He wasthere physically, but emotionally he was100% absent.”

"My mum told me that on their first nighttogether she rubbed cream into the soreson her Dad's back and asked him what hadhappened. He said he didn't want to talkabout it and that she should never ask himagain." Nan never did ask again;Charmaine thinks she was too afraid.

Charmaine’s childhood was difficult but shethought her life was normal until shediscovered later on that it wasn’t. Sheexplained: “I would miss school becausethe school fees hadn’t been paid – myfather couldn’t deal with money. The housewas never cared for, nothing was decoratedand there were holes in the curtains. Hewould come and go, and travelled aroundthe country, my mother wouldn’t knowwhere he was. I was always on a see-sawwith my dad, one day I loved him and thenext day I would hate him for the things hewas doing.” The family experienced thehumiliation of debt collectors appearing ontheir doorstep to claim items of furniture inplace of unpaid debt, as her fatherneglected to pay bills.

“I don’t know what kind of father he mighthave been if he hadn’t been tortured, “ sheexplained. “But my father was a bit geeky,he was a railway enthusiast (he wouldn’tlike to be called a train spotter), he was anonly child and frankly he was a bit of a

a true story offorgiveness behind

The Railway ManA soldier’s daughter tells her side of the story of ‘the road to forgiveness’, whichended with a walk down the red carpet...

� Jeremy Irvine as the young Eric Lomax in the film

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loner. Watching the film nearly destroyedme last July, because of depression I wasnever able to read my Dad's book whichwas dedicated to me and my brother andsister, but I am the only member of ourfamily still alive. When I watched the film,suddenly, aged 56, the final piece of thejigsaw fell into place to help meunderstand what had happened to him.He never ever spoke to me about the war,but I realised the book was his way oftrying to share it with us. It has taken mesix months to be able to say that watchingit has helped me see the man who shouldhave been my Dad before he wastortured. This was a precious gift. JeremyIrvine is so like my dad it's uncanny andthat helped me see the father I wasrobbed of.”

That understanding has been animportant last chapter in the long journeyto forgive her father. She said: “I have justcompleted my training to become aChristian Counsellor. The training andpersonal counselling I had to have as partof my course has completely transformedmy life, my understanding of my father,and has also brought me closer to God ina way I would never have imagined. Idoubt that I would have survived all thathas happened over the past two years notonly with the film but with my Dad's death,without the support and training I havehad. God has been so gracious. I did stilllove my dad, but I didn’t always like him. Itwas only when I went through counsellingthat I was able to look at him with adulteyes, and I could love him, but when Ilooked at him through child’s eyes, therewere times that I hated him.”

Forgiveness was possible for Charmainethrough her Christian faith. Her fathernever apologised for the pain caused inabandoning them and the hurt over theyears. She said: “You have to be able toforgive even if there is no apology orsaying sorry. When you forgive it’s atransaction that happens in the heavenlyrealm. You give God your pain and hurtand he fills that place with his love,healing peace and grace.

“The big shift for me was understandingthat when you become a Christian youmove into a different kingdom, sorelationships change. The biggest thingwas understanding that I had a Father inheaven who loved me and would alwaysbe there for me. A verse in Hebrews says:‘I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.’When you truly realise how much Godloves you, then you understand that your

earthly father is flawed, as we all are andthat allows you to forgive.”

Charmaine and her husband Henry joinedstars and film-makers on the red carpetfor the film premiere in London inDecember. Her father died shortly beforethe film was finished, but Charmaine hadmade her peace with him in the yearsbefore, with regular visits and praying withhim each time. On her last visit to thenursing home she spent about 4 hours athis bedside when she was able to pray forhim and tell him she loved him, and thatGod loved him too. She said: “If you hangon to pain and revenge and negative stuff– it only affects you.” Her father hadlearned that too, as the closing shots ofthe film rolls, Eric, played by Colin Firth, says: “Sometime the hating has to stop.”

sometime the hating has to stop

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�� Charmaine with her father, EricLomax, (left) and shortly

before his death.

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First steps of faithinvolved a dip in thechilly Cornish waters fornew recruits and navalcadets at HMS Raleigh.But it wasn’t just thecadets who took the

plunge last term, along with seven recruitsand two officer cadets, the Captain of thebase, Captain Bob Fancy (RN) was alsobaptised down at the beach.

Church Army Evangelist, Nikki Thornhill,(pictured right) David Roissetter andFather Matt Godfrey, (pictured below) arepart of the chaplaincy team at the militarytraining base, and they were all involvedin the service. The baptisms are not a oneoff either. Nikki Thornhill said she hadseen some 160 recruits come to faith andbe baptised during her time with thechaplaincy. In the past year alone, 67young people have been baptised.Recruits, Jake Segrove (21), AdamGeddes (19) and Able Rate RebeccaCostin (20), were all baptised in the seaat Cawsand beach following a six-weekbaptism preparation course. Rebeccasaid: “I didn’t have a strong faith before Icame to HMS Raleigh, but being awayfrom my family I found that the churchbecame very important to me and gaveme the strength to push through mytraining. Learning about Jesus andChristianity has been very enlighteningand being baptised seemed to me theright thing to do.”

Nikki said: “This was a fantastic way forthe chaplaincy team at HMS Raleigh toend the summer term. The setting wasbeautiful with a rainbow in the sky andthree Royal Navy ships in thebackground. The three young sailors wereplunged into the cold water as theydeclared their faith in and commitment toJesus Christ. This was followed by acelebratory chip supper.” A further 10candidates were baptised by the Bishopto the Forces just before Christmas andNikki said she never knows what’s aheadwith her work in the chaplaincy team.

She explained: “The Chaplaincydepartment consists of 4 chaplains(Roman Catholic, Methodist and Churchof England). The first item on the agendaevery day is meeting together as a team

finding faith at HMS Raleigh

Large mess bills,Forces loans, carloans, mortgages,credit cards, mobilephone bills, studentloans, high carinsurance

premiums, extra costs incurred bymoving regularly, recent pay freezesand yet increasing inflation. It is notsurprising that an article in the summer2012 issue of Homeport, a magazinedistributed by the Royal Navy andRoyal Marines to naval families, said"the inability to manage personalfinances" is one of the biggest welfarechallenges facing members of thearmed forces today. Some soldierseven volunteer for second and thirdtours of Afghanistan so they can boosttheir salary with an op bonus, often topay off debts.

Unfortunately, armed forces personnelget into debt and financial difficultieswhich sometimes can be attributed to areckless attitude towards spending. Ifthat is you or you know someone insuch a predicament, what would yousay to someone who offered to pay offyour debts, your loans or credit cardbills or even your mortgage? No catchbut just an offer simply to pay offeverything you owe.

Most of us, I suspect, would leap at thechance to be debt free, especially givenour current economic situation. Forthose in Cyprus, for example, manyhave had what is termed a haircut...losing hundreds and thousands ofEuros. One person took a loan out inCyprus, put the money in the bank andthen days later lost all the money andnow has to pay a huge figure eachweek in repayments with nothing at allto see for it. I have known soldiers overthe years who take out loans to put themoney on the races and then losethousands.

We could all do with the freedom fromdebt that such an offer would give. Thedream of being debt free is probablywhy many people continue to play thelottery each week, no matter how poorthe odds.

Jesus paid our debtsThe debt that Jesus paid for us on thecross at Easter is not a financial one. Itis a gift of freely given love and it pays

the debts that our lifestyles haveaccrued. Most of us know deep downthat, despite wanting to think the best ofourselves, we do not always live lives ofvirtue. The things we do in this worldaffect others, the actions we take cancause hurt and upset. We don’t exist ina vacuum, our lives affect the lives ofothers, sometimes for good andsometimes for bad.

Jesus’ gift to us is to wipe clean theslate of our lives. As someone oncesaid, when Christians talk of being bornagain, “It’s this idea that Jesus’ gift tous has reset the clock. Our lives up tonow no longer count against us, andalthough we will continue to mess upthe way we live, we have Jesus’promise of forgiveness to hold on toand to really change us. It is the ‘NewLife’ of Easter.”

This new life is one we are all invited toshare in. I’m sure we’ll all agree it’s agreat picture but for it to mean anythingto us it first has to mean something forus personally, as individuals, and thatrequires a step of faith. Faith is astrange thing, if you have it you can’timagine living without it, if you don’t itseems like nonsense. This Easterseason, we are reminded of the greatgift of love that Jesus gives us allthrough his death and resurrection. It'sa gift we have to respond to in order toenjoy. Just like saying yes to amysterious benefactor, we must say yesto his message of good news if wewant part of it. This Easter are youready for the step of faith a ‘Yes’requires?

NOTE: If you are in financial debt andstruggling to manage your finances, gethelp, contact your Padre, UWO orcontact Military Debt Help (UK) from0800 to 2000, 7 days a week on +44(0) 1732 365380.

Faith is a strange thing,

if you have it youcan’t imagineliving without it

’‘

Are you in debtthis Easter ?


to pray. The style of worship we usedepends on the denomination of the DutyChaplain that week. Almost every weekapproximately 65 new recruits aged from16-37 begin their 10 week training. Oneof their many classes is to be introducedand welcomed to the Chaplaincy teamand informed as to what role they play.The main weekly routine involves asignificant round of classes with therecruits where they are taught the Beliefand Values of the Royal Navy (these arebased on Christian values), as well as arewarding amount of pastoral work. As themajority of the recruits are non-churched,it’s amazing how quickly they see theChaplaincy team as a place of security,

and rest and where they can go to off loadknowing that what they share will be heldconfidentially.”

Nikki’s own journey of faith involved a lotof heartache and tragedy. She explained:“I didn’t always believe in God. I believedin something but wasn’t sure what and itwas only after a series of life events, that Ibecame a Christian - that was about 20years ago now. My first daughter Natasha,was killed in a road accident - she was 18

months old; she ran out in front of acouncil truck and was killed. The truck-driver was a friend of my stepfather’s. Hewas devastated and so my husband and Iwent to see him the same day to assurehim that it wasn’t his fault. It was anaccident. It was after this I found myselfcrying out, if there was a God how andwhy could he allow such a thing tohappen.

“In the October I became pregnant againand at thirty weeks I was rushed intoWinchester hospital. On the Saturdayevening I heard a voice speaking to me,telling me to tell the doctors that the babyhad not moved or kicked that day. The

voice was so clear so precise that I wentstraight to the nurse on duty and informedher about the baby. I was put straight ontothe foetal heart monitor. The baby’sheartbeat had stopped and I was rushedstraight round to theatre. Victoria Louisewas born at 10.10pm weighing 2lb 8oz.She was kept in the Special Care Unit for7 weeks. On the Sunday morning aftershe was born, the doctor came to see me.He informed me that had I not hadmentioned the baby was not moving,

Victoriawouldhave diedand Iwouldhave beenseriously ill.”

Some six years later Nikki took up aninvitation to go to church and had apersonal encounter with God. She said:“At that point I knew then I had to saysorry to God. I knew that Christ had neverleft me - it was I who had rejected Christ.”Nikki went on to work in a local churchand then trained as a Church Armyevangelist.

She said: “I look back on my life so farand realise that God has been with me allalong. Christ has brought me to the placeof peace. I now look at the death of mydaughter in a different context. I have loved every moment of being here,but I also look forward to what God hasgot planned next.” This summer shemoves to Yorkshire to begin ordinationtraining at Mirfield Theological College.

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finding faith at HMS Raleigh

I believed in something, but wasn’t sure what it was...

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the weapons dilemma

GAS, GAS, GAS... threewords that strike fearinto the hearts andminds of military menand (now) women sincethe first use of gas as aweapon during World

War I. Whichever kind, blister, pulmonaryor nerve agent the end result is the same,death by collapse of the central nervoussystem or by drowning in the excess fluidproduced in the lungs or on the skin. Themost up to date NBC (nuclear, biologicaland chemical) protection kit is inevitablyonly as effective as its user’s skill indonning it. Preparing for a major NATOexercise in the mid 1980s, even non-combatants like me had to go throughpretty rigorous training for the possibilityof the “Orange” forces (the enemy) usingsuch chemicals on us. Substituting realCS gas for the more deadly variety, failurewas usually a very tearful event, bothphysically and mentally! I was neverconvinced that I would be skilled orfortunate enough to survive the real thing,even with the latest kit.

There is a good-guy/bad-guy tragic storybehind the development of such diabolicweapons. Google Fritz Haber and youcan read the whole story of the man whosaved millions of lives through thesynthesisation of ammonia, a basicingredient of fertiliser which miraculouslyincreased crop yield very cheaply andended starvation for millions. For this hewas awarded the Nobel Prize forChemistry in 1918. However, Haber alsoplayed a major role in the development ofchemical warfare in World War I. Gaswarfare in World War I was, in a sense,the war of the chemists, with Haber pittedagainst French Nobel laureate chemistVictor Grignard. Regarding war andpeace, Haber once said, "During peacetime a scientist belongs to the World, butduring war time he belongs to hiscountry." This was an example of theethical dilemmas facing chemists at thattime.

Ironically, although he later converted to

Christianity, Haber wanted to be seen andknown as a patriotic Jew, and this drovehis efforts with and on behalf of theGerman military in WW1 and the yearsfollowing, until the rise of Nazism made itclear that to them he would always be amember of the race they went to suchtrouble to exterminate. Although he thenwent into exile in Switzerland after hiswife’s suicide, he went into decline anddied of a heart attack in 1934, aged 65.Ironically, but fortunately for him, Haberdidn’t live to see the ultimate use ofanother of his projects, a herbicide gaswhich was developed into Zyklon B, thedeadly poison gas used to murder millionsof his fellow Jews, including members ofhis own family. Although it has beenclaimed that as many as two out of fivehumans on the planet today owe theirexistence to the discoveries made by thisbrilliant German chemist, this is the samechemist denounced by young Germanstudents today as a "murderer" and no-one personifies better than Fritz Haberthe debate over science's capacity forgood and evil.

In ‘Private Peaceful’, Michael Morpurgo’scharacter Tommo describes an attack: “‘Gas! Gas!’ The cry goes up and isechoed all along the trench. For amoment we are frozen with panic. Wehave trained for this time and time again,but nonetheless we fumble clumsily,feverishly with our gas masks…..We’re onthe firestep looking out into no-man’s-land, and we see it rolling towards us, thisdreaded killer cloud we have heard somuch about but have never seen forourselves until now. Its deadly tendrils aresearching ahead, feeling their wayforward in long yellow wisps, scenting me,searching for me. I’m shouting inside mymask. ‘Christ! Christ!’ Still the gas comeson, wafting over our wire, through ourwire, swallowing everything in its path…..Isee the trench filling up with it. It drifts intothe dugouts, snaking into every nook andcranny, looking for me. It wants to seek usall out, to kill us all, every one of us.”

Is killing with chemical weapons more evil than causing death by conventional warfare?

Former RAF chaplain, the Revd Brian McAvoy, examines thebeginning of chemical warfare in World War I and some of theterrible dilemmas around it...

Fritz Haber's inventions both saved millions, and wereeventually used to kill millions.

sadly, weapons of mass destruction are still being used

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the weapons dilemma

Like all nature, the gas is indifferent andsimply obeys the laws of chemistry andphysics but at the command of thosewhose wish is to kill as many of theirenemy as quickly and as cheaply aspossible. Tommo’s fear and horror werewell founded; over the last century thathas not changed, and sadly, weapons ofmass destruction are still being used bysuch ‘people’ on other people withprecisely the same outcome of death andterror. What’s to be done?

"Many and sharp the num'rous ills Inwoven with our frame!

More pointed still we make ourselves, Regret, remorse, and shame!

And man, whose heav'n-erected face The smiles of love adorn, - Man's inhumanity to man

Makes countless thousands mourn!”

So wrote Robbie Burns in his Dirge ‘Manwas made to mourn’, and we shouldconsider our place as Christians in theghastliness of such actions. Recentmilitary involvement in the Middle Easthas once again revealed to us the depthsof fear and revulsion the use of gas canevoke in any human being, but what doesGod, Christ and the Spirit make of whatwe do, sometimes in His name? Is ‘Godreally with us’ in any of this? Is Allah really

‘the merciful’? How sacred is our scientificknowledge and discovery?

Lives have been lost in dealing with theperpetrators of chemical attacks on theinnocent, and while dictators and despotsare overthrown we can only surmise thatGod weeps at all of our foolishness. If Hewere to be as angry as He is sad at this,then we might all be doomed by our ownwicked choices. I am sometimes troubledby the words of the well-known passage inEcclesiastes 3 – ‘A time for everything’,where we are assured that there is ‘a timeto love and a time to hate, a time for warand a time for peace’, but I think this isessentially an observation on life as wemake it and not a moral ‘get out of jail’card to ease our consciences when wemake bad choices.

And what of Jesus in all this? Does,‘Father, forgive them’ extend to us andthose who use our scientific discoveriesfor evil purposes? The indifference of thesoldiers playing dice at the cross could beat the heart of many of their successors’actions today as well as those of us whomake ‘democratic’ decisions to go to theaid of and protect the innocent victims.The real position of the Christian whowould follow the Way of Christ isinevitably one of tension between varyingdegrees of ‘rightness’ and ‘wrongness’

which is irresolvable in our human terms.Robbie Burns could see that clearly andwe can too. To repent and be forgivenrequires that we recognise the wrong-doing and ask for the strength of the Spiritto help us. This is not the way of thedespot and dictator, and how surprised wewould be to meet Hitler, Stalin andSaadam when we reach the Kingdom.And yet, “there is rejoicing over one sinnerwho repents….”. ‘Man’s inhumanity to man’ is not beyondthe redemption of God and Hope is one ofthe three great Pauline virtues, and wemust never lose sight of that or we really

Is killing with chemical weapons more evil than causing death by conventional warfare?

A graduate in Mental and MoralScience, The Revd Brian McAvoyserved as an RAF chaplain for 28years. Following retirement, heestablished, with a team, a supportsystem for RAF Chaplains and theirfamilies with emphasis on post-deployment care and has researchedextensively into PTSD and itsmanagement. He now continuesministry as an associate priest inMelton Mowbray, where he is alsoOfficiating Chaplain to the DefenceAnimal Centre. His major researchproject ‘Soldier-priest, anirresolvable tension?’ was publishedby St George’s House, Windsor inJanuary 1985.

ethicsfile


The so-called Arab Springinitially promised muchfor those countries thatrose up in populardemonstrations againsttheir entrenched andautocratic leaders. But

two years on the populations, andspecifically the Christian communities, arecurrently no better off and in some casesconsiderably worse off.

The uprisings we have seen across muchof the Arab world have been a revolution.Things will not be the same again. Thepopulations, which had been cowed byfear of the regimes and their ruthlesssuppression of all opposition, haveovercome that fear. The people of Tunisia,Libya and Egypt have forced the removalof their autocratic and unpopular leadersthrough mobilisation of the generalpopulation. I was in Cairo in the earlystages of the popular demonstrations inEgypt and witnessed the broad spectrumof society taking part in these initiallypeaceful demonstrations. Yet a similaruprising in Syria against President BasharAl-Assad has escalated into civil war.Islamist factions, such as Al-Qaeda andHezbollah, and now off-shoots from them,have entered the country ostensibly tosupport respectively the opposition andthe regime, when in reality they arepursuing their own Islamist agendas.

But why have these uprisings happenednow across the region? One importantelement has been demographics. There is

a youth bulge working through countriesof the Middle East. Over 65% of thepopulation across the Arab world is underthe age of 35 years. This youngpopulation is IT literate, having access tocomputers and the internet and to mobilephones. They are able to see thecomparative freedoms of their owngeneration in other countries. Mobilephones have played a part in coordinatingstreet demonstrations. Many of theseyoung people are educated but there is asevere shortage of jobs, particularly forthe educated young. In 2010 food pricesin the region rose by 21% and between2006 and 2011 a severe drought in Syriaruined the livelihoods of 1.5 million peoplein that country. Yet, in each of thecountries involved, whilst many weresuffering hardship, they saw those inpositions of power increasing their ownwealth – corruption was endemic.Furthermore, the rulers in these countrieswere preparing the way for familymembers to succeed them – giving everyindication of a continuation of the statusquo.

It was events in Tunisia that changedeverything. Demonstrations againstPresident Ben Ali following the suicide of apoor Tunisian stallholder, MohamedBouazzizi, eventually led to his removal. Ifone Arab country could force a presidentto leave by mobilising the population, thenother Arab countries began to believe theyalso had a chance. The mobilisation of thepopulation in both Egypt and Libyaeventually saw President Mubarak andthen Colonel Gaddafi removed frompower. However, there was no organisedpolitical structure to fill the vacuum,leaving the gun and Islamist factionswielding the most influence.

In Syria, before the uprising, the countrywas 66% Sunni Muslim, 12% Alawite (whohave a set of beliefs that originate in ShiaIslam), 10% Christian, 9% Kurds and 3%Druze. However, power was held byAlawites, considered a branch of ShiaIslam. As initial demonstrations within

what happened to theAArraabb SSpprriinngg??

Retired army colonel, Richard Sandy, who is regional team leader for the charity MilitaryMinistries International in the Middle East, examines the lead up to the Arab Spring and howChristians have responded to being caught in the midst of violent uprisings...

Is there apoint at which it isjustified forChristians to takeup arms against aregime that doesnot specificallytarget orpersecute them ?

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� Members of a Syrian refugee familyhuddle around a stove inside their shelter in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley

UNHCRc

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Will my mates be there

Is there more to life than this

Pub again

How about a night in

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Got questions about life #TryAlpha

Syria escalated into armed conflictbetween regime and the opposition, Shiagroups, such as Hezbollah (based inLebanon), and supported by Iran, cameinto Syria in support of the regime. Themajority of the population in Syria,however, are Sunnis and as a result Sunnigroups, including Sunni Islamist factions,such as Al-Qaeda, supported by SaudiArabia and Qatar, came in to Syriaostensibly in support of the opposition. Butas the conflict in Syria has intensified weare seeing now divisions within theseIslamist factions themselves. Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist factions, such as Al-Nusra(formed in Syria in 2012) and ISIS (IslamicState of Iraq and Levant, which began inIraq where it still has influence, has nowestablished a separate branch in Syria)are fighting amongst each other as well asagainst the regime. Yet the majority ofMuslims in Syria, as in Egypt, do not wanta fundamentalist Islamic state.

For Christians the uprisings posed a realdilemma. Biblical teaching for Christians isto support the legally appointed authority.Is there a point at which it is justified forChristians to take up arms against aregime that does not specifically target orpersecute them ? Christians debatedwhether it was justified to take up arms toprotect themselves. Demonstrating forgreater freedom and democracy is one

thing but to take up arms is anotherquestion. As a result most Christians didnot openly take up arms against either theregime or the opposition and thus wereseen as enemies by both sides. ManyChristians felt they had no option but toleave the country, many ending up inrefugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon orTurkey.

Those remaining, and there are anunknown number at this stage, are livingin constant fear. I am in regular contact,by mobile phone and email, with a Syrianbeliever. Issam (not his real name), who isa former officer in the Syrian armedforces, living in a suburb of Damascuswith his family. He has a wife anddaughter aged 19 years who should begoing to university but is unable to get tothere. His youngest son is aged 8 yearsand his school functions only occasionally.This man and his family are committedChristians who are so grateful for thecontact with Christians outside the countryand for our prayers, which he says haveso far kept him and his family safe. Theneighbourhood in which he lives has beenbombed, killing one of his neighbours. Theelectricity goes off at irregular intervalsmost days, sometimes for up to 6 hours.Food and the basics of life are hard tocome by and very expensive. The price ofbread has risen by 500% in the last 2

years. What he and all other Syrians living in the country fear most is that food willrun out.

We simply do not know how manyChristian families remain in Syria, butthere are a number living around Issam inhis Damascus suburb. They are still ableto meet regularly, almost daily, in theirlocal church, which provides realfellowship and encouragement. Movementis heavily restricted and they do not go outafter dark. These families have been livinglike this for over a year.

There seems no end to the fighting and,although there have been somepreliminary talks in Geneva, the questionof whether or not Assad can remain willbe a major stumbling block over anypeace agreement. Russia and Iran have akey role in any resolution of the situation.

The uprisings which Christians, as well asmoderate Muslims, felt promised so muchfor greater democracy and freedomacross the Arab world have so far provedunattainable. It may be that the westernmodel of democracy is not appropriate inthe Arab world and a modified, Islamised‘democracy’ will have to be developed bycountries of the Arab world themselves.But they need peace and stability to allowthat to develop and our prayers.

UNHCRc� Refugees in crisis


JP’s BlogL i v i n g t h e F a i t h

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Iwas fixed onthe briefing room’s TVmonitor, aghast at what Iwas seeing reported onBBC News. The screenwent blank as one of theFlight Commanders stood

up, “I guess we’re not going then” hesaid, indicating that the briefing wasover. We were in to find out theresults of the House of Commonsvote to authorise military action inSyria following the chemical attack ona civilian population. We were almostexpecting it to be a rubber stampingexercise after which the operations’cell was going to brief our Squadron’spart to play; a part that I had spentmany painstaking hours creating anddeveloping over the past week.

As we filed out, the emotion in theatmosphere was palpable. A mixtureof relief at not having to fly into anarea sporting some not-too-rustyRussian-made air defences,frustration and resentment over thesheer volume of wasted planning andfor some – including me –disappointment at not seeing the taskthrough.

As I headed into the crew room to geta coffee, the topic of conversationwas obvious and, whilst waiting forthe excruciatingly slow kettle to boil, Iwas drawn into the debate. Surprisedat just how divided opinion on it was,and taking up with those whofavoured intervention, I found myselfat the wrong end of some prettypointed questions. “JP, you’resupposed to be a Christian – whathappened to thou shall not kill?”

I had another one of my amazingmoments of inability to get acrosswhat I was trying to say. Instead ofgiving a reasoned analysis, orexplaining that ‘kill’ is actually a badtranslation and the term ‘murder’ isfar more applicable, I just sort ofstood there, unsure as to exactly howthis political debate had been levelled

atmy faith or why I

was getting asked such a bonequestion by someone from within themilitary. Regardless of any of this I realised,much too late for the conversation,that the exact interpretation of the 6thcommandment was totally irrelevantto my personal desire to intervene inthe Syrian conflict. That desire,divorced from my professionalposition as an Air Force officer, wasbased on the fact that there wereinnocents, widows and orphans, dyingevery day while we did nothing. And,if I were to look at this situation fromJesus’ perspective, my first thoughtwould have to be for them. ‘He has shown you what is good. Andwhat does the LORD require of you?To act justly and to love mercy and towalk humbly with your God.’(Micah 6:8)

This verse is not some impossiblychallenging demand laid down by anangry and judgmental God. To actjustly, love mercy and walk humbly isnot a command but a massive insightinto the Father heart of God. It isexactly the same relationship I havewith my boy when he takes care ofthe kid with a grazed knee or doeswhat he’s told without answering meback. I’ll still love him even if he isstomping away in a huff, but seeinghim look after a kid half his age whenhe could (quiterightly) be off doinghis own thing fills mewith enormous pride.So, with that ideafirmly in mind, let’shave a look at whatGod means whenhe calls us to ‘actjustly’. This isactually more

complex than it first seems.The Hebrew word translated in

the NIV as ‘act’ can betranslated do, conduct yourself or

seek out/pursue; whilst the wordjustice usually regards regulationsand standards but can also refer tothe justness of cause. So let’sexpand the term ‘act justly’ to say, ‘dothe right thing to the highest standardyou can and doggedly pursue theright thing for anyone who needs youto fight their corner.’ At that momentin time I felt like I could play a part infighting the Syrian innocents’ corner -like this was the right thing to do ifwe were to pursue any sort of justice.

Looking back now with a littlehindsight and a lot more sleep thanI’d had that week, the issuessurrounding intervention in Syria werefar more complex than I had givencredit for, but the situation did giveme the opportunity to stop and thinkabout what it means to ‘do justice’ inday to day life. If we want to takeliving a Godly lifestyle seriously and,by extension, be recognised asstanding aside from the stereotype ofChristian hypocrisy, acting in a justmanner has to be one of the firststops. Doing the right thing in anygiven situation, whether in ourpersonal decision making, speakingout when everyone else is too afraidto, or out-and-out fighting the cornerof the poor, the weak and themarginalised will only ever make youstand out from the crowd. It is inthese things that we can start toreally show the Father heart of ourGod to a watching world, a heart theworld is longing to see.

What does God consider as a Godlylifestyle? (part 1 of 3)

by Flight Lieutenant Jonny (JP) Palmerfollow on twitter: @followjonnyp

act justly


Well that’s it ..Snowdoniamarathon alldone!Managed atime of 4hrs 19and 54 secs.

Of course the 54 seconds are important,pushing the time under 4hr 20 makes itsound better. My mate Carl came inbehind me. But he did a brilliant time andhe finished in 5.06. In previous races theyused to list ‘DNF” alongside somenumbers. Did Not Finish. Bit depressingthat really when you have done all thetraining and for whatever reason you endup with a DNF. In fact they have not listedthe DNFs for this marathon, but I knowthere were guys who did not finish, sawthem in the pick up mini bus and also satby the marshalls at the drink stationswaiting for transport back to the finish.

Which reminds me that being a Christianis ultimately knowing that you are going tofinish – more on that later. Looking backat myself at Mile 23 I wondered if that wasgoing to happen or whether I was going tojust sit at the side of the road, cry like aRoyal Marine in a spelling test and giveup. But one of the great things aboutsome (not all) marathons is that they givea finisher’s medal to all who get injuredalong the way. I like that. If you drop outbecause you haven’t done enoughtraining maybe you haven’t earned themedal, but if you twist your ankle on acarelessly discarded drink cup at a waterstation, that’s not exactly your fault is it?Life’s like that, if you have any level offaith in God stuff will still come your waythat you can’t control, injuries, illnessesetc, that may knock you out for a while.But God being God does not count thatagainst you, in fact he is more interestedin how you deal with it than the fact that ithappens. So even if you do the last few

miles in the back of the mini-bus, thatfinishers’-medal is still waiting for you fromGod.

Anyway, jumping back to Snowdonia. Carland I made the mistake of driving thecourse the night before. Well, I saymistake, it just brought back to me thehorror of the course. I had clearlyremembered that something horrendousoccurred at mile 23, but had obviouslybanished from my mind the long climb atabout mile 10. That depressed me seeingit from the car. BUT the worst thing waswhen we got to the point where thecourse headed off the main road, I justsaid to Carl, “that’s where it goes up thathill, then flattens off, doesn’t look too bad”.So off we went for a good nights sleep,got up early and drove to the start atLlanberis. Now, I know of some Christianswho pray that God will give them a carparking space before they enter a busycar park. I must say that I am not one ofthose sort of Christians, however, whenwe arrived at Llanberis it was evident thatwe were later than we should have been.No parking spaces to be found from abouta mile away from the start. We still droveinto the centre, cars everywhere but onthe off chance went into a car park asclose to the start as possible. Hiddenbehind a van was a space. We were notpraying about a space, more like drippingand moaning about it, but God could havebeen in it - it makes you think.

We did our warm ups and the gun went.Steady pace up the first climb, dripped likemad at the climb at mile ten, but overallthe scenery was amazing and thecamaraderie of running the race with somany others was brilliant - enjoyableeven! Then came mile 23. I turned thecorner and up the hill. It flattened out justas I remembered, then I may have said avaguely unchristian word as the track

continued off road up and up. “Oh Dearieme – I don’t remember this”, thought I.Eventually it did flatten off into the finaldescent to the finish and that finishersmeal (or in fact a slate coaster). Youknow what? I was so glad that I did notknow (or had been reminded) quite howbad it was at mile 23. If I had knownmaybe I would have sacked the wholething, or just worried constantly about itand I would not have enjoyed the rest ofthe run (and I DID enjoy it ). I am so gladthat God does not tell us what is comingin this life. Yes we can make plans, yeswe can look forward to stuff, but ultimatelywe do not know what’s gonna happen thenext second, let alone in a years time! If Idid I can think of times when I would haveprobably given up or scrubbed roundsomething or other, knowing what wascoming, but having faith in God is beingsure that whatever hits us at mile 23 ortomorrow, God will see us through to thefinish line and we will get the finisher’smedal. If you don’t have that peace andassurance speak to a Christian oppo orthe bish (chaplain).

Next on the list is a charity drag race. I’msure I will find something to wear. It neverceased to amaze me what used to comeout of sailors’ lockers for ‘SODS operas’even before we had girls at sea. Next time running up and down a 6ft areaof deck for an hour ….

by Steve Martin,Operations Director -Christian Vision for Men

contact 13

the finishing line©Sport Pictures Cymru


coffee break

14 contact

£25Prize

What is the Armed Forces’ Christian Union (AFCU)?AFCU is one of a number of British militaryChristian fellowships. It is a tri-service, all-rank,inter-denominational fellowship of Christians whowish to grow in their faith and share it with thosewith whom they serve. The basis of membershipis prayer.

Who can join? Anyone who believes in prayer to God throughour Lord Jesus Christ, and who is willing to prayregularly for the spiritual welfare of the ArmedForces, is welcome as a member. Those servingin regular or reserve sections of the Royal Navy,Royal Marines, Army or Royal Air Force join asServing Members. All others, including those whohave retired from the services, join as AssociateMembers. Serving membership is open to officercadets and recruits under training, while thoseserving in foreign armed forces are welcomed as‘honorary’ members. The Union welcomes asAssociate Members those who are not part of HMForces, but have a concern for the spiritual well-being of Service personnel and their families.Their prayers will be greatly valued and there areopportunities to meet with others in existingprayer groups or to pray individually for servingmembers and the work of the AFCU.

What will it mean to me?Members receive regular mailings of Contactmagazine, AFCU News & Views and otherliterature. You can also have access toinformation and resources on the website and linkwith a network of Christian contacts across theArmed Forces. They are invited to attend variousevents including teaching and fellowship daysand weekends, and holidays with a Christianemphasis. Serving members are invited to belinked to an Associate group for regular prayersupport and, as far as possible, encouraged tomake contact with other AFCU members in theirlocation.

Will it cost me anything?The Union does not have a membershipsubscription. Members are simply asked to giveas the Lord leads and according to their means (2Corinthians 9:6-8). The cost of producing themailings alone is about £30 per person per year.

How do I join?You can apply for membership on the AFCUwebsite www.afcu.org.uk by clicking on the ‘Join’button and following directions. Or you can email([email protected]) or phone (01252 311221) theoffice and ask for a membership form.

the ‘birth’ ofan app

The new AFCU app isnow available todownload for allpopular mobiledevices. The creativeforce behind the app,Flight Lieutenant

Jonny Palmer, explained that he hopedthe app would help people have moreresources close at hand. He said: “ThisApp is the definitive way to keep intouch with what is going on in theAFCU. You can now stay up-to-dateanywhere in the world, on ops orexercise via Facebook, Twitter or e-mail. If you've just been posted let usknow your new details and then callyour AFCU Local Contact to find outwhat's on in the local area direct fromthe app - You can even download themembers’ list so you have all yourmates’ details at hand all the time.What's more, with 24/7 prayer supportat your fingertips you will never be on aWing and a Prayer alone again.”

Packed with all our resources, everyonecan keep themselves spiritually fedwhether at home or in a HESCO shelterand now that the AFCU events bookingsystem links straight into phone diariesmembers never need to miss theirfavourite AFCU weekend away again.To grab the AFCU app visithttp://get.theapp.co/7423

For a few more useful ipad apps forChristian leaders see below:

Evernote:Never forget anything again - this is thebest note taking app according to ourGuru. Used for keeping a database ofany sermons, or just to capture randomideas before you forget them.

Paper:This won the app of the year awardfrom itunes. It’s a greatnotetaking/drawing app, allowing you toorganise notes and sketches intodifferent notebooks, just as if you had abag full of notebooks with you.

Biblegateway:Read and listen to the Bible on yourphone or ipad. This allows you tosearch numerous translations. You canalso use the Youversion, which comeshighly recommended as a simple appbringing God’s word into your daily life,with your notes easy to access.


What is happening in photo above? Send in your Caption... Thank you to all of you forentering this competition. We get some really good captions.Congratulations to the winner. Please send your funny caption to:[email protected] and get them in before 31st April 2014.

the big read

what a pic!competition

contact 15

Santa was understandably deflated by the successof the Padre’s “Real Meaning of Christmas”campaign. PAN

£25Prize

Storming Home: British Soldier,Bodyguard To The Stars, Boozer AndAddict - Could Billy Change? by BillyGilvearThe extraordinary true story of a soldierturned bodyguard to the stars, who thenhas an experience of faith thattransforms his life dramatically. From aworld of drugs and marriage breakdown,Billy’s world is turned upside down whenhe lets God break into his situation. Thisbook is an inspirational read.

£8.99 Monarch Books

Creation, Power and Truth: TheGospel in a World of CulturalConfusion by Tom Wright This book gives a well argued andchallenging approach to today's culturalconfusion. At a time when parts of ourworld are enduring civil war, whenChristianity is being pushed to one sideby secularism, Tom Wright offers plentyto think about. Highlighting some of thedangers of post-modernism, he helps usto see how modern ideaology andpolitics need to be confronted andchallenged.

£9.99 SPCK

Encounters with Jesus: UnexpectedAnswers to Life's Biggest Questionsby Timothy KellerTimothy Keller shows how people werechanged when they met Jesuspersonally, and how we can be changedtoday through our own encounter withHim. Jesus changed the life of everyperson he met in the Gospels, throughpowerful experiences and words that ledthem to unexpected answers to their bigquestions. Tim explains how theseconversations can still address ourquestions and doubts today.

£14.99 Hodder & Stoughton

Walking with God Through Pain andSuffering by Timothy KellerThe problems of pain and sufferingseem to be some of the biggestobstacles to trusting in God. This book,which is designed for ordinary Christianpeople, helps make sense of difficultexperiences. From examining what theBible has to say, the author moves on tomore practical advice about how to dealwith pain and suffering when weencounter it. A great book to help youprepare for trials yet to come.

£14.99 Hodder & Stoughton

Please send letters and captions and ideas for articles to: [email protected] © Crown Copyright from www.photos.mod.uk are reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.All photographs are copyright. Every effort is made to trace copyright holders of the images reproduced. We apologise for any unintentional omission and would bepleased to insert appropriate acknowledgement in the next issue.Please note: 1.Pictures of service men and women and those not members of the AFCU reflect our prayers and support to all members of the Armed Forces.2.Not all articles are the view of the AFCU General Committee.

Contact Editorial Team: Sqn Ldr S Priestnall RAF, Mrs S Sandy, Mrs Y Cobbold, AFCU staff, the Editors


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Contact magazine is published by AFCU three times per year - Contact ISSN 1359 - 1726 - Registered Charity (No. 249636)


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