February 2001 Vol.4, No. 2

Contents Quake in Gujarat: Foretaste of the Future?    by Matthew Fenchel Germany and Russia-Shifting Balance of Power    by Melvin Rhodes When the Angel Leaves the Storm    by Darris McNeely In Brief...World News Review    by Cecil E. Maranville This is the Way...Sharing the Front Porch    by Robin Webber This Is the Way... Sharing the Front Porch by Robin Webber Last month, on a dreary winter's day in Washington D.C., something marvelous occurred that captured my imagination. On the one hand, it was startling, and on the other, it was routine, something that occurs like clockwork every four years on the steps of the Capitol of the United States. We all tend to view a snippet or two of this historic event on our televisions, but allow me to focus a zoom lens on a specific setting and then freeze frame it in our collective view. It's the picture of political foes coming together. Yes, they are implacable, seemingly irreconcilable opponents who have waged an exhaustive campaign for the presidency of the United States and thereby control of the national agenda for the next four years. No expense has been spared, whether of money, campaign stops, photo ops, sound bites or demeaning caricatures of their rival. Indeed, all-out political warfare has been waged. Nonetheless, now at this supreme moment of the republican ideal of the peaceful transfer of power to another citizen of the land, everyone is there together to watch and embrace, if only for a moment. The steps of the national Capitol have often been called "democracy's front porch." A front porch is a powerful emblem in the mind of anyone who has a home. It is where we come and go. It is where we intersect with family and neighbors. It is where we "put out our welcome mat," both literally and figuratively. Our front porch light bids "welcome" to those who would come in from the cold and the dark. Simply put, our front porch says something about us. The "nation's front porch" on this given day says something about America. It says something about its citizens, whether Republican, Democrat or independent. It says that America is built on an ideal that is bigger and greater than the sum total of any individual or particular party's platform. At this moment in time all agendas, ideas and perceptions lie subordinate and prostrate before the greater ideal of "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." It is a time when, through much symbolism and custom, the former and new administrations pass and accept the baton of responsibility. Presidents and vice presidents take the walk of unity up to the porch for all to see. Walks and talks, handshakes and embraces, words of encouragement are exchanged, if but for a moment. Some do it better than others, but nonetheless, they all do it. On this particular day, President Bush would open by stating, "The peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet common in our country. With a simple oath we affirm old traditions, and make new beginnings." Everyone being invited to "the porch" makes his presidential rhetoric dramatically real. When the talking has stopped Now you may be saying, "C'mon, I have never seen such a big group of hypocrites in my life," or "Look, the 'honeymoon period' in Washington is already over! Just look at the Senate hearings." If that is your response, yes, you have a point. We could focus all day long on what politicians do or don't do after this majestic moment on the nation's front porch, but that's another story. The question I would like to ask the reader is, How much room do you have on your "front porch" for those who don't see eye to eye with you on every issue? Sometimes "the talking has stopped" for one reason or another even among those who have a love of God and family. Although the porch is still there, no one is on it. We haven't even taken the first step of coming together if but for a moment. Therefore, criticizing the politicians is off limits until we do some serious thinking about ourselves. Why is this so often the case? What we ideally desire and what we practically absorb are often two different things. Personal perspectives of what is "absolute" can thwart meaningful dialogue. This reminds me of the story of three people who were visiting and viewing the Grand Canyon-an artist, a pastor and a cowboy. As they stood on the edge of that massive abyss, each one responded with a cry of exclamation. The artist said, "Ah, what a beautiful scene to paint!" The minister cried, "Ah, what a wonderful example of the handiwork of God!" The cowboy mused, "What a terrible place to lose a cow!" Amazing! Same ridge, same view, same canyon-three different perceptions. The question is: Who is willing to go first to create the dialogue towards understanding? We all learned in geometry that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but have you ever noticed how most people prefer to go around in circles? Long ago, the early Church was making a lot of news and headlines in and around Jerusalem and seemed to be on the move. But they hadn't yet fully engaged at the "front porch." Unbelievable news had come to the Jerusalem congregation that none other than Paul of Tarsus, the great antagonist of all Christians, had become a disciple. Unbelievable! That would be like F.D.R. becoming a Republican, Marx becoming a capitalist or Ronald Reagan becoming a communist. Some things in life are simply irreversible, or so they seem. It sure seemed that way to the disciples and apostles in Jerusalem. Acts 9:26-27 tells us, "They were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple." The "front porch" was suddenly off limits. Unlike Motel 6, the light was not left on! Thankfully, then comes one of the great introduction words of the Bible, but Acts 9:27 tell us, "But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles." In the early Church, the "front porch" would never be the same. Barnabas recognized the need to share the "front porch" of Christianity right in Jerusalem. He recognized a "front porch" happening when it came along. He threw out all the ifs, ands and buts that had been building up against Paul about his former persecution and, perhaps, how he had handled his ministry in Damascus. Who was he to come among them? Why make room for him on the porch? How could there possibly be any dialogue-much less any relationship building? What made Barnabas, the man of Cyprus who we know by his nickname, "son of encouragement," different from the rest? Barnabas had the unique gift of seeing people for where they were headed, rather than where they were coming from. He had the ability to focus on what people could be, rather than what they appeared to be. He was not stuck on "the baggage." He understood a fundamental truth-that we of all people, we Christians, have a challenge of pointing people to the Great Reconciler. We must first be reconciled to one another, as individuals, families, congregations or church organizations. Yes, "but" is a powerful word in the Bible. It can mean the difference between life and death. Barnabas had come to realize it wasn't his job to choose God's family, but to accept them and make some more room on "the porch." Where did he learn to extend the invitation to the "front porch"?; Through the example of Jesus Christ. Touching the untouchable Early in His earthly ministry, Christ dramatically altered the rules of who is invited to the "front porch." In Luke 5:12-13, Christ chose to respond to the initiative of a leper who pleaded for healing: "'Lord if You are willing, You can make me clean.' Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.'" Due to restrictions dating back to the Old Testament, the leper was completely isolated from any community. No invitations were coming his way. No one would dare share common space or even dare to be seen in his vicinity. This is the type of person who came to Christ. These are the ones whom Christ purposefully sought. Luke 19:10 magnifies Christ's purpose: "For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost." Ultimately, by applying the geometric principle that the "shortest distance between two points is a straight line" to human relationships, Christ offered a place on "the porch" for those who would be about the business of personal engagement with the lives of others. He offered dignity to those who were considered undignified. He touched the untouchable, loved the unlovable and forgave the seemingly unforgivable. Oh, yes, Barnabas had a great teacher; so did Paul. Later on, Paul and Barnabas would have their own squabbles to work out. Somehow they, too, were looking from "the same ridge, same view, same canyon," but coming up with different perspectives. But this time it wasn't a canyon-it was the young minister, Mark. Paul didn't want him to be a part of their ministerial team. Acts 15:37-38 tells us Paul "insisted" and Barnabas was "determined." Their ideas became bigger than their Christian ideal. Paul saw a problem; Barnabas saw a man with the potential to fulfill a high calling; and God was watching all along to see what they would do. Well, everyone took off for a while. But it's interesting to note that Paul later mentions the ministry of Barnabas in relationship to his own in a positive light (1Corinthians 9:6). Again, it becomes "Barnabas and I." Not a whole lot is mentioned, but enough that we can perceive a start in the right direction. "From little acorns do great oak trees grow." Later on, even Mark is welcomed back to the "front porch." In 2Timothy 4:11 Paul writes, "Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry." The big question for you, the reader, to answer is not what politicians will do or not do after inauguration day, nor why Paul had a falling out with Barnabas. The point is, at least they came back to common ground, even though they had their differences. The big question that each of us must answer is: Who is not on our "front porch" at this time? What family member, Church member, community member or church group remains in isolation like the leper of Christ's time? Let me quote from President Bush's inaugural speech to help bring us to the point of perhaps touching the future in new ways. "Everyone belongs; everyone deserves a chance" "We have a place, all of us, in a long story-a story we continue, but whose end we will not see.... The grandest of these ideals is...that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, that no insignificant person was ever born.... And sometimes, our differences run so deep it seems we share a continent, but not a country. We do not accept this, and will not allow it. Our unity, our union, is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation. I know this is in our reach because we are guided by a power larger than ourselves who creates us equal in His image.... "America has never been united by blood or birth or soil. We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interests and teach us what it means to be citizens.... America, at its best, matches a commitment to principle with a concern for civility. A civil society demands from each of us good will and respect, fair dealing and forgiveness.... "America, at its best, is also courageous.... America, at its best, is compassionate.... America, at its best, is a place where personal responsibility is valued and expected.... "Americans are generous and strong and decent, not because we believe in ourselves, but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves.... When this spirit is present, no wrong can stand against it." Think beyond the man and the political party. Readers who do not live in the United States, think beyond national identity. Just allow the words and concepts to sink in. Each of us, from whatever country, needs only to substitute the word "Christian" for "America," and it becomes our story. It truly does take a new civility, a new round of courage, an expanding compassion and recognized self-responsibility to open your "front porch" when it's been off limits to some for so long. World News and Prophecy is dedicated to the "long story that continues." We do see the end, a different end from what most of humanity is experiencing today. We look to a future dedicated to the reality of foes becoming friends, the lost being found and people with the same ideals being able to disagree without being disagreeable. While the staff and contributing writers of World News and Prophecy feel a responsibility to alert readers to the troubling predicaments of human society in today's world, we want our readers to understand the good news at the end of the story. The same Christ who touched the leper is returning to touch this earth with an administration that is going to move beyond four or even eight years and move beyond the best intentioned inaugural rhetoric and truly bring people together on the "front porch"-not simply for a moment, but forever. Looking into the future through the window of Bible prophecy, see the time of reconciliation that's coming. Isaiah 19:23-24 says, "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria-a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, 'Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.'" No more circles! Highways-straight lines-will be going everywhere to everybody. Everyone will be invited to take his or her place on the "front porch," not for a quick handshake, sound bite or photo, but to stay and build. The words of God found in Isaiah 1:18 will be the welcome sign to all future generations, "Come now, and let us reason together." Yes, that brief moment of togetherness on the nation's front porch is not the end of the story, but points to a bigger story that bids our reading audience to consider the millennial refrain of "this is the way, walk you in it"-right up to my front porch, right now, whatever it takes, whoever is willing. wnp

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