Who know what evil lurks....

From John in Bagram:

As the winter months come crawling our way, the nights here in Afghanistan have begun to chill and it often appears that they have taken on a life of their own. As the sun goes down the very appearance of normality is replaced by a hidden force. The sky is filled with a smothering dust that makes the moon fight for the very right to shine. What is this strange phenomenon in Afghanistan that causes one to feel safe and secure in the light and yet allows depression and despair to assault you at night?

You see, evil thrives in the darkness. It is under this shroud that my enemy does his work. In the black of night, Improvised Explosive Devices are hidden on the road ways waiting to steal life from the next convoy that dares to drive by. It is in the cover of darkness that would be heroes of the insurgency draw close to our base and launch missiles over our walls. They slither back and wait to hear if their prayers will be answered when their offering of terror strikes my base. The Afghans and the Americans both know that the night is owned by the Taliban. It was just a few nights ago that we found ourselves facing this very evil.

In the middle of a war zone, things that are harmless and gentle in the light of day become mysterious shadows well suited for evil in the black of night. On this day, as if frightened away by some unseen force, the sun had quickly fallen from the sky. A series of fighter jets had just taken off with a deafening roar and we were left with an eerie silence that sent chills up our spines. Wasn’t it “The Shadow” from the 1930 who taunted us with the line, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?” The thought of these words can haunt a man as he moves through the dim alleys of our base.

The path from our office to our living quarters is sporadically lined with a poor attempt at lighting. Instead of providing a path of security, we find that the faded glow from the overhead lamps only intensifies this world of shadows. Even when surrounded by thousands of soldiers, each one of us knows that in darkness, our enemy is always near.

Chief Warrant Officer Biggerstaff, whom we call Mr. B, was the first who dared to go out that night. Having traveled this path a hundred times Mr. B ducked his head and as the dust blew across the lot he shielded his eyes and began the walk toward his room. From the corner of his eye he thought he saw a dog lurking in the shadows across the parking lot. But there are no dogs on the base. Was this a dog in the darkness or a man couched down to the ground? He would have ignored the very idea had he not noticed that when he stopped… so did the figure.

The hair stood up on the back of his neck as all of his senses became aware of the danger that he faced. Slowly, he lowered himself down as his hand dropped to his holster. As his fingers took hold of his pistol he saw the figure also stop and duck down. As he contemplated his situation and began to evaluate maneuver options, he noticed that the figure in the darkness seemed to be mocking him. If Mr. B moved right, the figure moved with him. When Mr. B made a quick move left, the figure was there almost before him.

In a moment of revelation he noticed the two overhead street lamps, one forward and one to the read, both capturing him as what would appear to be a murky shadow on the other side of the parking lot. Mr. B moved on to his room pondering the unanswered question, “Do you get a medal for shooting your own shadow?”

- Major John Parker

Thanks from Bagram

A few weeks ago, the life group I attend at my home church boxed up a load of goodies and shipped them to my brothers unit in Afghanistan. Nestled safely on American soil surrounded by the comforts of our homes, it is easy to forget how much impact a small gift can have. The following is the thank you note penned by my brother to our class:



To the members of North Monroe Baptist Church:



There are few words that can be written to adequately describe how appreciative we are of your care packages. The wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, while supported by our country, are often overlooked in terms of the human cost of war. I thank you for taking the time to remember not the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, but rather the men and women who make up these organizations.



I wake up everyday and realize that I am surrounded by children. It seems that these boys and girls that we send outside of these semi-secure walls were just yesterday sitting in their parents laps being rocked to sleep. Now, they are the face of freedom that we send into the fight.



To see the excitement of the kid's faces when they come in the building and see the shelves full is the same look I used to get years ago when my mother would take us to Howard Griffin Land of Toys there in Monroe (ask Barry to explain). The bottom line is that your gift brought joy to a group of soldiers very far from home. Thank you, thank you.






Maj. John Parker
176 Engineer Brigade
Afghanistan

Notes from the front

This is an email sent from my brother John in Afghanistan - didn't want it misplaced.
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In the last five days my unit has seen four soldiers killed in action. Tomorrow morning we will have our third Ramp Ceremony for the week. The Ramp Ceremony, by design, is performed to show the highest level of respect for those who have died in battle as their bodies are loaded on the plane that will fly them home. There is an intensive effort here to bring honor to these men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. While the ceremony is designed as a tribute to the fallen soldier, deep down I know that it is actually for me. With each ceremony, I have realized that its personal impact on me is cumulative. Each event brings a point of closure, but at the same time, an intensifying reality check on how fragile life actually is. I am surrounded by a constant reminder that we have no promise of tomorrow, much less next week or next year.

On a normal day I sit at my desk and listen to people complain; I have to walk too far to use the latrine, there aren’t any paper towels, the a/c is not cool enough, or someone tracked dirt in my office. All of this absurd whining takes place in the safety and the security of our office building. Meanwhile, our soldiers are putting on their gear and fearlessly driving into the local towns and villages to face a hidden enemy. Their only goal is to do the right thing. Every day they go out. Sometimes, they come back.

Today another American soldier was lost. I wonder if his baby daughter will ever understand why her daddy died in Afghanistan. Will she ever be able to grasp the complexity of war? Can she tell the difference between an insurgent and one who fights for freedom? Will that little girl care about the politics or will she just cry when her daddy doesn’t come home for Christmas? What peace will that beautifully wrapped Christmas present bring her, when she holds it instead of holding her daddy? But, in the end, her daddy is gone and he won’t be home for Christmas.

The Ramp Ceremony brings a momentary lull to an airfield that operates at full capacity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is a sense that time stands still as the massive C-17 Cargo plane pulls into place. The plane sits on the tarmac in an eerie silence as the rear aft door slowly drops. In the distance you can hear the vocal commands of the honor guard and you can almost feel each step as 30 soldiers march their way toward the rear of the plane. They methodically separate into two columns and cordon a path of honor for their fallen comrade.

The order is given to “Present Arms” as a vehicle slowly pulls forward with one more American hero. Arms are raised in salute as eight fellow soldiers, in drilled precision, move forward and take charge of the casket. As the flag draped casket is slowly marched toward the plane, the drum like sounds of boots echo across the airfield. You hear the voice of the detachment commander, “left, left, left…” as he leads the procession toward the rear of the plane that will take this soldier home for the last time.

As these days have passed, I find myself almost feeling guilty if I laugh or smile. Yet, I remember the words of John 10:10 when Jesus said, “I came that you might have life and have it abundantly.” I often ask myself where the realities of war and the call for abundant life come together. I pray that someday, I will find that answer.

Tonight I will pray for a mother that I do not know. Tonight I will cry for a child that I have never seen. Tonight my heart will break for a world that does not realize the magnitude of what they just lost.

- MAJ John D. Parker

Back in the good old days

Ran across this article from a 1947 edition of the Monroe Morning World. Based on this, it would seem the more things change, the more they remain the same. The text is difficult to read from the scanned version, so, I've typed the content to make it legible. Enjoy!

Postwar Crime

During the war a good many law enforcement officers, sociologists, and just plain people were predicting that there would be a postwar crime wave. Statistics for 1946, released by the FBI, indicate that they were right. Crime, up 7.6 per cent over 1945, now stands at a 10-year high.

It seems likely that the situation is even worse than expected. For the predictions must surely have considered the factor of widespread, if temporary, postwar unemployment. But it's safe to say that few offenders are robbing and stealing today because work isn't to be had. So the major causes of present crime must be social and emotional, rather than economic.

Some of the causes are not hard to identify. Home training suffered in many families during the war when mothers joined the ranks of the workers to help ease the manpower shortage or help support a family whose father was in the service. Thousands of school teachers left the classroom for etter-paying jobs. Their replacements were often inferior in training as well as number.

Military requirements thinned the ranks of law enforcement agencies, which in many cases are still under-staffed. And then, as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover put it, effects of the "spirit of wartime abandon" have not yet run their course. Teenagers who grew up in the emotionally charged atmosphere of the war may be finding it hard to make adjustments and settle down. Many young veterans are at loose ends.

All this is reflect in the accent on youth which the 1946 crime figures give. More 21-year-olds were arrested than any other age group. They were followed by those of 22, 23, 24 and 20 years. Youths under 21 accounted for 16.9 per cent of the total arrested.

There are two remedies, of course, which the situation demands -- prevention and reclamation. Though the causes of most juvenil delinquency can be found at home, all parents do not have the mental, emotional, or economic equipment to cope with the problem. Communities must concern themselves with it. Decent housing, adequate schools with adequately-paid teachers, and free recreational facilities are some of the thrice-familiar but often neglected weapons.

More serious and more neglected is the problem of making good citizens out of youths who already have police records. Countless criminal histories point up the great need for intelligent, sympatheric, well-trained probation and parole officers. Treatment during the social "convalescence" of a young first offender is clearly a neglected science.

The 1946 crime figures give warning that a job must be done. Though it is difficult, our preent economic climate of full employment and reasonable prosperity makes this seem a propitious time to begin it in earnest.

Christians and Muslims

Over recent months, I've received an email several times about an Islamic prayer day scheduled for Washington DC in September 2009. The email, like much of the Internet rhetoric theses days, seems to border on hysteria, is based on very little fact, and seems more intended to discredit the faith and beliefs of the current President of the United States than anything else. My bottom line opinion about the event -- much ado about nothing. I've visited their website and to date they have 3 sponsors; all of them are from the local New Jersey area. I suspect this will look a lot like the Million Man March held some years back and will be sparsely attended. That said, there are some things about this that do concern me both from a religious and constitutional perspective.

What concerns me the most is the attitude so many Christians have taken toward people that need to hear about Jesus and eternal salvation offered through him. As a Christian nation we are ignoring the opportunity afforded us to witness to the Islamic nation. Rather than seeing these people as lost souls eternally separated from God, we are choosing to polarize along political boundaries, alienate them as a nation and as a people, essentially consigning them hell without regard to our commission to spread the gospel to all the world.

Further, there seems to be a tendency on the part of conservative Christians to shy away from and in some cases run from people of Muslim faith in fear. By so doing we essentially undermine the power we claim to have through Christ to overcome false teachings. I have dear friends from my days in academia that are Muslim who have witnessed my life as a Christian and commented on it. I've used that opportunity to open a small portal through which they might learn the truth. To shy away or rebuke them for what they have believed is wrong and counter to life's illustration given us by Jesus in dealing with the Samaritan woman at the well. Among perhaps my strongest beliefs to develop over the past years is this: we will never hate someone (including Muslims) to the cross and I affirm that without reservation or hesitancy.

The other significant concern has to do with how much of the Constitution we are willing to discard. While we were a nation founded primarily by groups seeking religious freedom from the Anglican Church of England, that is often oversimplified. It is important to note Roger Miller, one of our Baptist founders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Williams_(theologian), was so much at odds with other religious group he had to move to Rhode Island to find a place to worship as he saw appropriate. Additionally, the framers of the Constitution were so concerned that any religion should rise to a level where it became the 'official' church of the government, they provided for the separation of the two entities. If we, as Christians, expect to be free to exercise our faith without governmental oversight, then we are compelled to allow others to do the same.

For me, it comes to this, I want the freedom to speak the truth about Christ. If doing so allows another to speak against Him, then so be it; ultimately, through the power of Christ, my truth will prevail over their fallacies.

Airline competition

The airline industry, floundering and failing in a down economy and against growing competition, seems to be looking at a new business model for its survival. For the most part, air travel has become a commodity differentiated only by the color of the flight attendant uniforms. Overlapping routes and time slots have forced airlines to compete against one another solely on price. Although many people seek to blame Southwest Airlines for this problem, the fault lies in the individual airlines inability to provide a unique experience for which customers are willing to pay.

The new approach will no longer be based on competition, but rather on control. In recent weeks, major airlines have swapped slots between airports. A slot essentially gives an airline the right to reserve a time for a plane to land and take off. By giving an airline a greater number of slots at a specific airport, the airline gains more control over a greater number of passenger seats at that destination. By owning the bulk of the landing slots at a specific airport, the airline can also exercise more control over price usurping the need to compete on price. The smaller airlines will still be able to compete on price, but won't grow sufficiently due to slot restrictions which will constrain the number of seats they can make available.

In this "free-market exercise", it appears the airline executives have agreed to slice up the country among themselves so that each can control a major section of the market. While the new model won't be called a a monopoly, it will certainly begin to behave like one. Expect fares to rise and for customer service to continue to erode. What should not be expected is a return to profitability. Even with control over the airport, technology has transformed how business is done and the need for face-to-face exchanges continues to decline. People just don't have the need to fly anymore.

It will be interesting to see in a decade whether this deregulated industry finds itself reregulated and looking a lot like Amtrack.

Even 2 out of 3 is still not enough

Over the past few days, an email has resurfaced encouraging all Americans to pray for the country. The oft cited text for a nation that has strayed from God is 2 Chronicles 7:14. That verse states,"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." I would not challenge the need to pray and offer no argument against that, but it is going to take much more than that to fix the problems in this country. Even a cursory reading of the text clearly marks 3 steps that are required to gain forgiveness and healing from above.

The first is for people to humble themselves and pray. One need only look at the vast number of churches in this country and follow the trail of prayer warriors everywhere to see this happening. Yet, in spite of the efforts of the millions praying, nothing seems to improve. Why? The problems continue not because of what is being done, but rather from failing to embrace the other needed changes in order to find restoration at the hands of God. Note the second item is to seek God's face. In a nation obsessed with the pursuit of wealth, youth, and power, the 'seeking' takes place only for the betterment of the individual. Seeking his face would put each individual in the submissive and secondary role of 'loving a neighbor as ourselves'. In some places that occurs, but the abundance of hungry, homeless, tired, needy people suggests we have much more to do in seeking him. Then, finally, we are compelled to turn from our wicked ways. As a nation, we've chosen to seek out the 'legality' of what we do over the Biblical standards of moral propriety concerning what we should do. On demand abortion, homosexual marriages, and rampant sexual immorality permeate all levels society without regard to social class or standing extending through to the leaders both in and out of the church clearly showing the depths of wickedness to which we've fallen.

Change will come to America when, as a nation, we are willing to carry through the full calling of the gospel in obedience and love. We can not hide behind the veil of grace as protection from the sin we introduce into the world. Paul, in his letter to Corinth tells us,( 1 Corinthians 11:32)When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. In short, I believe America is under God's judgement and God's people are being disciplined by Him. Whether we will continue to survive as a nation will rest in how we finish the tasks set forth in 2 Chronicles to come out from under that judgement -- and 2 out of 3 won't be enough to protect us.

Everyone should help out

According to the USA Today in the May 14, 2009 edition, Pfizer says it will provide 70 of its most widely prescribed prescription drugs — including Lipitor, Viagra, some antibiotics and others — free to people who have lost their jobs and health insurance. The world's biggest drugmaker said Thursday that it will give away the medicines for up to a year to Americans who lost jobs since Jan. 1 and have been on the Pfizer (PFE) drug three months or more. It occurs to me the Phillip-Morris company could get on the bandwagon and provide some Marlboro Lights to their customers who've been using their products over 3 months also. With all that free time on their hands and Viagra in their medicine cabinets, it's reasonable to expect the consumption of cigarettes to rise too among the group least likely to be able to afford it now.