Patrick and Jamie Nachtigall

This website is run by Patrick & Jamie Nachtigall.  We are Regional Coordinators to Europe and the Middle East for Global Missions of the Church of God (Anderson, IN) and leaders of the Three Worlds Team.  We serve this region with our friends seeking to prepare the Church for global ministry in the 21st Century.   Our Personal Bios are below: PATRICK  NACHTIGALL

Patrick received his B.A. from Anderson University and his M.A. from Yale University in the field of religion. He has lived in Latin America, Asia, and North America and is now the Regional Coordinator for Europe and the Middle East for Global Missions and leads the Three Worlds Team. Patrick has traveled to 60 countries around the world and has written on issues relating to religion and globalization for a number of periodicals.

The author of three books, Patrick likes to explore the global shifts occurring in religion. His first book Passport of Faith: A Christian's Encounter with World Religions is used in a few different colleges and seminaries around the world and his second book Faith in the Future: Christianity's Interface with Globalization was named one of the Top 40 books of 2008 and 2009 by World Magazine. His latest book is entitled Mosaic: A Journey Across the Church of God and is a 6 continent journey around the world and reveals the complex landscape that churches and Christian organizations must struggle to navigate at the dawn of the 21^st Century.

JAMIE NACHTIGALL'S BIOGRAPHY

Jamie was born in Washington but grew up in Cairo, Egypt. Like Patrick, she is a TCK (third-culture kid) and has always felt more at home on an airplane than in any one country.

She attended Anderson University where she pursued a degree in English. During her college years Jamie spent several summers overseas working in Hong Kong and at Mother Teresa's Home for the Destitute and Dying in Calcutta, India. Prior to that, she worked with disabled adults in Seattle and Portland.  Most recently she served as the Membership Coordinator for both the Yale University Art Museum and the Yale Center for British Art and along with Patrick lived and worked in Hong Kong for nearly 10 years.

Jamie loves travel, and cross-stitching. On average, she reads more than 35 books a year.  She also enjoys working with the disabled.  Patrick and Jamie were married in 1997 and their son Marco was born in Hong Kong in 2003. They spent 10 years as missionaries in Hong Kong and assumed the Regional Coordinator position for Europe/Middle East in 2010 and started Three Worlds.

Meet the Langfords: New 3W Teammembers!

Zach was born in Port Charlotte, Florida and was an active member of 6th Avenue Church of God in Decatur, Alabama (Ken and Keli Oldham's church) when he got interested in international ministry.  After going on a mission trip to Guyana, Zach traveled to the U.K. to work with the Church of God and felt God calling him to England.  He returned for the summer in 2008 to work in the church in Birkenhead (Liverpool) for the summer and that was the beginning of a great love affair between Zach and England as well as the U.K. churches.   In 2010, Zach married Audrey Denmark and they moved back to Birkenhead to continue working as a pastor with the church there.

Audrey is a TCK (Third-Culture Kid) who spent some time as a child in Cairo, Egypt attending the same school that Jamie Nachtigall attended.  She has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a B.S. in Elementary Education from University of Alabama and has worked as a teacher and as a Lead Clinical Assistant.   She has also worked in rural Mexico, Belize, and Northern Ireland on mission trips.

The paths of the Langfords and Three Worlds kept passing as we traveled to the U.K. to lend support to the churches in London and Liverpool.  We were deeply impressed with their level of integration, their analytical skills, and their deep faith in what is one of the toughest mission-fields we have in this region: the tough, working-class neighborhood of Birkenhead.  We invited them to our 3W Seminars and they helped organize them.  Audrey accompanied Jamie Nachtigall to help introduce the Oldhams to Egypt on their first visit, and Zach has spent time in Germany meeting the Church of God there and cooking for Patrick and Marco. We also invited them to join our 3W Staff Meeting in September of 2011 and they fit right in with the rest of the crazy team.  They felt God calling them to long-term ministry and that led to this opportunity for them to join the 3W Team. The work of this couple has been deeply impressive and we are thrilled to formally have them on our team.

Zach and Audrey have committed to moving to England to serve with the local youth and church in the Liverpool area as well as regionally with the 3Worlds(3W) team.  Zach hopes to continue to support Egan Road Church of God as well as help with research and development of the 3W church planting initiative.  Audrey will begin developing an MK/TCK Member Care Program for 3W as well as continue to work with the youth at Egan Road.

Meet the Kihms: New 3W Team Members

Daniel and Christy Kihm are our Three Worlds missionaries to Holland.  Daniel grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and holds a B.A. in Bible & Religion as well as an M.Div. from Anderson University.  He also attended Cincinnati Bible College.  For the past 7 years, Daniel was the Senior Pastor at Maple Grove Church of God in Anderson, Indiana.  Daniel has had extensive experience leading teams overseas and has traveled to Haiti, Peru, Guatemala, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Honduras, Grand Cayman, India, Mexico, Australia, France, Italy, Jamaica, and Morocco.  He also was a part of XZ Berlin's 2010 Urban Mission Experience.

Christy was born in Albany, Indiana and has been working as an Admissions Counselor at Anderson University.  She has a B.A. in Secondary Education and a Masters in Business Administration from Anderson University.  Christy has traveled to Israel, Honduras, Tanzania, Brazil, Costa Rica, Greece, and has co-lead groups with Daniel to Grand Cayman, Hungary, Romania, India, Honduras, and Australia.

Both Daniel and Christy love being in positions where they can mentor and encourage people in their lives and ministry.  On the Three Worlds Team, the Kihms will be based in Holland working with the young, emerging leadership in the Church of God congregations near the Belgium and German border as well as in Holland.  The Kihms will also be assisting the XZ Berlin team from time to time, and helping us lay the foundation for a major Church planting and church support initiative by Three Worlds.  We are very excited to have them join our team!

By the way--the Kihms are expecting their first child this summer, so there will be 3 Kihms on the 3W team.

3W Seminar: Bulgaria II

This weekend we are having our 10th 3W Seminar; this one in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.  Never would I have thought we would have done so many of these in the first year, but they are really filling a need.  One of the things I love about the 3W Seminars is that they cut right to the heart of the issues that churches struggle with--the common tripwires.  But another thing I like is how they connect people from outside Europe and the Middle East with this great region.  We have our first 3W Seminars outside of the Church of God this summer in Almeria, Spain.

We will also be visiting Serbia (first time) as well as the Church of God congregations in Hungary.  This is one of the most exciting stories of our region as two young pastors have emerged to lead the country: Peter Kiss and Laszlo Debrecini.  You will be hearing all about those two guys in the very near future.  The churches are healthy, the leadership is healthy, and we have a lot of laughs when we are together.  Peter is hands down the funniest guy in the CHOG worldwide.  So you're in for quite the ride if you spend a few minutes with him.  Think Robin Williams on speed!  Yeah....I know.

So off to the Balkans and Eastern Europe. I'll get some great, blurry photos to share with you all.

Photos from Lebanon Last Week

Radio Silence

Hello everyone.  Sorry for the silence lately.  I returned from Lebanon and I'm down to my last few days in Berlin.  I'll be in and out over the next few months, but I really only have a few days when I will actually be in Berlin--so I am busy trying to prepare talks for visits to Bulgaria, Hungary, Florida, Indiana, and Ukraine.  It's all coming up very quickly. I'm also trying to spend as much time with the family as possible as I will be gone almost all of June and 1 week in July---my longest trip away for the year.  What a drag.  From the 2nd week of July to September, I should be with the family uninterrupted--I hope.

Anyway, I'll update a bit when I get a chance over the next couple of days.  Thanks for your patience.

The Next Christendom: Discussion 6

We now turn to Chapter 7 in our continuing discussion of Philip Jenkins' book "The Next Christendom."  This chapter is probably one of the most complex chapters in the book and could be expanded into a book itself.  It deals with the nexus between Christianity and politics.

In Europe Christianity has become politically irrelevant after the disasterous mix of Christianity and politics which led to Christendom.  Europe's experience with "Christian Kings, armies, Popes, and governments has left a permanent mark on this continent.  Meanwhile, the United States was established to force a separation of church and state in order to preserve religious freedom (and dynamism).

In the Global South where non-Western Christianity is exploding, there is more of an integration of faith and politics (within Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism).  This chapter fleshes out examples.

Church and State have been merged in the Global South as well.  The Roman Catholic Church has wielded a lot of influence in many countries, particularly in Latin America.  In many cases, the Catholic Church sided with repressive governments which led to an opening for theological and political resistance movements to form.

The "Liberation Theology" movements that emerged in the late 1960's encouraged believers to wage political struggles against oppressive regimes.  This often meant going up against Western-backed dictatorships and consequently, much of Liberation theology was infused with Marxist critiques.

In Africa, many of the anti-colonialism activists of the 1960's were educated in mission schools and many of these nationalist and revolutionary figures (including Nelson Mandela) started movements.  This created the paradoxical situation that while the Roman Catholic Church often supported corrupt, oppressive regimes, the church itself educated many of the people who would rise up against those regimes.  So much so that Political Scientist Samuel Huntington identified the Catholic Church as one of the principal engines for progress as it relates to democratization.

Sometimes the oppression of an outside force allows Christianity to emerge as a political force as it did in South Korea under Japanese repression--and in Chile under Pinochet.

In some cases, the rise of Christianity or Christian parties can have negative consequences or be used as a tool of oppression itself--as is the case in Fiji where a majority Christian population attempts to subjugate the Hindu minority

Page 154 is key:  "Submission to a 'Christian State' can easily turn into a willful refusal to acknowledge the flaws of that regime, and to connive at official corruption and violence....In addition, there is a real temptation for churches hat have led or participated in revolutions to provide uncritical support for the new regimes, and to judge them by different standards from those applied to the old order.   Acknowledging this temptation in the newly democratized South Africa, Archbishop Tutu shrewdly observed that 'It is easy to be against.  It is not nearly so easy to be clear about what we are for."

Another form of "political activism" which is not so overtly tied to political parties but which takes up social causes and assists the poor.  And that is Pentecostalism, surprisingly enough.  In places like Brazil, Pentecostal churches make their presence known in places where the police and social services dare not enter.

Jenkins seems to worry that the politicization of Christianity (and religion in general) can lead to a new Christendom.  Whereas the West has largely realized that a close fusion of politics and religion can be highly detrimental (particularly toward religion), the non-Western parts of the world may be in the pre-Christendom phase.

***Patrick's thoughts***

It's not true that Christianity only expands through the needs of oppressed minority groups--however, this is certainly a great part of Christian expansion.  Samuel Huntington in his politically incorrect (but I think prescient book) forecast an era in which there would be a "Clash of Civilizations" between different religious worldviews.  Fault-lines opening up between Christians and Muslims, Hindus and Muslims, Eastern Orthodox Christians and Muslims etc.  It was a very politically incorrect thing to say in 1993, but what was often missed by the critiques was this key point:  even in the modern world, religion matters.  A world of technology doesn't make deeply held religious beliefs disappear.  If anything, modern progress can lead to explosive situations where ancient religions are viewed as the tool by which to attack all the socio-political changes and the modern world in general.  It's hard to remember what a bold and insightful critique this was 7 years before 9/11.

Nevertheless, Jenkins belief (which he has since walked back or disavowed) that new Christendoms may emerge in the non-Western world has not been borne out yet.  For the most part, the expansion of Christianity (and it has been explosive over the past 50 years) has gone on with remarkably little political conflict compared to Christendom's expansion (330AD-1750AD).  In other words, Christians in new Christian territories are far less militaristic than Europeans were.

Why would this be the case?  My guess is because 20th and 21st Century Christians outside of the West have had to live in very pluralistic environments.  Where life cannot really be lived without interacting with people of other faiths.

In 2009, I was in Mumbai, India and got stuck there after my flight left without me.  I had a fantastic time being stuck in Mumbai.  I was in a neighborhood full of Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, and Christians.  It was impossible to do anything in that neighborhood without interacting with people of radically different faiths.  It was fantastic.  "This," ---I thought to myself, "is how so many of the world's Christians live."  The idea that religion constantly breeds religious conflict is a very Western one, really.  It comes from Christendom (Europe's) negative experience with religion.  It also probably comes from Christianity's absolutist nature, which Westerners think must mean there's religious conflict all over the place when Christians and Muslims are involved (both religions being very absolutist).  But that is simply not the case.  Throughout the world, both Muslims and Christians can co-exist side by side peacefully.  It is actually the norm.

The media and certain flashpoints constantly in the news:  Israel, Sudan, and Sri Lanka come to mind---make people think that pluralistic religious societies always result in war.  They don't.

The flipside of this, however, is that when governments seek to use one religion to dominate a country (a return to Christendom), those countries and that regime get discredited over time.  Live by the sword, die by the sword...  And see religious influence and belief decline rapidly.

There's no doubt that overall--religious conflict will increase in the near future.  It is an irresistible way of attacking new ideas and foreigners.  But there will be lots of places of peaceful expansion, and there will also be places of rapid secularization.  There will be multiple tracks that the world takes in the first part of the 21st Century.

Memorial Service for the Kurrles

This account by a missionary family in Paraguay regarding the Memorial Service for Julie and Timmy--which they attended-- is amazing and well-worth reading in full. ****

"What a beautiful time we had this past Saturday night in the home church of the Kurrles--the Obligado, PY Church of God.  I have to confess that a part of me dreaded going, not really wanting to believe that this could be real, not wanting to see the dark cloud of grief hovering over our friend Norberto, not wanting to see pictures and videos of Julie and Timmy that I'd been able to avoid for the most part.  But what a surprise God had in store for us!

How I got to the memorial service is a story all in itself, but one for another day.  I arrived with dear friends Jamie and Marion Lee, British missionaries living in Ciudad del Este.  We'd had the benefit of a 3-hour ride to process the horror and shock of this situation, and prepare mentally for trying to encourage Norberto and the community.  But when we arrived, we found we were the ones encouraged and blessed.

We got there an hour early, despite Jamie's very cautious, slower than normal driving.  (I think this has been a wake-up call to the entire ex-pat community, who already struggles with driving on these Paraguayan roads with few rules and even fewer people who observe them.)  We found our seats in the church, then were greeted by a gracious gentleman who welcomed us to his home congregation.  He seemed genuinely surprised to find that we were friends of Julie who had traveled just for the service, and thanked us several times for coming.  It was only after we came out and asked him that he told us he was Norberto's father, the man who had just lost his precious daughter-in-law and his energetic grandson.  It was clear that he was not here to receive pity or to draw attention to himself.  This was a night to support Norberto and to give glory to God for the lives of two missionaries who devoted themselves to Him.  As we met Norberto's mother, his brother, and his two sisters, they echoed this same humility and acknowledgement of the sovereignty of God.

Expecting that we'd not be able to speak to Norberto because he'd probably arrive just before the service started, we were shocked to see him come in early.  He had work to do and was here to make this night perfect.  We spoke with him for a moment and despite the questions in his eyes, the loss in his voice, the cut between his eyes and bruises around the right one, we were in awe over the peace exuding from this man who'd just witnessed horrors I can't begin to fathom and was walking through a valley I hope I never know.  We were looking at a man whose home had been destroyed but his foundation was solid, built on the Rock that is the only true refuge.

Across the front of the altar, someone placed photos of Julie and Timmy playing, of Norberto and Julie in their wedding, of the whole family together, of little Timmy doing those things that boys do.  To the side was a table with various things Norberto had chosen to display--Timmy's baseball and glove, his favorite pajamas, one of Julie's simple white dresses, the books she'd been reading most recently (she did love to read!), her well-used Bible.  A photo show was projected on the screen with a mix of candid shots and videos, a vivid reminder of just how close to each other this family was.

Various people came forward to share how they'd been impacted.  A man from the neighborhood whose son was Timmy's best friend, always hanging out at the Kurrle home.  The scout troop in full uniform with a flag they'd painted for Timmy in his favorite colors.  A young lady who'd come last year to the training institute the Kurrle's started and been taken under Julie's wing.  Timmy's teacher who said she'd felt the difference in the school in the time Timmy was a student there and knew it was because Norberto and Julie were covering it in prayer.  Marion who shared of dying from a double brain hemorrhage, getting to heaven's gates, and asking to come back if she could make a difference in the salvation of her family (to which Julie replied, when Marion told her that story, "I don't think I'd have had the self-control to turn back!  I'd have run through those gates!"--and I'm sure she did.)

I shared about how she'd helped me learn so much about Paraguay and being a missionary mom/wife here, and how I was nervous to meet her in person because I didn't think she could live up to being the person she seemed to be online, but she was all that and more.  I told Norberto what she'd told me at a conference we attended recently, about how blessed she was to have a Godly husband who treated her like a princess and took good care of their family, adoring their kids and leading them all in the ways of the Lord.  I told him what a blessing it was to be able to look back on his life with them without regrets, knowing he'd given his all for his family and devoted himself to them as God had directed him to do.

Mixed in with the testimonies were various songs, such as Julie's favorite (Amazing Grace), the one Timmy sang at his last birthday (a German praise song), and a few others with special meaning.  These were sung by Norberto and his brother and sisters.  His parents also shared how they were trusting in God, how they were thankful for the lives of Norberto and Anahi, and how much they loved Julie and Timmy.

And when everyone felt they'd said what needed to be said, Norberto went forward.  I imagined he'd never be able to finish the speech he'd prepared, but he stood in the strength of the Lord and shared his heart.  A real missionary, this man recognized the opportunity before him and spoke of God's plan for family.  He encouraged those parents in attendance to love their children, to spend time with them.  He told the story of his last evening with Timmy, how they'd built some homemade bomb gadget and Timmy wanted to light little explosions for the next two hours.  Norberto was tired and they'd be traveling early, but he lit and re-lit and re-lit that thing until Timmy was worn out and ready for bed.  In his pajamas, he wrapped his arms around his daddy's neck, thanked him for staying up late to play with him, and told him he loved him.  Then, taking advantage of his daddy's softened heart, he asked if he could sleep in the bed with mommy and daddy that night.  I'm sure Norberto will always be grateful for saying yes to that request.

Julie had gotten up early that morning to fix a ton of sandwiches for their road-trip, because, well, she was just that sort of Proverbs 31 woman.  She took care of her household.  As Norberto picked up the books to show us, one was about pregnancy.  I took a deep breath as I remembered all the conversations and blog posts and emails and tears over trying to get pregnant despite what the doctors had deemed as almost impossible.  The odds were certainly against it.  But then Norberto shared that Julie was, in fact, six weeks pregnant.  And so we learned that one more of Norberto's children than we'd thought, is in heaven with his or her mother.  Heartbreaking, but I think of the joy my friend must have felt at realizing the miracle that had taken place in her body.  The moment she must have shared with her husband when she was able to tell him of his little child she carried.  And I thanked God that she was given that moment, that miracle.  The answer to many prayers.

He told of how Julie, an organized, very intelligent, very business-minded woman, had big plans of climbing the corporate ladder and being a rich lady.  Then God turned her life around, and she went after Him and His plan full-force.  He ended by saying he'd need a little time to find out what God is saying to him in all this, what He has in mind for him, how he's to get through this.  I was amazed that he was even able to think clearly enough to understand and reconcile this so soon, but as I said, this man is grounded in the Lord and surrounded by a natural and church family who are holding his hands as Aaron and Hur did for Moses in Exodus 17.  And he's bolstered by the prayers of people all over the world.

As the service came to a close, we watched video of Timmy at about 3 years old, plunking the keys of a piano and singing over and over, "Yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me..." and I thought, "Yes, Timmy, He sure does, and now you and Mommy can love Him back, in person."

What it Means to Mourn

This week, like many of you, we are in deep mourning over the loss of missionary colleagues.  On Wednesday April 18th, The Kurrle Family--missionaries in Paraguay were involved in a devastating car accident.  They were on their way home at 5:00AM after having picked up their newly adopted daughter's birth certificate and passport.  In the accident, Julie and her 6 year old son Timothy were killed.  Norberto and their daughter Esther Anahi survived the crash. A few hours later, my Uncle Tom White had a heart attack and died at his office.  He was one of the leading figures in the Christian world leading the charge against persecuted Christians around the world.  He was scheduled to go to India the next day. He leaves behind his wife Ofelia, their daughter Dorothy, and son Daniel as well as a few grandkids.

I never got to know Julie Kurrle very well.  Norberto and I are the same age and went to college together.  Anyone who knows Norberto is aware of what a humble, selfless, inspiring person he is.  He is a ray of sunshine and was a wonderful father and husband.  When he married Julie, they returned to his homeland of Paraguay to become missionaries.  Since so few people my age have chosen to go into missionary service, I was very excited to see Norberto and Julie head off to the mission-field--knowing that they would bring health and love to everything they touched.  They are exactly the kind of Christian missionaries the world needs.   They drove to their mission-field: from the United States all the way down to Paraguay and stopped off at my Dad's house when they passed through Costa Rica.  Of course he was thoroughly charmed.  Norberto's aunt Nilah has been a family friend of ours my entire life--and one of the great friends of my parents.

They touched many lives, and I'm sorry I never really got to spend time with Julie.  The stories about her are amazing.  She was brave, sincere, and deeply committed to her mission-field.  She was also a fantastic writer and I enjoyed following their ministry through their blog: Passion for Paraguay.  It was not long ago that Julie was attacked in her home at knife-point and bound.  As she was being attacked (with Timothy in the other room), she prayed for her attacker in Spanish so the attacker could hear her--instinctively following the Bible's command: (Romans 12:14: Bless those who persecute you).  Timothy was unaware of what happened.  This is one of many stories that showed her remarkable character.

We can't even begin to imagine how Norberto and little 1 1/2 year old Anahi must be feeling.  We do know that now is the time for the church to rally around them and give them all the love and support they need.  Anderson University is collecting funds to help Norberto and Anahi here.  To Norberto: Like so many others, we grieve deeply with you and are here to help in any way possible. We love you.

(This part of the post has been altered):  We are also deeply mourning the passing of Uncle Tom who died on the same day.

****Post Continued Below****

A few days ago in Pisa, Italy, I took this picture that I wasn't planning on sharing with anyone.  As anyone who follows this blog/diary knows, I love Cathedrals.  I am not Roman Catholic nor am I Eastern Orthodox.  But I have an inexplicable pull to these buildings where the presence of God always seems very real to me, yet also distant and inexplainable.

As I sat down and took to this picture, I had these thoughts:

"In the same way I cannot explain this deep pull to Cathedrals, I cannot explain the presence of God, nor can I explain my faith. And perhaps it is not always needed--to explain every single feeling."   It is often not in the "Christian" things and activities that God feels present.  That feeling can come from a 14th century building, the guitar lick on a particular song, the sound of my child laughing, the view of a mountain, or the feeling of wearing shorts and a t-shirt on the first Spring day.  Rarely are those moments truly explainable:    It is mystical, inexplainable, and odd. Yet a connection to God remains.

But there are just as many moments of distance.  Big, long moments of doubt, anger, disillusionment, and disappointment.  The horror of a tragedy, the breaking of a relationship, a deep disappointment in my own actions.  And in those moments, neither God nor I  are clearly understandable.  Nor does the world seem beautiful and fair.  There are a million-and-one cliches we can fall-back on to tell us everything is alright.  Evangelical Christians certainly are the masters of this--needing to define and explain every single spiritual feeling.  We can cite scripture, sing songs, and even peer pressure our fellow Christians into never admitting doubt, anger, or disconnection.  Yet some disconnection to God and his ways always remains.

So we have a paradox:  The connection is real, but so is the disconnection.

If Christianity is about anything, it is about paradox.  God as a homeless infant in a manger, a guilty thief on a cross next to Jesus forgiven and given eternal life, a faith movement of 2 billion started by 12 disciples, 10 martyred and one that committed suicide , the teaching that "the last shall be first and the first shall be last," and the hardest of all:  that out of the fall of humankind, all of creation is being redeemed.

As Christians, we do not believe like the Hindus that what happened this week was the result of Karma--previous actions coming back to institute karmic justice.

As Christians, we do not believe like the Buddhists that life is an illusion and the sooner we detach from the things of this world, the quicker we ease our pain by embracing meaninglessness.

Instead, we believe that our lives are but "a vapor," but that we are a part of creation and are part of God's unknowable but absolute plan to redeem his creation.  Our belief in resurrection is not so much to re-assure ourselves that we will never die (although many perhaps use it as such as an antidote to the fear of the unknown regarding our earthly mortality), but rather for a more profound reason:

Because death itself is not natural--hence the pain, the mourning, the jarring separation when it happens.  We are created for eternity.  We can feel it deep in our bones.  We love and attach ourselves as if we are wired to be loved and attached forever.  From infancy on,--from the moment the human child is conceived, our body (our spirit) longs for a deep, profound, and permanent intimacy. To mourn is to feel the present stain on creation.  It is the other half of that Christian paradox: the feeling of deep disconnection.

Genesis in the Bible is about that intimacy all of human creation is imbued with and how it was tragically broken.  The cartoon characters of Adam and Eve (and they are about the most simplistic characters in the Bible, followed by much more three dimensional ones) set the stage by showing that primal, human longing for intimacy and the high cost of brokenness in the God/human relationship.  But even with God's protection of Cain after he kills his brother Abel, God begins to set the stage for this disorder and chaos in the universe to be made right.  By the end of Genesis (long before Jesus shows up), Joseph turns his sufferings into grace--a foreshadow of what is coming with Christ.  Evil and death will not win out.

In the above picture, Jesus Christ sits upon the throne.  At the bottom, barely visible in my usual blurry photo is that same Jesus Christ on the Cross.  Paradox filling the Cathedral.  Paradox filling our universe and our lives.

The truth is there are no good answers right now.  And this feeling we all have is not natural. It goes against our deep sense that we all feel that we will love these three people forever.  Our pain, our shock, our horror is a testament to the fact that we are created for eternity.  We are created for beauty.  We are created for permanence.

Until this full act of redemption is complete, we will wander into Cathedrals or relationships, or songs, or sunsets that fill us with a sense of connection to something eternal.

And until this full act of redemption is complete, we will have that sense of disconnection and violation in an abandonment, a betrayal, an unhealthy body, a death, a loss of friendship.

We Christians are the people of the paradox.  Jesus preached paradox, he lived paradox, he died paradox.  Our churches are adorned with an instrument of torture as a reminder of eternal salvation.  That's intentional.  Jesus said: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it" (Matthew 16:25).

Julie and Timmy were people of the paradox.

I believe we will see Julie and Timmy  again.  Not as a simple statement to ease our pain in a dark moment.

But because the one thing that is not paradoxical in God's order is that beauty like that is not meant to go away.

It is eternal.

Care-a-Van Concludes

I'm writing from the German Alps tonight.  We are one day away from the conclusion of our first ever 3W Care-a-Van.  Tomorrow we make the short drive into Munich, drop-off the monster-mobile we've been trekking around in, and prepare to return to our respective homes.  It's been a a great experience, and I can't say enough about Aaron and Nicole's organization and planning throughout all of this.  It really has been amazing.  Considering all the places we've been and all the things we've done--really 2 people alone have had to make sure it has all worked.  A and N.  So on behalf of all the Care-a-Vaners and Jamie and Marco too, let me say "Thank you Aaron and Nicole."  All that time planning really paid off in a big way.  You made it so incredibly easy for all of us to cover so much ground.  We were well-rested, well-fed, and had great church experiences while seeing some of the world's most stunning places.  On Thursday Aaron, Nicole, and I will fly back to Berlin.  Not much rest time for them as they have even more groups to host in the coming weeks.  Here are some final blurry photos: