Most of my Saturday last weekend centered around a "Student Connect" event that we helped to create for the expat youth of Da Nang. The foreigners here gather for church on Sunday mornings (it creates trouble when Vietnamese Christians are worshiping God alongside their expat brothers, so we have Danang International Fellowship only open to holders of foreign passports), and a year ago the church created a monthly youth event called Student Connect.
It's comprised of some kids who attend D.I.F. and some kids who don't, and being a Christian isn't a pre-requisite to joining us for a day of swimming or a scavenger hunt in the old city of Hoi An. Next month we'll do something Easter-themed, and last Saturday we went up into the hills to a pool area advertising mud baths.
There are two adults in their 20s who are the primary youth leaders, but Tim and Janet (into their 40s now) are the older, administrative parents who are there to make sure the restaurant provides timely food, coordinate with the van drivers, and juggle receipts and such. It's kind of fun, actually, to get to be around all the energy of the youth but not need to be the ones channeling it into positive outlets.
We got to the pool and used Google Translate to ask "Where is the mud?"
The mud turned out to be less of an attraction than the heated pool. They pump heated mud into hot-tubs, let you sit in it for a bit, then drain and clean the tubs. Not all that exciting, and definitely not as fun as the mosh-pit of mud we were sort of hoping for. :)
At the dinner I stood and shared something God has been teaching me about being offended. I read in the Bible that Jesus said we should do things like "turn the other cheek" and "go the extra mile" and I've been reading those things all my life as if they are ways to be more godly or a better person. Lately, though, I think that they are Jesus' methods for how to not be offended.
If a Roman soldier exercises his rights, he could give any Jew his equipment/baggage and require one mile. Jesus said that we should go the one required mile and then go a second mile for the Roman oppressor. Why? To convert him? I think at one time I believed that might be part of it. After all, Jesus also said that we should let our light shine before others so that they will see our good works and give glory to God. So I thought the turning of the other cheek, the giving of the coat, the going the extra mile were for that purpose--for the benefit of the other person.
But now I think Jesus was telling us the secret of having an untroubled heart. If an evil person is taking my shirt, I should give him my coat also. If I'm unfairly required to carry a load one mile, I should finish my obligation and then do more, of my own free will. It's for my good that I do this, so that my heart can release the resentment that naturally builds up with requirement/obligations.
Pastors should be careful what they preach.
Ever since I stood and gave that 8-10 minute talk at the Student Connect event last Saturday, I've had NUMEROUS times when I felt cheated or badly-used. Many more times than would ever normally happen to me! Each time, I look for a way to go the extra mile for my own heart's sake. It's a mundane example, but one taxi driver went the long way around and ran the meter up to 43,000 ... so I paid 50,000 for a ride that should have been 30,000 (in a country where tipping is rare). Little things like that, over and over again--I feel like my offense-forgiver is getting a workout.
Indignant.
There is SO much to that word, and it seems like I've been "righteously indignant" several times this week. To be indignant I have to have rights that have been violated. Words related to "being indignant": arrogance, rights, huffy, impatient, forgiveness, etc. And now I realize I may be writing too much to a blog that may not care about offenses and forgiveness. I'd like to discuss it one-on-one with you, if you have time: <thechaseplace@gmail.com>.
Stay tuned. In the next week we'll head to Lao and then into Thailand because my students are all having their lunar new year holidays. :)
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