Greetings to all from South Korea!
I am sending this particular Mooney Report to all those I know that confess Christianity on some level and are involved in a Christian fellowship. Something has been on my heart recently, so I felt I would send out a special Mooney Report about it.
Now, some of you know me well enough to know how I can feel very strongly about something, and this is one of these times. My goal, as usual, is not to offend but to help you understand a major issue that I see within the Body of Christ and those who confess to be Christians. What I have to say may not apply to you personally, but it does apply to the Church in the US.
I have been in Korea for almost four years now, and from day one I have been more intimately involved with those in the military than I ever had before. Osan Air Base was literally a five or ten minute walk from our old apartment and even less now. Most of the students in our school are connected with the military, usually as contractors. But the majority of those I have worshipped with have been people who are serving their country in the military, mostly the Air Force but some Army, too. Mission Baptist Church was the main source of our fellowship in the beginning, four years ago. As we began a meeting in our home within that first year to encourage the saints, we became closer to many in the Air Force. As we transitioned into doing a full-time ministry part time, our involvement in the military community has only increased and deepened. As you know, we run the Hospitality House here in Songtan, right outside of the main gate of Osan Air Base, a ministry to military members as they serve overseas to have a “home away from home.” Through this ministry, we attend the 5:00pm chapel service on a regular basis, the more contemporary service, and we have considered several chaplains to be close friends and brothers in Christ.
A couple years ago, we took a trip to Germany where we were fortunate enough to have friends in various parts of Europe. Many of those friends were people we became close to while here in Korea, close enough that we were able to stay at their house and see Europe all at once! What a blessing. We have also been to Las Vegas and Hawaii, staying with friends or fellowshipping with those in the military while there.
I’m not telling you all this in boast, but to show how connected and intimate we are with those in the Air Force. Now, our experience has been somewhat narrow, to be sure, since most of the military members we meet and all those we are close to are Christians. We have met the best of the Air Force. People from the chapel or the House are nominated for major awards for the Air Force on a regular basis. Some of them even win. One was even given a “field” type promotion for his hard work and dedication while here. The point is, the Christians among the Air Force are probably the best examples of the Air Force you could possibly get, but our experience does include those outside of the Church. Military members are generally kind and hospitable in most public situations, with the possible exception of being downtown around the bars on a Friday or Saturday night.
Most men that serve here for one year do so without their families. They are supposed to be on a “hardship” tour here in Korea, so their families live without them for 11 months or so (they usually take a 30 day leave to see their family, so one month out of the year is with them). The necessity of this could be debated, but the reality is this. Over 90 percent of the military here in Korea serves while their families are without them in the states somewhere.
One issue that has continually come up is the total lack of support of the Church community for their family back in the States. Many times as these men leave their families, members of the local Body of Christ pray over them and promise to be there for the family. Many times the pastor of a local assembly makes the promise. Most of the time, these families never hear from these people again.
Now remember, these are Christians serving their country in a foreign land, and believe me, their families are the most important thing in their life. These are Christian men who want to spend time with their kids, love their wives, and be spiritual leaders in their homes. This can be difficult from thousands of miles away. I hear the prayer requests every week at Bible study or personal conversations. I see the pictures from the wallets. These guys love their families and their kids. I’ve seen grown men weep in prayer or even during a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal because they are without their families.
And to see their families treated like this by the Church back in the States crushes them. Its shameful. I hear story after story where the principle is the same. The Church promises to support them, and there is no support.
What’s more shameful is when those who are not even Christians, don’t pretend to profess Christ or fellowship with other believers, are more supportive. They didn’t pray over them and make grand gestures in front of their congregations. These are just regular people being more Christ-like than those who claim Him.
In the Bible, James says that our pure and undefiled religion is to take care of the orphans and widows and keep yourself righteous (unspotted from the world). Aren’t these families orphans and widows? At least in principle and situation, they are. There is grief and loss. These men will miss a whole year of their children’s lives. The technological strides in communication through the internet has improved this significantly, but nothing compares with actually being there.
On another level, I get emails from people who talk about supporting the troops and their mission while in Iraq or anywhere, angry at those who do not publicly support the War in Iraq or even the troops who are there. This is the type of support that our military truly needs. Do you have any idea how many marriages break up over the year that guys are here in Korea? It is thankfully rare among Christians in the military, but it still happens. For others who don’t have faith and grace, the rate of divorce is astounding in the military. Discipline problems among children are common, as well. They can be much more rebellious during this time while the father is away, which only further puts the stress on the marriage.
This type of support is biblically the true work of the Body of Christ. It saves marriages and gives children the proper attention and support during this time. This is what it means to love one another so that the world will know we are His. No wonder the world doesn’t believe us.
And it is not the government’s job to do something about this. The Body of Christ is uniquely equipped by the Spirit of God to minister to the Body of Christ. The Air Force doesn’t exist to save marriages (or souls!). That is uniquely the mission of the Body of Christ through love and discipleship, both of which require intimate relationship with others in our community.
Now, to be truthful, there are the rare instances where a home church back in the states steps up to the plate and supports the family in a time of need. A fair balance is also the fact that some women struggle and suffer from a degree of depression during this time and pull away from the Body of Christ and don’t make their needs known. But that is when the Church needs to reach out and love these people. Just as the human body focuses on a wound or an infection to the point of forsaking all other activity, so must the Spiritual one.
The reasons for this shameful activity are numerous, but it all comes down to the excuse that the Church feels like it has better things to do than minister to those in need. And God doesn’t care about the excuse. Christians will stand in judgment for this. Some will recieve reward. Others will lose it.
You may not know anyone in the military. Before we came to Korea, I would have had to rack my brain to figure out who I knew in the military. You may not live near a base or have anyone in your community who has this need, at least not anyone that you know about. Some of you are still in Korea, probably happy I’m saying things you would like to say.
Some of you used to be in the exact position I’m describing. Some of you were the men in Korea, alone without their families, that I’m talking about. I hope that you have taken your experience as an example and rise above bitterness and reach out even though no one reached out to you or your family while you were gone.
But some of you may be the Christians I’m talking about. Some of you may just be the ones that promised support but let yourselves get distracted and too busy to follow through on your promise. I have no idea who that could be. But I hope if you’ve read to the end of this rant, you are not mad at me or indifferent to those around you or guilty of self-condemnation that doesn’t produce change. I pray you are convicted, and that will produce change.
I pray that when I return to the States, God will allow me to reach out to the orphans and widows of the military (or otherwise for that matter), to help the community gather around them and be the family they need.
Peace.