Jehovah-shalom - The Lord is Peace
WARNING: The following story may contain some graphic details that might make it difficult for the reader.
Sunday morning Mike and I took the bus to church with our friend and fellow student Josh LaFever. I took the opportunity to flip through my bible to find a passage of scripture for class devotional Monday morning. We attend a very small church (Cuidad Belén) just outside San José. It takes about 10 minutes by taxi - a little more by bus. The area is known as Calle Blancho (White Road) and it's in a pretty rough part of town. I had just picked the passage in Judges 6 about Gideon when our bus came upon somewhat of a traffic jam. A very narrow two lane road with cars parked on both sides--only one lane of traffic getting through. The bus driver allowed some on coming traffic to go then proceeded forward. Well, another vehicle realized that it was in the way and had no where to go. The driver put the car in reverse and backed up--rapidly--then turned (still in reverse) into a grocery store parking lot. Unfortunately, there was an older man (appeared poor and homeless) walking across the lot at the same time. He was hit by the car. He was carrying a fairly large lead pipe in his hand.
**This is where the story gets ugly so proceed with caution**
After impacting this man, 4 young men exit the vehicle (almost as rapidly as the car pulled into the lot). The trunk came up--possibly to asses the damage, or as a result--and they immediately commenced to beating on this man. They threw him up against the chain link fence surrounding the lot. One of them (I think it was the driver) had grabbed the lead pipe and used it as a baseball bat on this man's back. Other on-lookers decided they need to help, so they ran down the sidewalk to the outside of the fence and beat on the man from the opposite side. There were several blows and kicks all over his body. The four stopped for a moment then went back to the car. The man crawled his way to lay against the retaining wall perpendicular to the fence. Within seconds, the gang was back on top of him, kicking him, beating his knees with the pipe. It was awful. The worst part was the last kick to his lower left side. He let out a scream that I have never heard come from a human being. We were on a bus with the engine running (not so quiet) a radio playing, people talking (although not many) and the windows up. I can't imagine what it would have been like if I'd actually been outside watching the assault.
**Okay, the graphic details are finished**
As the last kick was administered, I took the time to glance back to the store. The lot was empty, so I thought it wasn't opened yet. And to my horror, I see a security guard with at least a half dozen on lookers standing in the doorway! I didn't say anything else--just sat in my seat and cried. The bus driver explained to us that these were just a bunch of bad kids. It didn't help. The incident happened only a few blocks from church so when we got there I was still upset. All through worship I couldn't help but weep for this man. For the violence done to him and for the four who seemingly had no respect for his life. I kept thinking that somebody could have done something to stop them... I also couldn't help but think that this might be a glimpse of how God must feels watching His creation, the evil choices it makes and the consequences.
So what does this have to do with Gideon? Well, during his day, the Midianites were treating the Israelites almost as brutally as this gang of four treated the older man. Midianites would take all the crops, kill all the animals and essentially leave the Israelites with nothing. One day, Gideon was preparing some wheat in a place that was hidden away--hoping to keep it from the Midianites. The Lord finds Gideon and tells him God is with him and that he is a "mighty man of valor". Gideon's response is a sarcastic--if-you're-with-me-how-come-we're-in-this-mess. God tells Gideon to "go in this might" and save Israel. "You've got to be kidding!" was essentially Gideon's response. His family was one of the poorest / weakest of all Israel and he is the youngest in their family. (So you see God, there are way more qualified Israelis than I...) But God assures Gideon again that He will be with him and he will free Israel. Gideon is still not quite so sure so he asks for "proof" it's really the Lord talking to him. Later he built an alter (to remember) and called it Jehovah-shalom "The Lord is Peace."
ONE MAN answered God's call and found assurance in Jehovah-shalom. God's peace (wholeness and harmony) gave Gideon the strength to move forward. Some of the most critical moments in history came about because a single man (or woman) had the courage to say "Yes Lord." Edmond Burke once said "When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle."
You might recognize the simpler variations: All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
I don't advocate making rash decisions--even if I was off the bus, I don't know that I could (or would) have intervened. I think there is a slight difference between courage and stupidity. However, I'm glad that Pastor Ricardo and Beatriz have hearts to change lives in the community.
I believe God created each of us with a special mission in mind. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "I know the plans I have for you says the Lord..." and earlier, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you as prophet to the nations" (1:5). May you feel the complete wholeness and harmony of God's peace with you always.
Sunday morning Mike and I took the bus to church with our friend and fellow student Josh LaFever. I took the opportunity to flip through my bible to find a passage of scripture for class devotional Monday morning. We attend a very small church (Cuidad Belén) just outside San José. It takes about 10 minutes by taxi - a little more by bus. The area is known as Calle Blancho (White Road) and it's in a pretty rough part of town. I had just picked the passage in Judges 6 about Gideon when our bus came upon somewhat of a traffic jam. A very narrow two lane road with cars parked on both sides--only one lane of traffic getting through. The bus driver allowed some on coming traffic to go then proceeded forward. Well, another vehicle realized that it was in the way and had no where to go. The driver put the car in reverse and backed up--rapidly--then turned (still in reverse) into a grocery store parking lot. Unfortunately, there was an older man (appeared poor and homeless) walking across the lot at the same time. He was hit by the car. He was carrying a fairly large lead pipe in his hand.
**This is where the story gets ugly so proceed with caution**
After impacting this man, 4 young men exit the vehicle (almost as rapidly as the car pulled into the lot). The trunk came up--possibly to asses the damage, or as a result--and they immediately commenced to beating on this man. They threw him up against the chain link fence surrounding the lot. One of them (I think it was the driver) had grabbed the lead pipe and used it as a baseball bat on this man's back. Other on-lookers decided they need to help, so they ran down the sidewalk to the outside of the fence and beat on the man from the opposite side. There were several blows and kicks all over his body. The four stopped for a moment then went back to the car. The man crawled his way to lay against the retaining wall perpendicular to the fence. Within seconds, the gang was back on top of him, kicking him, beating his knees with the pipe. It was awful. The worst part was the last kick to his lower left side. He let out a scream that I have never heard come from a human being. We were on a bus with the engine running (not so quiet) a radio playing, people talking (although not many) and the windows up. I can't imagine what it would have been like if I'd actually been outside watching the assault.
**Okay, the graphic details are finished**
As the last kick was administered, I took the time to glance back to the store. The lot was empty, so I thought it wasn't opened yet. And to my horror, I see a security guard with at least a half dozen on lookers standing in the doorway! I didn't say anything else--just sat in my seat and cried. The bus driver explained to us that these were just a bunch of bad kids. It didn't help. The incident happened only a few blocks from church so when we got there I was still upset. All through worship I couldn't help but weep for this man. For the violence done to him and for the four who seemingly had no respect for his life. I kept thinking that somebody could have done something to stop them... I also couldn't help but think that this might be a glimpse of how God must feels watching His creation, the evil choices it makes and the consequences.
So what does this have to do with Gideon? Well, during his day, the Midianites were treating the Israelites almost as brutally as this gang of four treated the older man. Midianites would take all the crops, kill all the animals and essentially leave the Israelites with nothing. One day, Gideon was preparing some wheat in a place that was hidden away--hoping to keep it from the Midianites. The Lord finds Gideon and tells him God is with him and that he is a "mighty man of valor". Gideon's response is a sarcastic--if-you're-with-me-how-come-we're-in-this-mess. God tells Gideon to "go in this might" and save Israel. "You've got to be kidding!" was essentially Gideon's response. His family was one of the poorest / weakest of all Israel and he is the youngest in their family. (So you see God, there are way more qualified Israelis than I...) But God assures Gideon again that He will be with him and he will free Israel. Gideon is still not quite so sure so he asks for "proof" it's really the Lord talking to him. Later he built an alter (to remember) and called it Jehovah-shalom "The Lord is Peace."
ONE MAN answered God's call and found assurance in Jehovah-shalom. God's peace (wholeness and harmony) gave Gideon the strength to move forward. Some of the most critical moments in history came about because a single man (or woman) had the courage to say "Yes Lord." Edmond Burke once said "When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle."
You might recognize the simpler variations: All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
I don't advocate making rash decisions--even if I was off the bus, I don't know that I could (or would) have intervened. I think there is a slight difference between courage and stupidity. However, I'm glad that Pastor Ricardo and Beatriz have hearts to change lives in the community.
I believe God created each of us with a special mission in mind. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "I know the plans I have for you says the Lord..." and earlier, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you as prophet to the nations" (1:5). May you feel the complete wholeness and harmony of God's peace with you always.
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