Missionary conversations: part 4
Some common grief phenomena experienced by missionaries upon re-entry to their home country
S: . . . so I guess the sense of loss is kind of different to say when we leave Australia. When we left Australia . . . to go overseas because we knew that we would see basically everybody again when got back, but leaving [host country] to come back home, then (pause) really it’s a probably won’t see you again sort of goodbye, . . . I guess that sense of loss in some sense is more acute for me.
J: I heard one other missionary on home leave . . . who felt like a dried up raisin. . . . And I thought that was very, very good—lost juice. You were all there but just dried up.
C: . . . there’s, there’s a real sense of not really belonging, whereas in the place where we worked we had very close friends of many years.
H: . . . you know I get really, excuse the French, but I get pissed off that people are so stupid here [in Australia] and so short-sighted.
A: I think…buying a house and setting up a house sometimes has been a bit overwhelming in seeking to make the right choice
N: [I have] basic struggles with nuts and bolts of getting around and to help the children settle better.
F: . . . just sitting on the verandah and ignoring all the mess inside . . . and the feeling that we were home . . . and the feeling of well-being that that gave me.
From “Back Home: a qualitative study exploring re-entering cross-cultural missionary aid workers’ loss and grief” Published in Omega 59:1 2008-2009
Who are the truly generous people?
Terry Austin suggests that we should evaluate stewardship on the basis of a generous heart as opposed to how much money a person gives.
His definition of generosity: “To be generous means that we care more about others than we care about ourselves.” Sounds like it could have come out of Philippians 2?
Austin does acknowledge that there are times in our life when we may require the majority of our money to meet our own needs. But, hopefully, we understand this as a temporary situation and when the blessing of God comes, we give generously because we care about others more than ourselves.
Again here is Terry,
It is the temptation to store up and hoard for a rainy day that keeps us from being generous. When we care for others more than we care for ourselves, we are free to open our hands to release stuff to those who have needs.
Makes me wonder who are the truly generous people–generosity shouldn’t really be measured on the basis of how much people give or even on the percentage people give. Yet, if we truly care, our resources will become available. . . for others.
Survival strategies for a narcissistic world
This is my last post on narcissism. Today I am taking material from Sandy Hotchkiss’ book, Why is it always about you? She provides four chapters on what we can do to keep from getting run over by narcissists.
1. Know yourself 61-67
- Be aware of your feelings when someone evokes shame, discomfort, anger and idealization in you.
- When you have uncomfortable or intense feelings, ask yourself what buttons are being pushed
- Find a way to detach from feelings of diminishment
- When deflecting the shame of a narcissist, resist the urge to retaliate
2. Embrace reality 69-73
- You may be vulnerable to a narcissist if you have a need for inflation, if low self-esteem. They may make you feel better initially but in the end they make you feel worse.
- Don’t insist on someone’s goodness or good intentions when they are exploiting or hurting you
- Learn to accept that sooner or later you will be on the receiving end of a narcissists behavior (lies, cheating, disrespect, hurt, betrayal of confidences, lack of compassion)
- Very unlikely to change a narcissist because it “requires something that the narcissist lacks, the capacity to respond to compassion with compassion”
- Understand your own narcissistic vulnerabilities
3. Set boundaries 75-80
- There will be issues of control as you try to set boundaries and you plan for opposition.
- If confrontation is necessary, do it in a gentle way and not using empathy
- Work through your anger issues
- Be prepared for other relationships to be affected
- Once you have set the boundary, keep it.
4. Cultivate reciprocal relationships 81-85
Following these chapters, Hotchkiss has different chapters to help us implement these with certain groups of people: adolescents, with a love relationship, at work, with elderly. It is a book that I think I will be buying.
Missionary conversations: part 3
More conversations with missionaries about what what happened when they returned to their home country.
Loss of Control
N: I guess it’s . . . not having an environment where you know and understand and have some control over what’s happening . . . that’s all become incredibly wearing and tiring.
S: It [loss of a family relationship on re-entry] was completely outside of the control that we had. . . . I guess it’s really quite a shame.
B: . . . in one sense you’ve got a bit of disappointment because we left sooner than we wanted . . . so there were things on the field that we hadn’t got done before we left.
J: I have just had to say, “God I just can’t do this [care for children in different locations], you know, I don’t have control over this, I’m just going to have to let you . . . be the boss there.” . . . He’s come through every single time (laughter). Does that make it easier for next time? Not always.
From “Back Home: a qualitative study exploring re-entering cross-cultural missionary aid workers’ loss and grief” Published in Omega 59:1 2008-2009
Dealing with narcissism part 2
Characteristics of narcissists by Bruce Narramore
- Need for constant attention and admiration. Live off of the feedback and reflection of others
- Sense of entitlement—don’t respond well to feeling disrespected and shamed. Overreacts to criticism, becoming angry or humiliated
- Take advantage of others to achieve his/her own ends.
- Lack of empathy—does not feel with and for others because they are trying so hard to feel good about themselves.
- Envious—they like to be around important or people of status but they also envy the success of others
- Arrogant or haughty in behavior or attitude—may hide it well if they are highly functional.
- Preoccupation with fantasies—unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, ideal love. Entertains unrealistic fantasies about achievements, power, beauty, intelligence or romance
- Believe that he/she is special and unique and can only be understood by or should associate only with other special or high status people. Has unreasonable expectation of favorable treatment
- Poor psychological boundaries.
These are very similar to the seven deadly sins of narcissism that Hotchkiss writes about in her book, Why is it always about you. I took note on each one but here are the headings
- Shamelessness
- Magical Thinking
- Arrogance
- Envy
- Entitlement
- Exploitation
- Bad Boundaries
Why show mercy to our opponents (part 2)
God is “kind to the ungrateful and to the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:35-36 ESV)
This post follows the one I started on Feb 3 2010.
John Fischer in his catch of the day for Feb 2, 2010, wrote about the lack of kindness and civility regarding the political issues of our day. He says, as a result, “the hope for gentle debate and reaching a more complicated, but equitable consensus is unlikely.”
Most people would have no problem with his comments at this point. But, then he writes that the church
“has taken sides along with everyone else and lost its authority to speak into the deeper levels of these issues. The gospel, which values every human being and every human being’s right to freedom, justice and equality has lost its middle ground. While the truth should be speaking into both sides, it is being heard only in one.”
While it is certainly okay and right to have a position on the various issues of our day, as Christians should we not, of all people, be able to reach across the barrier of whatever issue is being discussed, to value and love those who hold another, even opposite, position from our own? Again, from Fischer,
“We must remember these are real people we are talking about—people who like us, need Jesus. Making an enemy of someone for whom Christ died is not consistent with the message of the gospel.
. . . We can represent the love of Jesus to everyone. And we can listen and learn even from those with whom we might disagree.”
The expression of mercy was important in the ministry of Jesus. Twice (Mtt 9:13, 12:7) Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 in which we are told that it is better to show mercy than it is to offer a sacrifice. There at least five passages in which people beg for mercy before Jesus or God in the gospels. Four of these are found in Matthew (9:27, 15:22; 17:15; 20:30-31). Luke also gives us the parable in which the tax collector cries out, God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:9-14) Needless to say, all who request mercy in these examples are shown mercy.
God seems to delight in showing mercy to people. As He does so, He receives much glory. (Romans 11:32-36; 15:9)
Because of God’s mercy, we are to offer our bodies to him as living sacrifices. We are to recognize that we have a ministry because of God has shown mercy to us (2 Cor 4:1). Our salvation comes because of the mercy (and grace) of God. (Eph 2:8-10, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:3) It seems to be valuable for us to continually go back and remember that once we had not received mercy from God. (1 Pet 2:10)
If we say that we will show mercy to others when they beg for mercy, it would be helpful to read 1 Tim 1:13-14; which says that Paul experienced the mercy of God even when ignorant, in unbelief and while acting as a blasphemer, persecutor and violent man. It might also be worthwhile to consider that God demonstrated his love and mercy to us “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). I don’t know about you but I continue to desperately need the mercy of God every day (Heb 4:14-16). Interestingly enough, God’s wisdom is said to be full of mercy. (James 3:17)
To be honest, I don’t know all the ways that we are to show mercy and love to those who disagree with us, who are on the opposite side of political issues, to our enemies. But, I am pretty sure that we are to show them mercy and that we are to be the ones who initiate expressions of mercy. Here are some ideas:
- Show respect by listening to them (even when they do not listen to us)
- Communicate love not hatred (even when they express hatred of us and our position)
- Be kind and tender hearted, assuming the best of others (see Eph 4 here)
- Avoid name calling (avoid being contentious, seasoning every word we speak with grace)
- Agree to disagree
If others can come up with more specific ideas from their context, I would appreciate the sharing of your ideas.
Why show mercy to our opponents (part 1)
It may be helpful for you to know that the impetus for this post comes out of discussions I have had on political issues with friends and watching/reading the news. I admit to being a Republican and of my disagreement with a lot (if not most) of what our President has been doing. However, I have been uncomfortable with what I have been hearing coming from the mouths of evangelicals about the political scene today. So, when I read a post by John Fischer this morning based on Luke 6:32-36, I started to write.
Surprise, surprise! Each time I read that God is “kind to the ungrateful and wicked” in Luke 6:36 I am aware how much the church (and I am including myself here!) does not appear to practice this. Actually, Jesus does not tell us that we are to be like God in this respect. However, he does tell us to love our enemies, do good to our enemies and lend to our enemies without expecting to get anything back
in return. Hmmm, maybe this is being kind to the ungrateful and wicked?
What Jesus does tell us here in Luke 6:36 is that we are to “be merciful just as Your Father (in Heaven) is merciful.” The word here oiktirmon is an adjective and is found only in James 5:11 where James is trying to encourage perseverance for those experiencing suffering and says “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” From hileos and eleos (other words for merciful), Jesus tells us that the merciful are blessed because they will be shown mercy (Mtt 5:7), we learn that Jesus is a faithful and merciful high priest (Heb 2:17) and are warned that we will experience a judgment without mercy if we have failed to be merciful ourselves (James 2:12). Read Matthew 18:23-35 for a sobering parable about someone who failed to show mercy and forgiveness after having experienced it themselves.
Most interesting is in Jude in which we are commanded to “Be merciful to those who doubt.” That kind of makes sense since in 1:22, we are told to “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” And regarding the false prophets, Jude writes in verse 23, “snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear–hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” Jude is not saying to agree with these people nor even to condone their behavior but he is telling us to be merciful. Why? Because God has been merciful to us!
So, if we are to show mercy to our enemies, what about those on the opposite side of a political issue than us? If you think that does not sound fair or wise, I suggest you read the parable in Matthew 20:1-16. God seems to anticipate that some may not like the idea of his showing mercy to certain people and so he states in Romans 9:15-18, “I will show mercy to those to whom I want to show mercy.” Please take up any issues on this with God!
TO BE CONTINUED!
Dealing with a narcissist
Just finished reading Why is it always about you over the weekend and will be making a number of blog posts about narcissism. The following is a post from Dr. Mark Gouston from the psychology today website titled
Know Any Narcissists?* Check out this Baker’s Dozen of ways they offend you
1. They interrupt you in the middle of what you’re saying and expect you to listen to them.
2. They take offense when you interrupt them.
3. They interrupt you in the middle of when you’re thinking about something without asking if it is a good time to talk and expect you to immediately stop whatever you’re thinking about and give them your undivided attention.
4. They expect you to change whatever you’re thinking, doing and feeling to what they believe you should be thinking, doing and feeling…and for you to do it with a smile and gratitude.
5. They scowl and act hostile, when you accidentally bump into them.
6. If they’re walking along the side of a road or on a path and you approach them, they make you walk around them.
7. They are easier to upset than they are to please.
8. They rarely say, “I’m sorry” and if they do, they do so insincerely or begrudgingly.
9. They rarely say, “Thank you” because they feel so entitled.
10. They rarely congratulate you because they are unable to root for anyone else.
11. When they demand something you’re afraid to say: “No.”
12. When they complain about something you are afraid to tell them to “Just deal with it” because you’re afraid they’ll go ballistic or become coldly sullen and shut down.
13. You’re chuckling and agreeing with most of this list, but would be scared stiff to show it to them (a.k.a. you walk on eggshells around them most of the time).
Words to make you smile
After some rather dark posts, I needed this!
From a Washington Post Mensa competition. Change one letter of a common word and provide a new definition.
1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2. Ignoranus: A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation : Belief that one will come back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone (n.): The subs tance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
11 . Karmageddon: It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right?20And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido: All talk and no action.
14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter whenn they come at you rapidly.
15. A rachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you’re eating.
Missionary conversations: part 2
More conversations with missionaries regarding the losses incurred on their return to their home country.
Vicious loss cycles—Vicious loss cycles occurred when the primary re-entry losses led to secondary losses which aggravated the primary losses and were associated with a breakdown of balance in the participants’ lives.
N: . . . as we focus on the situation of settling back in we have countless decisions to make in a relatively short period of time. . . so that in itself is very wearing and means that isolation and lack . . . of people to confide in makes all those decisions more difficult.
F: And it [illness on re-entry] was partly due to ongoing stresses when we came home added to all the other things, which I really haven’t had time to process.
For N, multiple re-entry losses, including lack of support, led to multiple decisions with loss of energy which aggravated the initial losses and resulted in an imbalance between the demands and his ability to respond. For F, multiple re-entry losses led to lack of balance in her time to process these losses which had negative physical, mental and spiritual changes which then led to further loss.
From “Back Home: a qualitative study exploring re-entering cross-cultural missionary aid workers’ loss and grief” Published in Omega 59:1 2008-2009
Why receiving forgiveness is hard
Usually, I read about why we should offer or give forgiveness but this post from the Henri Nouwen society on Jan 25, 2010, is on receiving forgiveness.
There are two sides to forgiveness: giving and receiving. Although at first sight giving seems to be harder, it often appears that we are not able to offer forgiveness to others because we have not been able fully to receive it. Only as people who have accepted forgiveness can we find the inner freedom to give it. Why is receiving forgiveness so difficult? It is very hard to say, “Without your forgiveness I am still bound to what happened between us. Only you can set me free.” That requires not only a confession that we have hurt somebody but also the humility to acknowledge our dependency on others. Only when we can receive forgiveness can we give it.
Why are evangelicals waiting to marry?
Very interesting article by Julia Dunn.
And here are some interesting stats on how men and women view each other in an online dating service?
Missionary conversations: part 1
Listen to some missionaries talk about social losses they experienced when they returned to their home country for home assignment (furlough)
N: I found very much coming back to Australia there, there really isn’t the social network that we fit into at all … We’re in transition from being people who were supported within the church organization and in a very special way and now have ceased our official and formal arrangement with our, our sending organization, there really are very big gaps in the group of people that we have around us, the group of people that we knew for instance. We have people that were very much our friends many years ago and for a whole range of reasons are, are much more distant. . . . There’s an overwhelming sense of isolation.
T: They [the community] just think it was a great experience and a great adventure. So, yeah I find that a bit hard, it’s sometimes quite hard to explain it to people. . . . ’Cos they just don’t quite get it and you don’t want . . . to put people down and make them feel silly for how they perceive it, so . . . they’re right, in that I guess it was a great experience and adventure, but that wasn’t all that it was.
B: The people who we were relating to are now someone different, who thinks differently, and operates differently and . . . and that’s taken a bit of getting used to.
G: . . . it’s [role change] going to take a while longer to work out, you know; whether they’ll [the organization] (pause) . . . feel like I can be of any use for anything. I don’t know.
From “Back Home: a qualitative study exploring re-entering cross-cultural missionary aid workers’ loss and grief” Published in Omega 59:1 2008-2009
The greater the struggle the more glorious the triumph
“The greater the struggle the more glorious the triumph” From the Butterfly Circus. Amazing short video. Well, it is about 20 minutes long so hopefully your internet speed is not too slow when you try to watch it.
Out of the Shadows
Sexual addicts have four core beliefs
- Self-image—I am basically a bad, unworthy person.
- Relationships—No one would love me as I am.
- My needs are never going to be met if I have to depend upon others.
- Sex is my most important need.
These core beliefs come from Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction by Patrick Carnes. During a seminar on this topic in October, this book had been recommended. I bought it after we were back in the States and read it over the past weekend.
Carnes describes the “Addictive System” on page 26 in which you have two interlocking circles. It all begins with the belief system.
belief system–impaired thinking–addiction cycle–unmanageability
Following is the addiction cycle
preoccupation–ritualization–sexual compulsivity–despair
and back to preoccupation to start the cycle over
“Within the addictive system, sexual experience becomes the reason for being—the primary relationship for the addict.” p.26 (italics original)
One of the most interesting sections for me was about the neurobiology of arousal. Referring to research by John Money about a “lovemap” that we all have, Carnes wrote,
“Between the ages of five and eight, most of us already have formed this map about what is sexually arousing to us. It serves as a template with which we decide whether a specific situation is arousing—and then we act on that template.
Problems occur when that template or map becomes distorted. . . Early sexual experiences, especially if they involve shame or fear, can also distort beliefs about sex. Physical and sexual abuse can have a profound effect on what Money termed a vandalization of a person’s lovemap. The tragic result can be that the person may become aroused in ways that are self-destructive or not functional.” p 88
Other topics of the book: levels of addiction, the family and addiction and co-addiction (what I think most people refer to today as codependency). Carnes wrote this book in 1983 but it has been updated in 1992 and 2001. He does a section on cybersex but it does not really do justice to the issues that are present today. He follows the AA twelve step model as a proven method towards recovery. In fact, he says there is often alcohol or other substance abuse connected with sexual addiction. It is an easy read and a good introduction into the topic if you are interested or need to know about this topic. Just be aware that Carnes wrote before the huge explosion of internet pornography in the last ten years.
How to view failure as a Christian
Short, convicting post here on why Christians may be worrying too much about failure.
Somehow I get the impression that the guy in the picture to the left is NOT thinking about failure. The words of Paul come to mind, “we do not lose heart . . . we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. . .” 2 Cor 4:16-18 and “so we are always of good courage . . . we make it our aim to please him.” 2 Cor 5:6,9
The secret of high level wellness
“The physician, on his part, must take into account spiritual as well as physical considerations if he is to do an effective job of helping his patient toward good health of body and mind. For no person can be well physically if he is sick spiritually.”
That is a quote from Dr. Halbert Dunn, former head of the National Office of Vital Statistics for the U.S. government. Dr. Dunn said this during a speech in 1958 and apparently his thinking would significantly influence the way we think about modern day health and wellness. And, I might add, make a lot of people boatloads of money! Following are other statements he made in his speech which you can read in full here.
“Without prejudice to the importance or the continuation and support of existing medical and health programs involving preventive, curative or rehabilitative research and activities, it seems clear that many of today’s and tomorrow’s problems call for the stimulation and development of a new major axis of interest directed toward positive health-one strong enough to activate physicians, health workers, and others in devoting a substantial segment of their time, resources, and creative energies toward understanding and culturing good health in a positive sense.
One element of certainty which emerges in clear relief is that we can no longer ignore the spirit of man as a factor in our medical and health disciplines. Many of us, as physicians and health workers, have become increasingly dissatisfied with our disciplines, which are designed as though the sum total of our concern is for the body and the mind of man, leaving to metaphysics and religion the affairs of the spirit. As if we could divide the sum total of man thus! If we are to move in the direction of high-level wellness for man and society, we cannot ignore the spirit of man in any discipline. In fact, the essence of the task ahead might well be to fashion a rational bridge between the biological nature of man and the spirit of man-the spirit being that intangible something that transcends physiology and psychology.
Harmony will result when the fact is faced that man is a physical, mental, and spiritual unity-a unity which is constantly undergoing a process of growth and adjustment within a continually changing physical, biological, social, and cultural environment.
The physician, on his part, must take into account spiritual as well as physical considerations if he is to do an effective job of helping his patient toward good health of body and mind. For no person can be well physically if he is sick spiritually. It is natural for each group competent in a special field of knowledge to approach the study and care of the wellbeing of man from its own particular point of vantage, but this must not preclude considerations of the unity of man as a whole living within a constantly changing total environment. High-level wellness can never be achieved in fragments, ignoring the unity of the whole.
Dr. Dunn would later make an appeal for a pursuit of high-level wellness and it is Dr. Dunn’s idea that many others have built upon today.
What is at the heart of wellness?
Is it not that we are an integrated person made up of body, soul and spirit? Can we afford to ignore or neglect any of these parts?
In 1947, the WHO defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” But by 1998, their statement was, “health is a dynamic state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Instead, it seems to day that we have a lot of fragmented, distorted ideas about what it means to be well or healthy. How did we get so far from the vision of Dr. Halbert Dunn who write an article in 1959 about High-Level Wellness. More on that tomorrow.
What is at the heart of wellness for you?
Genocide: Trying to understand what is not understandable
What are the psychological conditions conducive to evil? That was the goal for Robert Jay Lifton as he wrote The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide which I should finish reading later tonight. Lifton found there are no easy answers as one physician survivor stated,
“The professor would like to understand what is not understandable. We ourselves who were there, and who have always asked ourselves the question and will ask it until the end of our lives, we will never understand it , because it cannot be understood.”
Lifton’s book focuses on a particular part of the “final solution,” one of the many terms the Nazis used to describe their attempted genocide of the Jews. He writes about the role the German medical profession played in the selection, technology and disposal of the millions killed during WW II. For most of his 500+ pages, he focuses on the events in Auschwitz, a place in which at the height of their “efficiency,” 24,000 people in one twenty-four hour period were killed and then burned or otherwise disposed. For the Nazis, the Jews were a “life unworthy of life” or a disease that must be eradicated and so they attempted to justify their attempt to “heal” the nation. As Lifton says, “Genocide is a response to collective fear of pollution and defilement” (481). “The perpetrator of genocide kills to cure himself as well as his people” (487).
This is a long and tough read and I bought it because one of my profs had mentioned it a number of years ago as a book worth reading. Lifton comes to a similar conclusion as does Roy F. Baumeister, in his book Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty who wrote about the myth of pure evil (see my post on this). “No individual self is inherently evil, murderous, genocidal. Yet under certain conditions virtually any self is capable of becoming all of these” 497).
On a related note, my wife sent me a link to an article about why our response to hundreds of thousands of people dying is not significantly greater than our response to one person dying or in the article’s case, the life of one dog. I had never heard the story of Hokget, the dog stranded on an abandoned freighter. Worth a read!
But the real point is why don’t we care more? According to research cited in the article, our brains don’t have the capacity for dealing with the death of so many. In fact, Shankar Vedantam concludes, “We are best able to respond when we are focused on a single victim.” Maybe this provides some explanation why we cannot get our minds around the 6 million+ Jews that were killed during WW II. But, that does not make the facts any less true. If you are in any doubt, check out The Nazi Doctors.







Recent Comments