Evil for Evil

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

1 Thessalonians 15

This little calander that Catherine has given is proving to be a tremendous gift. Not only do I find that she has hand written some notes on paticular meaningful and also random days for me, it seems that the verses are appropriate for things that are happening around me. Yesterday was perfectly orchastrated for a discussion that my wife and I had in the morning and then became the basis for the post. Today, again this has happened. If you believe in Gods Soverienty then you see the blessing to a well placed verse, if you don't then chaulk it up to coincidence.

A way long time ago, as it feels in my head because time stands almost still here, I wrote about the bathroom situations at the camp. There is a very real issue with the ways the different cultures utilize the rest rooms. I will tell you that the "American Standard" is not the world standard and the way my parents taught me is not the way other parents taught their children to use the bathroom. What this creates is an evironment where the cultures colide and differences become the focus.

I will elaborate a little more. It is difficult to keep the rest rooms sanitary and clean. We end up with frequent clogs, water and other material on floors, showers and sinks used for cleaning of clothes. All sorts of things that just don't go over well here. Because of that the debate on how to fix the situation has gone from eductating the everyone on the proper use and hygene practices to a them and us situation. I was ok with the eductation idea, but now the them and us thing has not sat well with me.

In this type of environment you must continually bring people the information you need them to have. If there is a standard that is expected for the camp then all people must be given the opportunity to understand that standard. Some people can not be expected to do anything different then what they know unless you show them it. I for instance remember the first time Catherine and I ate Sushi, we literally had to ask the Waitress to show us haw to eat each piece of fish. Which ones to dip and which not to dip. We just didn't know.

Here however is part of the problem, the bigger the Camp the harder it is to have an "All Hands Meeting". We used to be able to get a couple hundred people together at one time, now there are five hundred, so the education and information disemination falls on the Supervisors to the workers. Also, we used to have signs posted in the rest rooms in each language so that we covered the majority of people, now, no signs.

It was even suggested that we manage the differences in cultures. We try to change something that someone has been doing their entire life as normal becasue it is different then you. They make facilities designed for the different ways that people use them, American style or Middle Eastern style. This would give options to everybody and everyone would have a choice of where they could go. nobody would be asked or forced to either facility. This idea was laughed at originally as I was the one who suggested it. Now this is being looked into.

Here is the rub and how this lends itself to the verse at the from 1st Thessalonians, in desperation, the Camp has changed the combination on one set of AB Units so that no Foriegn National can use them. The specific words were used "Expat Only". Followed by the idea that now they would see who was messing them up for sure. Now here is a gut check for you, did those words sting or not? They did me. I could not believe that we had come to that moment where we, Americans, fighting for freedom, would say "Expat Only".

It is rascisim or bigatry or segregation and in that it is evil. It is people at the end of their rope and with a difficult situation on their hands giving into a rudimentry human instinct of pride. It is not good an in my mind a step backwards for us here. We have these men risk their lives for our Soldiers but then treat them like garbage because we think we are better than them. We, have sunk back down into a pit of desciding that one human being is not the same as another. In Gods eyes they are, and if it doesn't make you feel awful then you really must check where you are looking at things from.

I am not saying that I like living in unhealthy conditions. I am not saying that there is nothing that can be done, but this is the start of evil from one man onto another. This is one person thinking that they are, there ways, what they do is, better than another. It is why one man inslaves another. It is why one man will take anothers wife or car or money. They have pride driving them and I say again it is evil.

So you know, and maybe feel something for this, I have a man that works for me. He is a retired Captain from the Romanian Army. He is a fine man, works very hard at his job. I have become close to him in the past few weeks in our working relationship and he keeps me in check sometimes with a well placed "you are a Christian", when maybe I am displaying something else. His words to me were, "because I don't have an American Passport I can not use the same toilet as you? I am not good enough?" Now look in this mans face and explain the reason and justify the descision.

So I am in a position, again, to take a stand. Or to affect change. The second part of the verse is this, "but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." I have begun by not using the bathroom that is now Expat Only as that initself is a terrible wittness to anybody that may see it happening. I would be condoning the action taken and I will not do that. The big thing is what to do next, what action can I take to right this apperent wrong? That was retorhical.

You know when it comes down to it, we all have to make choices of what is right and wrong. If we do it on our own then we are doomed to fail occasionally. If we follow Gods standards then we will fail at it less often. "but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." So what would you do? What do you you do now with these types of things? Do you let things go because they are not your concern? Do you let someone take advantage, hold down, poke fun at someone else? Do you even allow one person to speak about another in a way that may be hurtful without checking them? I hope not.

Lord, please give me the strength that I may need to follow that of which is good. Give others that strength also as you call us to be Lights in darkness and defend the weak. If any don't or won't defend against this prideful evil then forgive them, forgive me, lead us through this. I ask these things in your name. Amen.