Serving Bread

I probably hear that statement more than anything else here. Whenever I meet a Turkish person, they wonder why I cannot speak the language. When my White American host explains (in Turkish) that I am American, they are confused. How is it that the Turkish looking guy can’t speak Turkish, but the American looking guy is fluent?

Over the course of the conversation, we explain that my grandfather was born in a city in the eastern part of modern Turkey, and the person slaps his (usually a he) hands together and declares, “I knew you were Turkish!”

Well… not really. But they soon lecture me that it is shameful that I have forgotten my mother tongue.

People often ask me how I feel about visiting Turkey. What is it like for an Armenian person to talk, joke, interact and spend time with Turks? Our peoples are historical enemies, so how is it that I can visit the land of the Turks? And since so many people think I look Turkish, am I offended?

The short answer to that last question is, “not at all!” While we may be ethnically and religiously different, culturally we are more similar than I realized. I feel joy playing tavle (backgammon) or sipping black tea with the people I meet.

Yes, there were terrible and dark moments in our history that have created a rift that continue until today. As a follower of Jesus, I am learning how to walk in forgiveness and value the shalom (or peace) in friendships and relationships. I know that many Armenians (and Turks) would want nothing to do with the other, but as I am in relationship with the Turks, I see the joy of being in relationship with Turks rather than the need to stay away.

In the Letter to the Romans, Paul speaks of returning evil with good. The best response to evil is not vengeance (for that belongs to the Lord), but forgiveness and good. The power of good, forgiveness and peace will do much more for reconciliation and true justice than revenge and vengeance.

The Bible gives a radical teaching on loving our enemies. This is not just a proverb uttered by Jesus, but it is the story of God and God’s people, who would love those who offend, insult, and persecute. Honestly, I will never learn the lesson of loving my enemies within the American (or even Western) Church context. The teaching is too theoretical. Very few people (especially those of the majority culture and those of majority culture type churches) know what it means to harbor deep hatred and bitterness toward another.

The Lord has brought me to Turkey to teach me the deeper essence of loving those whom my people around me tell me are unlovable. I recently heard the account of St. Patrick who intentionally chose to love his enemies. The Lord sent him to his former captors to love them and influence them toward good when they meant to influence him toward evil. The Lord gave Joseph eyes to love his brothers and return evil for good. And the Lord has brought me to Turkey to soften my heart and love those who some say should never be loved.

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(Part VI in an occasional series. Read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V)

The first war I remember paying attention to was [tag]Gulf War[/tag] I back in 1990/1991. What I remember about that war was the American response to the activities in the Middle East. You had two choices—either you [tag]support our troops[/tag] (and the president) or you support [tag]peace[/tag] and withdrawing all troops from the region.

Those categories are even starker today. Supporting our military means supporting the war. Supporting peace is an insult to the brave men and women who are fighting for our freedom. Can one support our military by bringing the troops home? Can one support peace and support the troops simultaneously? Are we surrendering our patriotism if we are critical of our administration and its foreign policy?

Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Dish picked up this quote:

[tag]Iraq[/tag] policy has become the poster child for the pathology that afflicts American politics. Specifically, Iraq policy is the exclusive domain of extremists. On the right, attempts to recognize any specific failures in Iraq policy are condemned as “undermining the troops” while all efforts to change strategy or put pressure our Iraqi allies are disdained as “cut and run” tactics. The right’s approach is pinup patriotism — all flash, no substance. The left is no better, smearing everyone that disagrees with them on any detail (no matter how small) as “Bush sycophants” or “neocons”, all the while responding to any new information about incremental U.S. successes or diplomatic initiatives with behavior akin to a child sticking his fingers in his ears and screaming “la la la la la” in an effort to avoid hearing the intolerable. Where are the moderates?

Support our troops by praying for them. Support our troops by praying for peace. Support our troops by critiquing our foreign policy and engaging the democratic process. Support our troops by encouraging diplomacy. Support our troops by bringing them home when our military actions have reached the point of diminishing returns.

Silly categories and further propaganda by those on the right and the left undermine our foreign policy and our troops. Both sides are guilty of politicizing the war and the military and for not supporting our troops.

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