From Sea Level To Mountaintop

Sept 24

We were tied to the pier in our home port, and it wasn't unusual to see family members onboard during the weekend. A few of us had just sat down in the First Class lounge to eat dinner and a baseball game was on the TV. One of the wives walked in to visit her husband and pulled out a VHS tape to slip into the player. "I've got something better for you to watch." Amused, we sat back to see what was coming up.

I have to say that my shock quickly gave way to a little anger as a pornographic movie started. "Excuse me, but we were watching baseball." She asked if the others wanted to watch the movie, and hands went up. So I picked up my tray of food and walked into the junior enlisted mess decks to eat. A few minutes later, another first class petty officer joined me. "Thanks for being the first," he said.

It can be uncomfortable, but you have to be willing to be the odd man out. It protects your soul from being corrupted and compromised. And your example can help someone else to make the right decision. "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. For what is man's lot from God above, his heritage from the Almighty on high? Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong?" (Job 31:1-3)

Sept 25

When my brother and I were about 10 years old, our family went on one of our camping trips in Idaho. Dad wasn't much for sitting around the campsite, so we'd always get in the car and explore the area. And on one of these side trips, we came across a small gold mining operation in a gulch. Turned out the two men there were brothers, and one of them happily took the time to explain how they got the gold from the ground to a safe. The other brother scowled the whole time we were there.

I was pretty fascinated with the whole thing, especially the long sluice box where the screened pay dirt was poured in. Being much heavier than the rest of the material, the gold would drop out of the stream of water and get caught in little metal riffles. We got in real close and could actually see nuggets. After he made sure the grouchy brother was looking the other way, our tour guide reached in and pulled out a couple of nuggets for my brother and I. It's a great memory, and all these years later, I still have mine.

Because of its unique properties, gold has long been sought after by a hundred generations and more. It can withstand acid, is pliable, and can be mixed with other metals. Besides its original decorative use, it is extremely important in the fast operation of computers. There are a few tests that can be used in order to prove its genuineness and value. God can do the same thing when establishing our value. "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." (Job 23:10)

Sept 26

I was on the third vessel of my career and we were docked at the Yokosuka Naval Base, south of Tokyo. It was my first visit to Japan and I was looking forward to experiencing its culture. But first came a visit to the Naval Exchange on base for a few essential items. After filling my basket I got in line to pay for the goods. When it was my turn, I put everything on the counter and looked at the clerk. Both of our eyes went wide open.

Less than a year ago, I had been her Sunday School teacher back in California. We agreed to meet during her lunch break to catch up on the news. It turned out that her father had been transferred to Japan a few months earlier and she was working on the base during the summer. It was pretty amazing that our paths crossed over 5000 miles away from where we had last seen each other.

It was more than a pleasant surprise to see a familiar face. It was a reminder that no matter how far we may be from home, there is one who is always with us. Jacob covered a lot of miles in his travels and God made him a promise. "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you." (Genesis 28:15)

Sept 27

A friend of mine was years away from his last time in a kayak and was anxious to go out with me. It was early summer and we drove over to the Missouri River where there was a small boater's park and ramp. We got everything ready and launched, intending to paddle upstream to a lake. But with snowmelt still feeding the river, the current was pretty strong, and not really worth fighting.

By then, I was feeling pretty uncomfortable with the conditions and looked for a place to pull out. I helped my friend to beach into tall grass and then we pulled our kayaks up the bank and on top. "You weren't quitting just because of me, were you?" he asked. I didn't have to think as I responded, "No, I was pulling out for both of us." Just a few years earlier, 5 kayakers had drowned up north in separate incidents, and I didn't want to press my luck.

Life is full of currents that can overwhelm us if we're not careful. It's always best to play it safe and learn from the mistakes of others. When we're in the presence of the Lord, the rush of everyday life slows down and we can catch our breath. Now, that's "lucky." "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." (Psalm 23:2)

Sept 28

It was 1981 and I was serving onboard a guided missile cruiser in the Pacific. It was my first time overseas on this side of the world, which seemed to have a more intense attitude towards just about anything. In about an hour we would be arriving in the Japanese port of Hakodate for a very short stay, just long enough to pick something up. After manning up our sea and anchor stations, the coastline came into view.

We were were able to make out the harbor a short while later and worked our way in closer. A few miles out, we were growing curious about a large number of boats that appeared to be stationary. It grew to caution as we could see this wasn't a friendly welcome. Those in the boats were holding long ropes between them, as well as holding signs of protest against nuclear weapons. Rather than push our way through and create an incident, we turned our ship away and moved on to the next mission on our schedule.

Mankind has been at war with itself since the days of Cain and Abel. It's very unfortunate, but it's part of our sinful nature. Those who have seen war are the first to caution against it, and often counsel for a strong defense to deter those who would harm us. We would be wise to follow the wisest counsel. "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Romans 12:18)

Sept 29

Our commanding officer was getting ready to leave after his tour of duty on the ship. For the last year and a half, he had played his favorite song over the loudspeaker system at the end of a replenishment. When the last lines were retrieved and the other ship was pulling away, they would hear, "I'm back in the saddle again," sung by Gene Autry, the original singing cowboy. It was appropriate, as the Navy "saddle" was a connecting piece between 6-inch refueling hoses.

Our executive officer planned the going away party and had arranged for something special. As the party was winding down, the CO picked up the last gift and opened it. It was a personal letter from Gene Autry, saying that he was sorry that he couldn't make it to the party, but wished him all the best in his career. Included was an autographed picture of the cowboy in his movie star days. It was the only time that I ever saw a ship's captain shed a couple of tears.

Though he had never seen him in person, our captain had a deep liking for this long-time actor. When presented with a gift and hand-signed letter from him, he was overwhelmed with feelings. How much greater will we respond when in the presence of the Lord? "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:8-9)

Sept 30

When I was a young boy, I remember that my Dad took my brother and I along for a visit to an older gentleman's home. We were probably dragged there kicking and screaming, but that changed as soon as we walked inside. On the walls, shelves and in display cases were items from far-flung lands. I don't know how he did it, but during the 40's and 50's he was a world traveler, and he brought a lot of things back.

One thing in particular that fascinated me was a blowgun high up on the wall. After explaining to me what it was, he brought it down for a closer look. He just happened to have some cotton and a "projectile" that he loaded and fired across the room, hitting the wall with a loud sound. "Want to try it?" He gave me the materials and let me load it on my own, but try as I might, I couldn't blow it through the tube. "I think you loaded it too tight. Let me try it." So he put the tube up to his lips and blew as hard as he could. And almost burst his eardrums.

I kind of felt bad as he shook his head clear and put the blowgun away. Until I saw something else that caught my attention. I was too young to listen closely to most adults, preferring bright and shiny things to wisdom. But the soon we learn to do so, the better. "Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction, pay attention and gain understanding." (Proverbs 4:1)

Oct 1

My wife and I were on our way to a Wyoming campground to spend time with her aunt and uncle. They were the camp's hosts and had set up about a month earlier. It was in a great setting, with a herd of wild mustangs on a nearby high plateau. But back in camp, the animals were a bit smaller. After their first noisy night in the RV, Uncle Russell had to drive to town to buy mousetraps. They worked, but it was even noisier when the traps sprung, so he looked for a better solution.

He carved a couple of slots into the rim of a plastic bucket filled with water. He then threaded a paper plate with a long stick, put peanut butter on the plate, and placed the stick onto the bucket's slots. Uncle Russell and Aunt Shirley ended up with a quiet night's sleep. As field mice ventured onto the plate to reach the peanut butter, the plate spun around and dumped the mouse into the water. And the bucket trap was automatically ready for the next mouse. He trapped several hundred of them by the time we arrived.

It's quite amazing what we can come up with if we think outside the box. Problems will always confront us, and we have a choice between giving up or else working through them. Don't give up. God does not want us to have an attitude of fear. "You will not fear the terror of night...nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness." (Psalm 91:5-6)

Oct 2

My ship was returning home after an extended deployment to the Middle East during Desert Storm. The day before we entered the harbor of San Diego, we had offloaded all of our Marines and their vehicles on the beach at Camp Pendleton. Once that was done, we cleaned things up as best as we could and then added a finishing touch. One of my men had come up with a great idea, which I cleared with the captain. Our ship was the tenth of its kind that had been built, so there was a big "10" on each side of the bow. Now they were about to get company.

Once we were inside the harbor, tugboats tied themselves to us and assisted us to the pier. They turned us around until we were parallel to the pier and we backed our way in to the final position. As we got closer and closer, the crowd got a better look at what was hanging over our stern. It was a full sheet of plywood, expertly painted to look like a California license plate. And it was a personalized "vanity" plate, which said "Perfect 10." A picture of it graced the front page of the newspaper the next day.

Our 7-month mission was over, and while it wasn't a perfect one, we had acquitted ourselves well. But it didn't bring a lasting peace, as there was another war in the same location, and with even more temporary results. One day, we will achieve peace when we totally commit ourselves to the Prince of Peace. "Finally, brothers, good-bye. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Oct 3

I was at a shop in town that specialized in nothing but flags and their accessories. Going up and down the aisles, I wished I had a bigger budget. But I was only after medium-sized flags of the US and Montana. They were going to be part of a semi-permanent flag display at our church's boys' campground. I picked out a couple and went up to pay for them with a check. Writing it out, I talked to the owner about my desire to one day have a flag pole at my house, saying that it was still a distant dream.

As I continued the conversation, he picked up the check and closely looked at it. He then looked back and forth at me and the check, which I found a little odd, but later forgot about. A few days later, I received an awesome gift from my wife...a flag pole. Little did I know that it had been previously sitting at the flag shop with my name on it.

Like most Americans, I have honored our country's flag my whole life. It is a symbol of freedom recognized the world over. Some Americans refuse to honor it, and while I don't agree with their stand, they have the right to do so. But there can be consequences of refusing honor where it is due. "Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever. But now the Lord declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those despise me will be disdained.'" (1 Samuel 2:30)

Oct 4

After three years in Alaska, my younger son and his wife were returning to Montana. My wife and I flew up for a final vacation in the 49th state and then we loaded up a U-Haul truck for the long trip south. I ended up driving it for over 2400 miles, many of them on the Alaskan Highway. Day after day on a rigid seat had its effect on me, seemingly bruising my tailbone. It was a huge blessing to arrive in their new city and unload everything.

The next day, my older son invited me to take a trip to a somewhat remote lake up in the mountains. After driving in as far as we could in his truck, we unloaded a 4-wheeler for the rest of the journey. I was sitting in back, mostly on a cargo rack. As we bounced over rocks and drove along deep ruts in the road, I was in excruciating pain. Multiple times I considered jumping off and walking the rest of the way, but there were always a few seconds here and there to recover and persevere.

If I had known how rough the road was going to be, I might have declined the invitation. But that would have shown that I wasn't up to the challenge. And anyway, the destination ended up being worth the hard journey. "As it is written: 'See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'" (Romans 9:33)

Oct 5

My first two months as a ship's bosun were extremely busy as we prepared for a major inspection. The checklists were endless, and covered personnel qualifications as well as material readiness. The department head gathered his officers and senior enlisted together and invited us all to meet at a cafe early the next morning to continue a pre-inspection tradition. The next day, I pulled up to the cafe, a seedy-looking place in a seedy location under the freeway overpass. It was worse inside.

I sat down at a big table with the rest of the guys and we opened up the menus. A couple of minutes later, the waitress arrived...looking like she had left half her clothes at home. As she took the orders and came to me, I closed the menu and excused myself, and drove the rest of the way to the ship. No one said anything to me later about bailing out, but interestingly, it turned out to be the end of their tradition.

Every organization and family has developed traditions over time, and most of them are likely time-tested and good. But if you come across one that makes no sense, or is destructive in any way, it's time to call it out. Our Savior showed the way when addressing a group of religious leaders. "Jesus replied, 'And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?'" (Matthew 15:3)

Oct 6

My family was driving on a mountain road in central Idaho and my brother and I were keeping ourselves busy in the back seat. At our age, every mountain and forest looked like the next, so we weren't paying attention to what was going by outside the windows. Our father braked the car hard and we slid along the gravel to a stop. He had us get out and then spent a couple of minutes giving directions until we saw them. Two grouse sitting on a limb of a pine tree by the road.

We got our BB gun out of the trunk and took turns shooting at the birds. They were close enough to us to know that we weren't missing, but they stubbornly sat on the branch as if we weren't there. I don't know how many shots it took, but the first grouse fell to the ground. We shifted our attention to the other one and it finally dropped as well. Our mother plucked them and cooked up a nice dinner that night.

As an adult, I've had the opportunity to go grouse-hunting with extended family, but always passed. Perhaps it has something to do with my first experience with these birds. It just doesn't seem fair to hunt something that doesn't seem able to protect itself in any way. Yet how often do we put ourselves in situations that are clearly not good for us, and refuse to escape? "Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." (Proverbs 2:11)

Oct 7

For decades now, there's been an area on the other side of the world that seems to be a perennial hot-spot. The North Arabian Sea, formerly known as the Persian Gulf, is a place where you have to keep your eyes, especially your electronic eyes, open. A multitude of incidents have occurred to ships and aircraft alike, with much loss of life. There's an undrawn line on the southern entrance to this body of water.

Cross that line and you find yourself in a designated combat zone exclusion area. Navy ships immediately set Readiness Condition Three, which puts additional personnel at weapons stations in a type of relaxed General Quarters. It's more hours on watch each day, along with less sleep each night, and can last for months at a time. In recognition of the extra stress, it's also designated as tax-free. For as long as you are in there, you don't have to pay federal taxes.

Does it make up for being in a dangerous area month after month? No, not really. But our leaders recognize that vigilance places additional stress on us, so they put something tangible into our hands. "Lazy hands make a poor man, but diligent hands bring wealth." (Proverbs 10:4)

Oct 8

Halfway through my time as a teacher, seeing a need, I appointed myself as the school's career counselor. I developed presentations, amassed a collection of catalogs, and put out newsletters to help the students' parents. Not everyone is meant to go to college, but I was determined that they received the best information upon which to base their decisions.

And year after year, I would slip in my own experiences as an example for kids to learn from. i had bailed out of college after a single semester, deciding that I wanted to get into the Navy as soon as possible, rather than go through the whole NROTC program. Years later, I started to go to night school to get my degree. But I had to squeeze it in between all my military obligations, including frequent deployments and duty station transfers. It was very draining, taking several years to obtain.

I once wondered what my life would have been like if I had persevered through my first experience with college. My career would definitely have been different. But it only took a couple of seconds to remember that my life had been blessed beyond measure. I wouldn't dream of changing something God planned for me. "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will..." (Ephesians 1:11)

Oct 9

I heard my truck pulling up, so I went outside to see how my younger son's day had gone. In the bed of the truck was an antlered mule deer. My son recounted the multiple hours he spent hiking from one gulch to another in the search to fill his tag, and ultimately his freezer. I helped him to hoist it to the rafters in my garage, before he went home to get a few hours of sleep before his night shift at work.

The next morning, I went into the garage and looked at the buck. Looking it over in the low light, something just didn't look right. So I turned on the lights and walked closer to it. I leaned in to it before abruptly pulling back. Hundreds upon hundreds of ticks covered the head of the deer. I took a step back and thought it over. As the deer's body had cooled off, the ticks were looking for warmth and moved away from the flesh to the outer hair until they froze in the below-freezing air.

Ticks are parasites, living off another creature's lifeblood. Animals endure them, having no way to get rid of them. People are repulsed at the thought of an attached tick, so they go to extraordinary lengths to avoid them. Parasites contribute nothing to the well-being of the host. In fact, the opposite is true. In contrast, we should give to others more than we receive. "All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing." (Proverbs 21:26)

Oct 10

The career path for a Limited Duty Officer is different from that of other commissioned officers. Aside from the selection process and the types of duty assignments that an LDO receives, there is a definite difference in advanced schooling. For example, ship-bound junior officers that come out of a collegiate setting are first sent to Surface Warfare Officer training, which gives them a well-rounded curriculum and a head start towards qualifying as a Surface Warfare Officer. By comparison, a new LDO gets a few weeks' of officer indoctrination school and is sent straight to a ship.

Shortly after arriving at my first ship, I gathered up a stack of qualification books that would lead to SWO attainment. But besides the hundred and hundreds of actual hands'-on requirements that needed to be signed off, there were thousands of "classroom" topics to become familiar with. These were normally done at the school under the teaching of seasoned military instructors, but it was up to an LDO to cover it all on his own.

Coming up through the ranks, LDOs seem to do everything the hard way. But they get help from a multitude of mentors along the way, each contributing knowledge and hard-earned lessons along the way. "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it..." (2 Timothy 3:14)

Oct 11

Those who watch live performances may not realize the countless hours of preparation necessary to put on a good show. The Spartans is a recruit-manned rifle drill team that is showcased during the weekly graduation ceremony at boot camp. They perform a tightly-choreographed and precision routine that includes the spinning and throwing of bayonet-equipped rifles. I felt honored to be a member of this team, but it came with perks...and danger.

For example, during one of our practice sessions, I sliced the leather on one of my boots, At another, a teammate was taken to the hospital after one of his rifle spins went awry. The tip of his bayonet cut his eyelid, which needed a couple of stitches. He remembered seeing the sun reflect off the chromed blade and reflexively throwing his head back. But it wasn't quite far enough.

Working in close proximity to sharp objects can be dangerous. It takes a lot of practice and awareness to avoid getting hurt or hurting those around you. Likewise, careless mean-spirited words can hurt and cripple. It takes maturity to stay away from using them. "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (Proverbs 12:18)

Oct 12

I must have been about 8 years old at the time, a little tired from a long day of non-stop play with neighborhood friends. I was lying on my back on the grass, watching the clouds float by, not really thinking about their shapes. Just quietly watching. Eventually, I rolled over and my field of blue and white instantly turned green. My eyes started to focus on the near objects, and then they went wide-open.

A five-leaf clover was right in front of me. I quickly got on my hands and knees and bent down for a closer look. Yeah, it had five leaves all right. I carefully put my fingers on the stem and broke it off. I took it home, where my father put it in a clear plastic box, and then he took me to the local newspaper. I was lucky enough to read a small article about it in the next day's edition. I lost it years ago, but I still have the five-leaf clover.

Sometimes, the small things in God's creation get overshadowed by the overwhelmingly big picture. But each little detail is important to Him, including you and I. "He who created the heavens and stretched them out...who gives breath to its people...I will take hold of your hand." (Isaiah 42:56)

Oct 13

My wife and I were driving from Alaska back to Montana with our son and his wife, and we had scheduled a visit to two of Canada's national parks. They were adjoining, with a single highway running through both of them. We entered the northern park with a sedan and a U-Haul truck, stopping at several scenic sights. After many hours, we exited the first park and approached the gate and toll booth for the next park. And that's when our troubles began.

The park employee said that he had been on the lookout for us and couldn't grant us entrance into the next park. "Why on earth not?" my son asked. It turned out that the park had rules against letting any kind of truck through, and we should never have been allowed to enter the first park. While my son continued to plead his case, we watched as scores of motor homes twice the size of our truck went through. We ended up losing our reservations at a southern park lodge and had to retrace our route back north to exit and seek another way home.

It would have been one thing to deny our entrance to the first park. We would have been upset, but could have recovered and not lost the better part of a day. But to let us go on our way and then turn us around much later? Inexcusable. But mistakes happen when people are involved. Not so with our heavenly Father. "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless." (2 Samuel 22:31)

Oct 14

My family was camping in northern Idaho along with other relatives. I woke up in the middle of the night and was having trouble falling back asleep. So I unzipped the door to our tent and stepped outside for some fresh air. We were in the middle of a small meadow with few trees, so I looked up to see the stars. Whoa! The aurora borealis.

For the first and only time in my life, I was looking at the northern lights over my head. For the first minute, all I could do was watch in awe, and then I remembered my wife. I woke her up and she joined me in enjoying the light show. Then we woke up one of her brothers in the next tent. He looked up and said, "Big deal," and went back to sleep.

I can explain the amazing science behind the northern lights, but it doesn't compare to the wonder of a Creator who wants us to spend eternity with him. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)

Oct 15

After a port visit to Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, our ship got underway for a planned 2-week cruise. I had already determined the courses and speeds necessary to get us to our first destination, but I wasn't ready for what the Navigator told me the next day. "I forgot to tell you that we're going to Hachinohe, too." Having never heard of that city, I pulled out the Port Directory, seeing that it was on the eastern side of Japan. Finding the chart number and then going to the appropriate drawer, my heart skipped a beat.

We didn't have the chart. As it turned out, it wasn't anyone's fault. It just wasn't part of our established allowance, so the Defense Mapping Agency had never sent us a copy. Of course, that wasn't good enough for the captain. We were going there and we'd better have a chart in hand by the time we got there. I drafted a priority message and sent it off, which saved a few days, but we were chewing our fingernails as the clock continued to tick. Two days before arriving in Hachinohe, there was a mail call, and a tube containing the chart was in the bag.

This just-in-time arrival took all the pressure away as our port entry was uneventful. But without it, we would have been 100% reliant on the harbor pilot's knowledge of the port. We definitely preferred relying on a chart over someone we'd never met before. When needing guidance through this life, we can trust the Word. "This is the disciple who testifies to these things and wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true." (John 21:24)

Oct 16

After an especially hard day backpacking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, my boys and I had returned to our base camp for the night. After eating a hot meal, we decided to turn in early for a good night's rest. But at oh-dark-thirty, I was awakened by a sound. Hmmm, I thought. One of my boys needs to relieve himself and is having trouble opening the tent door's zipper. It seemed to go on and on and I was dead tired. "Knock it off!" The noise stopped and I immediately fell back asleep.

The next morning, my younger son was the first one out of the tent, which had an attached screened room. "Dad, come look at this!" I got up and looked at what he had found. The screen on one side was slashed open, and I took a few moments to process what I saw. I realized that the noise I heard during the night wasn't a door zipper, but a bear claw slicing through the screen. We had had been extremely careful about not leaving any food around, but we found a stick of gum in one of our backpacks.

Tempted by the sweet aroma, the bear had temporarily overcome his fear of humans to get at the gum. He certainly didn't expect to hear yelling in the middle of a quiet night, and he was startled into running away. People are constantly tempted to reach for things they shouldn't, but the Lord is always there to help us. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Oct 17

My wife and I were visiting my parents' home in central Washington, a dry region with lots of sagebrush being the only sign of life. My Dad suggested that we use one of his canoes and drive to a nearby creek that meandered for several miles. It sounded like a good idea, so we went there by late morning and put the canoe in. The terrain was extremely flat and the creek widened in areas that were filled with cattails and other tall vegetation.

Several times on our trip, the water depth was very shallow with sand bars, and we had to get out and push the canoe over them. The creek also seemed to get swallowed up in big marshes and the correct direction to go was always a guess. Although the trip had its nice moments, it ended up taking 5 hours longer than expected.

The older you get, and especially when you're off on your own, the more you will experience times of wandering. Though you may have a destination in mind, there will be times when it seems you're getting further away. Those are the times when you need to press in to the Lord for help. "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." (Isaiah 48:17)

Oct 18

During my military career, I made a few port visits to Singapore, a city-state very close to the Equator, by Indonesia. It's a beautiful area, inhabited by a harmonious blend of people from around the world. It's exceptionally clean, too, and I can't remember ever seeing litter anywhere I went. There's a reason for that. By our standards, laws have been written that seem quite harsh. Depending on the crime, an offender can receive lashes on the back with a bamboo cane. Offenses can be as minor as spitting used gum on the sidewalk.

I remember when a couple of men from England were vacationing and decided to shoplift a few items from a store. They received a swift trial and caning was awarded as the punishment. There was an outcry from some places around the world, saying that caning was draconian and backwards. But the Singaporean authorities didn't bend, choosing to maintain civil order by using methods that have worked for them.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do," is an old saying. What is means is to take a behavior cue from watching what the locals do. This will usually keep you out of trouble. Better still, follow Paul's advice. "...I give you this instruction...so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience." (1 Timothy 1:18-19)