An unfortunate by-product of our contemporary culture is a strong notion that it’s us against them.

It’s time to replace this old, destructive, counterproductive notion with a not-so-new idea. We need each other.

We are all stakeholders in the great enterprise of humanity. We are enriched by each other. We are interdependent, intercommunicating and in community.

READ MORE…

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

On Saturday afternoon the Saints Bible Bowl Team won the Divisional Bible Bowl competition, and earned the privilege to represent the Sierra del Mar Division at the Western Territorial Championships.  (Bible Bowl is akin to Academic Olympics, and the team is quizzed on their memorization of Scripture.)  Captain Lisa is the team’s coach, and the kid’s success is an indication of her dedication and commitment to helping them enjoy meaningful success.  You may think I’m biased, but this one example is indicative of her many, profound contributions to the Kroc Center.

Last Monday I left you with a teaser.  “We are created for community.  We need each other.”  And now I’d like to revisit the reality of our inter-connectedness.

One of the leadership principles by which Lisa and I work is “Tend Your Garden.”  This principle is an affirmation of the gifts, heart, abilities, passions and talents possessed by every person, and a reminder every person is uniquely connected to the Kroc Center as member, volunteer, guest or employee.  It’s also an affirmation of the reality that no one of us has the capacity to do it all.  Or inversely, our personal connection to mission indicates each of us is uniquely placed and qualified to contribute to the whole.

But there’s an inherent danger to this principle, that being we can forget “my” garden is a part of the community garden.  We begin to see life in terms of them and us.  We begin to act as if we’re a series of unrelated venues.  We begin the movement from interdependence to independence.  Let me be less cryptic and more specific.  Several times over the past month I’ve heard this phrase, “I need to cover my back.”  It doesn’t matter with whom or in what situation.  But it does matter this phrase suggests the seeds of distrust have been sown in the garden.

I wish everybody could see what I see: The dedication and professionalism.  The dauntlessness spirit and tireless effort with which people give, and give, and give of themselves so another person can dream, discover and become.  It’s inspiring.  It helps me wake up in the morning, rests in my heart, and compels me to bring my best every day.  And on those days when I’ve brought less than my best, I’ve been the humble recipient of these words, “I’ve got your back.  We’re here for you.”

King Solomon is arguably the wisest man in history, and you know he’s smart because he taught complex ideas in simple terms:

It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.  Share the work, share the wealth.
And if one falls down, the other helps; but if there’s no one to help – tough!
By yourself you’re unprotected.  With a friend you can face the worst.

Can you round up a third?  A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

-       Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,12

Next time you’re feeling alone or isolated – exposed? – I want to ask for your trust.  The people with whom we spend most of our waking, working hours have got your back.  After all, if a three-stranded rope isn’t easily broken, imagine the strength of a rope bound by a community of thousands.

Peace,

John Van Cleef, Captain

Corps Officer

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

You won’t be surprised to read these words: there’s been a lot going on at the Kroc Center, and this Monday Letter will be entirely devoted to sharing the good news – beginning with words of thanks to Lynnette Baker (Youth Outreach Director).  Lynnette is on the frontline of Salvation Army mission, telling kids about God’s love in schools and alleys, in run-down apartment complexes and in our gym.  She always has a smile, and obviously loves the kids she serves.  She recently got to take the children ice skating, and her great joy was not in the adventure of ice skating.  Her joy was watching the kids who’ve been around welcome and help the kids who were new.  This is a snap shot of what we’re all about – transformed people helping transform people.  It’s a pleasure to share her joy with you, and to thank Lynnette for teaching our kids by her authentic example.

It’s also a pleasure to report Mayor Sanders and the City Council have agreed to maintain the current level of funding for the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and to further report that Kroc Kids has been awarded another two-year grant.  But it gets even better: the grant for the next two years is double the grant for the previous two years – over $12,000.  This increase is a credit to the growth of the Kroc Kids program, with thanks to Siobhan Sullivan (Performing Arts Manager), and to the leadership of Sean Cummings (Program Director).

And speaking of theatre… if you missed the Broadway Spectacular, you missed something spectacular.  (I know.  I missed it because of a wedding in Washington D.C., and I longingly listen to stories about how well all the performers did – especially the Boyd brothers.)  As with so many other things that happen at the Kroc Center, what happened on the stage is only half the story.  We have a group of Kroc Kids raising money for a 10-day mission trip to Swaziland this summer, and they were able to raise more than $12,000 toward their goal.  We’re incredibly proud of our kids, and know this trip eternally benefit their lives and those of the children they’re going to help.

You might imagine being a Life Guard is an easy job – sit in a chair, soak in the rays, and instinctively know where there’s good food on campus.  But it’s actually a difficult, tedious, and even monotonous job.    Our Life Guards test the water for chemical levels, receive the front-line comments of our satisfied and dissatisfied swimmers, and always – ALWAYS – have to be ready to save a life.  We’ve had a few of those rescues during the recent days of spring break: when over-confident, zealous kids needed help after they discovered the pool was that deep and they didn’t swim that well.  It’s a pleasure to acknowledge Danny Beers (Aquatics Supervisor) and the Life Guards, and thank them for always keeping our swimmers safe.

This past Thursday, we paused to thank our volunteers during our annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast.  The 40 in attendance represented the 1,200+ volunteers who make the Kroc Center run.  The value of their time, expertise and service is incalculable.  And in recognizing our volunteers, I also need to express my gratitude for everything Jean Stein (Volunteer & Life Options Coordinator) does to facilitate the varied work of our volunteers.

And finally, we are 10 days into our Heroes With a Heart annual giving campaign.  We have more than 90 committed volunteers telling the story of The Salvation Army, and singing the benefits of Kroc Center programs.  Our goal is to raise $60,000 in 30 days to benefit our scholarship and program funds.  As of day four we raised $12,500, and I know we’ve received more gifts since then.  We need heroes, and it’s a privilege to see them emerging through this campaign.

I could go on…

…but this is what’s called a “teaser”.  We are created for community (that’s a sound bite), and everything I’ve written about in this Monday Letter is a potent reminder we need each other.  Stay tuned.

Grace,

John Van Cleef, Captain

Corps Officer

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In 1943, the Marine Corps Fighter Squadron VMA-214, was reformed to help advance the United States’ war in the Pacific. During this campaign, VMA-214 distinguished themselves with an impressive record: 203 air-to-ground planes destroyed, 94 air-to-air combat victories, and the recognition of 8 ace pilots.

The commanding officer was Colonel Pappy Boyington, and he brought together 27 unattached, unequipped, and – some of them – inexperienced men. Perhaps their squadrons had been reassigned or lost in combat. It’s probable their planes had been destroyed in combat. And some of them were fresh from training with all the necessary classroom training, but no practical experience. Feeling “fatherless” they wanted the squadron to be called “Boyington’s Bastards,” but that didn’t quite meet the public relations’ standards for the Marine Corps.

Instead, they were named the “Black Sheep Squadron,” and through their excellence became the most famous Marine Corps Fighter Squadron.

Ever felt like the 27 men of the Black Sheep Squadron? Unattached? Unequipped? Inexperienced? Purposeless? Fatherless? These feelings can permeate any dimension of our lives, but you know it’s especially difficult when they get beyond the superficial layers of our lives into the heart and soul of who we are.

The beauty of Easter is its message of faith, hope and love for the unattached, unequipped and purposeless. Consider these words from the prophet, Isaiah:

The plan was that (Jesus) give himself as an offering for sin
so that he’d see life come from it – life, life and more life;
and God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.
(So God said,) “Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly -
the best of everything, the highest honors -

Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep.”

- Isaiah 53:10,12

What does that mean in plain English? If Pappy Boyington, being the man he was, can add purpose and meaning to the lives of 27 pilots; then God, being who he is, can add infinitely more life, life and more life (a.k.a. purpose and meaning) to a black sheep like me.

Grace,

John Van Cleef, Captain
Administrator/Corps Officer

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We’re at the conclusion of our time with Joseph, and his ancient story begs a relevant question for each of us today: How big is your God?

Now when I write the word your in front of God, I mean your view of God – your definition of God. Some people attempt to define God within the conventional wisdom of theology, but the danger in this view is forming an idol from words like, “God is such-and-such, and only works in this way. Nothing more and nothing less.” Others attempt to avoid all forms of orthodox teaching and tradition, but the danger in this approach is heresy.

Some believe God is distant and disinterested with the day-to-day details of life, that He’s left us alone in our humanity and “is watching us – from a distance.” Others relegate Him to rites of passage like weddings and funerals. Still others segregate Him, making subjective distinctions between the sacred and the secular.

But what if Joseph’s story, in all of its historical truth, is meant to help confound our conventional thoughts about God. Think about it… God was in Joseph’s dreams as a young boy. God protected Joseph from the murderous envy of his brothers. He was interested in Joseph’s integrity while enslaved, and Joseph’s industry as a prisoner. He prepared the way for Joseph to serve Pharaoh, and saved his family from famine. Though it wasn’t the route Joseph imagined or would’ve planned for himself, God was intimately and interactively involved with him all of his life.

Now make a leap with me – what if God is bigger than our definitions of Him, but also possesses understandable qualities? What if He’s interested in our every day, coming and going, normal lives? What if He abides with us through our messes and successes? What if He’s made us to be who we are – artist, athlete, attorney, educator, musician, trainer – and infuses all of our lives with purpose, whether we’re sitting in church or enjoying BBQ with a friend?

What if…?

Grace,

John Van Cleef, Captain
Administrator/Corps Officer

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This edition of The Monday Letter has been several weeks in the writing, punctuated by interludes of travel: a sabbatical trip to England, a marriage retreat in Denver, and a week of vacation for spring baseball in Phoenix. In addition to these interludes, the last few weeks have also provided time for deep introspection.

It’s fair to say I’ve been wandering through a spiritual winter, what some call a “time of ashes.” This season has been punctuated by questions of purpose, acceptance, satisfaction, process, etc. You name it, I’ve been asking the same question, “Is this all there is?” This question has caused me to journey to the edge of what I know, forcing me to look at the abyss of everything I don’t know – which is vast beyond what words can describe. And, quite honestly, the edge is frightening.

But I’ve also found some things – rediscovered may be a better word – at the edge. I’ve discovered new dimensions of God’s nature, His easy and gentle nature that bids us to enjoy the rest He provides for our souls. I’ve rediscovered the fact that God demonstrates His loving nature toward me through people. Family, friends, and co-workers who care enough to counsel, who’ve “got my back”, who by virtue of their affection accurately reflect God’s fondness for a chump like me.

So I simply want to express my deep, personal, inexpressible gratitude for you who have knowingly and unknowingly held me safe and firm while I’ve been at the edge. I’m just beginning to understand my affection and appreciation for you.

We’re nearing the end of our time with Joseph’s story. Quick review: daddy’s favorite, gets a cool coat for his birthday, brothers hate him and sell him into slavery. Promoted to “head slave,” owner’s wife tries to seduce him, she ends up scorned and he gets thrown in jail. Is a model prisoner, gets out of the clink several years after he should’ve been released, and is promoted to Prime Minister of Egypt – second only to Pharaoh. How’s about that for 17 or 20 years worth of experience? What a resume!

Here’s where the story gets even better (Genesis 45). The famine affecting Egypt is affecting every place in the region – even his old home town. His father, Jacob, is still alive and sends the brothers to Egypt because he hears they have food. You get where this is going, right? When he was a boy, Joseph dreamed his brothers would one day bow to him – and the dream is about to come true. The brothers didn’t know it. Joseph didn’t know it. But we know it, I know it and I know how I’d write the story (so please pardon my familiarity). If my brother’s who started all this mess in my life came begging for food some 20 years later, I’d say something like, “Sucka’. You want what? From me?? As if! But before I even think about giving you some food, you better start the bowing and scraping – that old dream’s about to come true!”

But once again, Joseph wasn’t me. Joseph was the kind of man I want to be. Here’s what he said,

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.”
- Genesis 45:4-5, NASB

Each one of us has stood in the place of Joseph’s brothers needing mercy – not getting what we deserve for something we’ve done. Each one of us has stood in the place of Joseph’s brothers needing grace – freely getting a priceless gift we don’t deserve. Not only have we stood in need of mercy and grace, but we daily stand in need of mercy and grace – with the promise it will be given:

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.
Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen that you may live;
and I will make an everlasting covenant with you…” – Isaiah 55:1-3

Grace (and mercy),

John Van Cleef, Captain
Administrator/Corps Officer

I don’t know what the morning of December 20, 1989 was like in Anchorage. It was winter solstice, so it was the darkest day of the year. I’m sure there was snow on the ground, and it was also cold. But all of that day-to-day stuff was punctuated by the news of Operation Just Cause – at least in the Van Cleef house. The day-to-day stuff happenings were also punctuated in the Ferraro home of Bethesda, Maryland; the Ball house in Royal Oak, Michigan; and thousands of other homes around the country where parents, spouses, brothers, sisters, children, extended family and friends wondered if their loved one was in harm’s way.

We were unable to place calls from the combat zone, so our families had the comfort of a Pentagon hotline that provided injury and fatality reports to callers. For five days, my Mom and Dad endured the darkness of not knowing where I was or what I was doing, or if I still was. For five days, my Dad called the Pentagon happy to discover my name was not on a list. For five days – until Christmas.

An unnamed and unknown American woman, who lived in Panama and worked for the Canal Commission, came to our platoon’s command post, secured a name and phone number for each person, and made a call – THE Christmas Call. “Mr. Van Cleef. I spoke to your son today. He’s alive and well, and wishes you a Merry Christmas.” 30 times she made the call, and 30 times she provided the gift of joy to families who had persevered through long days of waiting.

While in prison, Joseph had occasion to interpret the dream of Pharaoh’s Cupbearer – a dream that promised the restoration of this man to Pharaoh’s service and favor. For interpreting the dream Joseph simply asked to be remembered by the Cupbearer before Pharaoh. (Check out this story in Genesis 40.)

Within three days the Cupbearer was quickly restored to Pharaoh’s side. And on day four, Joseph waited, and on day five Joseph waited. And on day six, and seven… For two years he waited to be remembered. For two more years he endured prison life. For two years he persevered.

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. – Philippians 4:6-7

In all that waiting, and despite what it seemed, something was happening. He didn’t worry, become bitter, or plot revenge. He waited, and watched, and prayed. Joseph was in process, being refined like gold in a smelter – and being prepared for what would happen next.

The kind of prosperity Joseph enjoyed, and the kind of prosperity we’re learning about, is born from perseverance – continuing beyond what you should do, to the things you can do.

Grace,

John Van Cleef, Captain
Administrator/Corps Officer

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This has been a remarkable week at the Kroc Center, which can be highlighted by a few examples. Wednesday morning was punctuated by the screams of Ruben Galvan, CW6, as he faced his fear of heights on our ropes course during a live newscast. (Check it out on the web: “Facing Your Fears”). My complements to Maria Todaro for drawing media attention to Salvation Army programs in the month of January – a first in my experience and especially significant considering the coverage we received for our seasonal efforts.

And Wednesday’s coverage wasn’t possible without the help of Sean Cummings, Kris Burns and Andrea Sanford – but I especially want to thank Andrea. On top of supervising a four-week stint of Day Camp, she came in earlier than normal and set up the team challenge course so we could help Ruben face his fear of heights while telling our story… not to mention the fact she kept me from going “splat.” (You really need to go online and watch the video.) And she’s just one example of the many of our staff family who give tirelessly of themselves for the service of others. Thank you.

We completed the week by hosting an Ice Skating Institute Open Competition. Several hundred figure skaters from around Southern California descended on our campus to demonstrate and celebrate the skills they’ve learned in their sport. While many contributed to the weekend’s success – staff and volunteers alike – I’d like to express my appreciation to Shaun Rodman for all she did to coordinate the event.

When we left our friend Joseph, he’d just received the coat of many colors, and he just told his brothers his dream about one day ruling over them. And things we’re about to get ugly. Here’s a quick synopsis of events that spanned approximately 25 years:

• His brothers plot to kill him. That’s right – kill him – they really didn’t like Joseph.

• They decide not to kill him, but instead sell him into slavery.

• While in slavery, the boss’s wife tries to seduce him; but ultimately has him thrown into prison.

• He languishes in prison for something he didn’t do for longer than he should’ve been there.

How’s that for 25 years? Quite honestly, those events would break me in a single year. But here’s the remarkable thing: through all of his trials – most of which were imposed by the will of other people – Joseph didn’t lose his cool. He didn’t cheat. He didn’t steal. He didn’t grumble or complain.

In slavery he was entrusted with all his master’s affairs: money, land and livestock. Everything. In prison, as a prisoner, he was the Chief Operating Officer. No matter what the circumstance, Joseph brought his A-game, gave his very best to all he did, and “the work of his hand prospered.”

Perhaps the illustrations from Joseph’s life are extreme. Not many of us can identify with conspiracy, slavery, accusation and prison. But we can all identify with the reality of trials, be it financial, medical, professional, personal, emotional or spiritual. We all know what its like to be down, and we all know what it feels like to be kicked when we’re down.

If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do. – 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (The Message)

What kept Joseph from breaking in adversity? What kept him living in the land of prosperity? What can sustain us through trial into the wide-open horizon of blessing?

Lesson #2: Prosperity grows through trusting God in adversity.

In Jesus,

John Van Cleef, Captain
Administrator/Corps Officer

If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.

- Proverbs 29:18, The Message

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Every New Year stands before us like an unwritten script before a playwright, a fresh canvas to an artist, an empty page for a writer, a blank score before a composer. We’re reminded of our past, and place hope in a better future. But more than hope, we resolve, we labor, we strive and we exert ourselves to reach the promise of tomorrow.

By now you won’t be surprised to see me write something I’ve written before: God wants, and has planned good things for our life and living. There’s a belief in our world – perhaps a justified belief because of bad religion – that God is a cosmic kill joy waiting to squelch anything we enjoy with wrath. There’s a belief in our world that God is dead (Thanks, Nietzsche), or at least watching us from an uninvolved, disinterested distance. There’s a belief in our world that God’s principles for our lives and pattern for our living are irrelevant and – dare I say? – stupid.

But assume with me, for a minute, the following statements are true:

• God has plans for us – plans to prosper and not harm; plans for a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11).
• God is intimately interested and involved in our everyday, coming and going lives, longing to supply everything we need according to His riches (Philippians 4:19).
• God skillfully, intentionally and uniquely knit together the fabric of our individual lives to make us exactly who we are (Psalm 139:13-15).
• God has given us gifts and abilities that resonate with His divine nature and echo into eternity (1 Corinthians 3:10-14).

I not only assume these things are true, but believe they’re true. In fact, these truths – or The truth of God’s love – is the source of my life and the foundation of my living.

Back to the matter at hand – the promise and hope we feel at the start of 2009. Our Spanish speaking friends have a New Year’s saying, “¡Prospero Año Nuevo!” – literally translated prosperous new year.

So here’s the question I want to consider over the next few weeks, “What does it mean to be prosperous?” There’s the story of a man in the Bible, Joseph by name, and I believe his life can clue us in to the answer(s) we seek.

God bless you, and Happy New Year!

In Jesus,

John Van Cleef, Captain
Corps Officer

“And as for you, brothers (and sisters): never tire of doing what is right.”

- 2 Thessalonians 3:13

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

On March 5, 1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated to his first term as President of the United States. The country was in turmoil, banks were failing at an alarming rate, and something needed to be done. In what has been called his defining moment, FDR’s first act was to proclaim a 10-day bank holiday, thus providing an opportunity for government and business to respond – not react – to the failing economy.

“It didn’t much matter to the American people which specific policies Roosevelt had in mind for them. It was enough to know that something was happening that had not happened before. The American people wanted their government to do something, anything, so long as it acted with assurance and vigor.”

- Jonathan Alter

On that same day, and inspired by the promise of a better tomorrow, the Meier & Frank department store in Portland, Oregon, took out a full page ad in the Oregonian. The single word on the page was:

Confidence!

The next day, thousands of Oregonians flooded to Meier & Frank – entrusting their life savings to the lone, distinguished local business they trusted to weather the financial storm.

In recent days, I’ve been especially attentive to the news reports regarding the economy’s impact on charitable giving during this holiday season. There are stories of heroism and overwhelming generosity, but these are outnumbered by the stories of panic and uncertainty – many resonating with a tone of fear.

I’ve been contemplating this information through several filters, each filter more closely related to the chair in which I sit. As a human service agency, I sit in a position of privilege and have an appropriate sense of awe. During the holiday season and times of local or national disaster, I’ve seen countless people over many decades offer service above self, giving sacrificially for the benefit of others.

As The Salvation Army I sit in a position of trust. Whenever I ring a bell at a red kettle, I gladly hear another story of how we helped this veteran during World War II. Whenever I help with disaster response, I gladly hug another grateful person whose life is on the road to recovery. Whenever I pray with a spiritual pilgrim I gladly connect a friend with a loving God.

As The Salvation Army Kroc Center I sit in a position of opportunity. I work at one of our community’s “third stops” – the office, Starbucks and the gym to play basketball. But it’s more than a third stop. It was created and endowed to be a third stop without boundaries. It’s a place of peace where people of all ages, cultures, creeds or status could come to learn and grow and succeed. It’s a place beyond home where families come to share experiences and make memories.

Privilege. Trust. Opportunity. These are the words that define my perspective, not in spite of the current economy; but through and beyond the current issues we’re facing. Yes, there is an increased need, and we’re privileged to meet the need. Yes, donors are being careful with their philanthropic investments – from $5 to $5,000 and beyond – and we’re honored to enjoy their trust. Yes, families are being more careful with their money, and we help them make enduring memories together.

On his 80th birthday, General William Booth was full of as much fire as when he and his wife Catherine founded The Salvation Army some 40 years earlier. His birthday message to Salvationists of the day is relevant:

“I want you to stand up more boldly and firmly than you ever have done
for the great object for which God has made you Salvation officers.”

- William Booth

Though written to Salvation Army Officers, the message spans the passage of time and speaks to us today. As usual, The Salvation Army is at war against forces that would oppress, marginalize and disenfranchise people. We’re fighting against fear, dodging the bullets of recession, and taking shelter from the bombardment of the stock market. We’re assessing our strategy and defining our objectives so we can defeat the enemy, advance the mission, and expand the effect services we provide to people who place their confidence in us.

The Salvation Army is not packing up or pulling back. We’re aligning our resources so we can continue doing the most good. We’ve been through this before; we’re going through it now; and by God’s help we’ll be there when it’s over – again!

Humbly yours,

John Van Cleef, Captain
Corps Officer

Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A story is told about the King of Sparta touring his city with a foreign king.  As it goes, the visiting king was secretly plotting against Sparta, and used the ruse of a goodwill trip to inspect its fortifications and develop his strategy.  The visiting king commented to the Spartan Monarch, “I notice you have no walls…”

“We have walls,” replied the Spartan, “the greatest walls in the world.  Every man and woman you see is a brick.”  And before the king finished uttering his response, the visiting sovereign found himself surrounded by the greatest army he’d ever seen.

Though there are many more lessons we can learn about relationships from the Bible, there’s one final, important thing I’d like to consider in this Jimmy Buffet mini-series: complement each other.

This is, of course, a double meaning.  On the one hand I do mean to reinforce the importance of complimenting each other with encouraging words of affirmation.  Take time to notice and express appreciation for a job well done, a random kindness or a thoughtful gesture.  On the other hand I do mean we need to complement each other in terms of how we fit together as one whole.  No one of us greater than the rest of us; and each one of us dependent upon each other.  Every man and woman a brick.  Every brick a part of one wall that is an army.

Throughout my officer training, and into my first several years of Salvation Army service, I looked at the abilities and opportunities many of my peers enjoyed with envy.  I saw this creativity and that likeability, this skill and that talent with a tint of green and tried my competitive best to win.  The problem was the competition existed in my own mind, and led only to the frustrating dead end of pointless exhaustion because I could never beat my own imagination.

One day my eyes were thankfully opened like curtains being drawn to let in the morning’s first light.  My friends and peers were divinely gifted and placed perfectly within the Army.  They complemented their appointment with just the right abilities, and they complemented their co-workers with just the right talents.  Moreover, I finally learned the true lesson of my significance.  Not the self-important kind against which St. Paul warns, but the God-humble kind that causes me to appreciate my fit with those around me.

People often ask, “How do you do it all?  How do you manage the Kroc Center?  It’s so big.”

The answer is easy to give, because it’s true.  “I don’t have to do it all because I’m surrounded by gifted people who manage it with me.”  Every man and woman a leader.  Every leader a part of one Army.

Humbly yours,

John Van Cleef, Captain
Corps Officer