“Spiritual Antennas” can be defined as an intuition, a sense of something going on around you that is bigger, greater and worthy of attention. I will never forget that Tuesday for as long as I live. Yes, the range of emotions I experienced is as real today as it was then, the visual of the men yelling at me, of the two boys, of the mother’s deep pain expressed in wailings no man wants to hear – yes, that day is etched into my memory bank for many years to come. What I find intriguing though, even now, is the sense I had, the “Spiritual Antennas” my Creator ignited in me, as this entire scene was being played out in front of me like a movie. You see, because I’m a novice in Amharic, Ethiopia’s native tongue, I had no idea what was going on at the time, no clue my life was in danger. I did know two things, though. First, as they carried the limp bodies back to the village, there was this wall between the families and I that was a real as any wall I’ve ever touched! I greatly desired to carry one of the boys back to the village, to come alongside the family, to cry with them, to hug them, to be with them during this horrific time; however, I simply couldn’t. Second, as a result of that very real barrier between them and myself, my “Spiritual Antennas” spoke load and clear that I’d better gather my team and leave the area immediately (most of our national friends who came north with us told us not to worry, everything would be fine...boy, were they wrong!). Accordingly, I sent out word to my team to get back to the hotel, we were leaving. Within an hour, we were packed and in our rented vehicles heading back to the capital.
I’ve learned over the years to live and to trust in “Spiritual Antennas!” A trusted man in antiquity named Paul once wrote, “...if you are of the Spirit, then be in step with the Spirit.” In our language, it says, “...if you’re a follower of the Way, then be in touch and in tune with your surroundings – listen closely to what I’m, your Creator, am saying.” Obviously, I follow my favorite Rabbi whom my buddy Richard calls my ‘2,000 year old buddy.’ Chaplain Jack, Chaplain Jim and I all rely strongly on our spiritual intuition with our favorite Rabbi to function in our respective churches and, within the MBPD as Chaplains. And we count it an absolute honor to serve, to come alongside and to assist our family at the PD and our Morro Bay residents in spiritual matters.
As I reflect back on that Tuesday, even as I pen this article, my heart still moves with compassion for the village of Ambo. The postscript is thought provoking: about three weeks after I returned to the states, I received an email from my translator. He informed that the man yelling at me the most, the owner of the store, was the father of both of the boys who drowned: yes, they were brothers. I was also informed a bomb was immediately built that afternoon intended to be thrown into my hotel room late to kill me. And, I was told that most of the village was intrigued and moved to ‘follow’ the God of the white man, because the gods of Ambo couldn’t save the boys. The result: years later, four new churches have started in Ambo. Crazy days, no question! I still see the father’s face in my mind; sometimes nightmares visit me about the incident. And, yes – I still pray for this man and his family, I hope someday I can hug, hold and cry with him; and, who knows, perhaps he and his family attend one of the new churches? Not sure, one thing I do know though: if it weren’t for “Spiritual Antennas”, I might not be here today...
