Newsletter May 2024
Musings, grumblings and possible some news

Saturday, April 27. The flight from Amsterdam to Belgrade was delayed by more than an hour, but the connecting flight to Montenegro would still be able to be made. A short sprint to the gate where the last passengers were boarding: yes, made it! Just scanning the boarding pass and through the gateway into the plane. Not so: computer says no, and I was sent to the transfer desk. Long story short: I wasn't allowed on the flight and the next one would be two days later. Of the four studies I was to give over the next three days at the bi-annual retreat of our workers in the Balkans, there would only be time left to do the last one. A Montenegrin living in the Netherlands who noticed my visible and verbal indignation offered to help. He was facing the same predicament. The only solution was to take a taxi. My new friend negotiated a price and an hour later we were on our way for the almost 11-hour drive from Belgrade to Budva. It turned out to be an interesting ride with the Eastern Orthodox taxi driver and my new Islamic friend, who invariably called me brother and believed it was the right thing to do to help a brother in need and regularly reminded me during the ride that "Jesus loves me" because I arrive in time to give my studies. Three men in a taxi who share an image, desire to be able to live as neighbours under God’s Shalom/Salam, regardless of differences in religion and worldview, and who just can't understand why people blow each other's brains out because of religion or geographical borders. Finally arrived an hour after midnight after a spectacular drive through the mountains of southern Serbia and Montenegro. By the way, Air-Serbia has fully compensated me for all the extra costs incurred.

Four studies on the so-called Sermon on the Mount as penned down by the evangelist Matthew (Chapters 5-7). Addressing questions such as "what does it mean when Jesus proclaims blessedness over nine human qualities specifically named by him?" Were they actually characteristics or is it about the (raw) realities with which his listeners identified? By the way, what are we talking about when we say we are blessed? The meaning of "blessing" has taken on a life of its own and in our Western part of the world is easily confused with prosperity and gadgets, which others do not possess. Blessing only takes on meaning in contrast with "unblessing".

Sunday, March 3. Woke up to a whatsapp message from youngest daughter Ellen that she had wrecked my car. At first I thought it was a practical joke but when the attached photo slowly but surely became sharper while downloading, I saw that it was indeed my car. Drama. I decided not to get angry because it could just as easily have happened to me. I was so happy with the car (from 2007 – so not really new or young) because everything just worked nicely. Ellen offers to buy me another similar car, but then she immediately runs out of savings. And she desperately needs those savings. She moved in with us with her three children. Her marriage is not lasting and in the coming weeks, agreements will have to be made about where she will live, custody, alimony and everything else that is involved in a divorce.

She now has a house in Spijkenisse (completely dilapidated – a gigantic pile of work to make it liveable and usable again) and there is a covenant. Martha and I are happy to have the space in our home for her and the children for as long as it takes. A few more weeks and the family can start a new chapter. Oh yes, we got the wrecked car back on its feet by buying the same type and colour of scrap car and replacing the “injured” parts. Because she really needs a car and still uses mine, I told her that she can keep the car.
Did I really say that? Now I don't have a car anymore and I have to look for a new old car.
Cars? Always a hassle.

Sunday, April 14. Arrived at Bayview Family Church in Toronto around 9:30 am. The relationship with this warm, welcoming congregation has existed for about 30 years and I have felt part of this "family" for years. Spoke on the question of how a follower of Jesus can be recognized. You then end up with the schism with the right confession on the one hand and the right action on the other. I think I understand from scripture that if a mouthful of spiritual ideals and ambitions does not translate into corresponding deeds and actions, it is better to shut up; You can recognize the tree by its fruit. That is an area of tension that I regularly struggle with in confrontation with my, at times, impossible, hopeless self. The Sermon on the Mount is an effective mirror, representing a life that we all should aspire to.

Another "family" is that of the Church of Christ in Ungarra (117 souls), a town on the Eyre peninsula (twice the size of the Netherlands with only 60 thousand inhabitants) in South Australia. When I spoke there recently, I was asked to administer the bread and wine. I passed the bread around with the instruction to pass on the bread to the next person with the words "the body of Christ, given for you". That went well if it weren't for the fact that the small crackers were on two smooth plates and when passing them around, crackers regularly slid off the plate onto the floor. Hilarity all around. When all were served I took the plates and the remaining crackers slipped off the plate in front of my feet and I promptly stepped on it. Even more hilarity. The Lord's Supper turned out to be both a serious and relaxing event.

Back home from Australia, I suffered from flu-like symptoms, lack of motivation, concentration and indifference for weeks. The former are gone, but the latter three seem more unruly. I trust that it will be okay, but it is not really fun (not that "fun" is the touchstone, because then I would have fallen prey to the Western disease of affluence that seems to have elevated "fun" to the norm).

OM operates on the "faith mission" principle; the idea that God provides for all needs. This takes shape through a constituency of giving friends who rally behind the (missionary) workers, projects and what not. We have been living on this basis since 1987. I've always struggled with it and still do. It feels like a constant peddling of yourself. This group of supporters is constantly changing. Giving friends come and go. Financial spending is being reviewed, and through relocation, social groups and engagements change. Currently, the monthly deficit is just under 500 euros and I need to do more peddling (sigh…).

Martha steadily paints and uses everything that can serve as a background as a basis. Dozens of leftover laminates (left over from the renovation of the two guest rooms in our house) have undergone her brush and color treatment.

We stared at the paneled ceiling. Not that we saw the panels, after all it was dark, but we are aware of the presence of the ceiling that dates from the 70s of the last century. So we lay there staring and musing about the fact that the bar is set high and that we have every reason to be disappointed in ourselves. What bar were we talking about?

The bar of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Our love for each other and others have a breaking point, joy depends on physical and environmental factors, peace is disturbed unintentionally and often unexpectedly. Patience? Don't get me started. Kindness is often situational and dependent on who is on the receiving end. On top of that, our state of mind is constantly in conversation with chemical processes in our brains where endorphins, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and about thirty other neurotransmitters control and affect the mood and countless bodily actions and processes. All it takes is one hitch to disrupt these delicate processes and you are no longer the person who was manifested a moment before.

Falling back on the grace of God, whose saving arms reach deeper than our greatest disappointments, is not an admission of weakness but the place where we reconnect with Life. And hope!

Sincerely!

Jan den Ouden (also on behalf of Martha)

Email: jandenouden@om.org
marthadenouden@gmail.com

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Jan en Martha den Ouden
West-Sidelinge 270
3042 CX Rotterdam
Tel: 010-5115979 of 06-427.427.05

Email: jan@lifedirection.org
marthadenouden@gmail.com
Blog: Jandereiziger.blogspot.com/

Giften kun je (aftrekbaar) overmaken op NL13 RABO 0114 2329 38 van OM Nederland in Nijkerk. Vermeld: Fam. den Ouden.

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