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On May 31, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. soldier held by the Taliban since June
2009, was released by his captors as part of a prisoner swap brokered with the
Taliban by the governments of the United States, Qatar and Afghanistan. In
exchange for Bergdahl, the United States released five Taliban detainees who'd
been incarcerated in the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They
were sent to Qatar, where they are free to move about the country but are not
supposed to leave it for a year.Bergdahl is currently being debriefed and treated at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany. It is projected that he will eventually return to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, for further recovery.
While the deal has brought relief to Bergdahl's family, the celebrations planned in his hometown were canceled in the wake of considerable backlash to his release. That backlash is based on three objections:
First, those of his former comrades in arms who have spoken say Bergdahl wasn't captured while doing his duty, but rather that he walked away from his post, and there does appear to be evidence of this.
Second, some observers say that at least six American soldiers died trying to rescue Bergdahl. The deaths of those six are not directly tied in a cause-and-effect chain to attempts to rescue Bergdahl, but people familiar with the specific missions say that those soldiers would not have been where they were at the time of their deaths had Bergdahl not left his post and been captured.
Third, some think it likely that the five Taliban prisoners released in exchange will cause problems for the United States again. All five were top Taliban commanders before their capture, and one has reportedly already said he will fight the United States again.
Some members of Congress have criticized the White House for how it executed the swap. The exchange was negotiated without informing Congress, despite a 2013 law that says the administration must give at least 30 days' notice before transferring anyone from the Guantanamo Bay facility. However, when President Obama signed the bill, he issued a signing statement saying that the restriction interfered with the president's executive power as commander-in-chief. Signing statements have been used by previous presidents as well.
In response to the criticism, the president reiterated the American practice of not leaving a serviceman or servicewoman behind. "We don't condition whether or not we make the effort to try to get them back," President Obama said.
A senior U.S. official says that Bergdahl has told military officials that he was tortured, beaten and held in a cage by his Taliban captors after he tried to escape.
More on this story can be found at these links:
The Bergdahl Exchange: Catch Up on the Latest Developments. CNN
Obama: No Apology for Bergdahl Prisoner Exchange. Yahoo! News
How Did 6 Die After Bowe Bergdahl's Disappearance? CNN
Taliban: We Found Bergdahl Alone, Cursing Americans. Newser
Freed Taliban Commander Tells Relative He'll Fight Americans Again. NBC News
Bowe Bergdahl and the Impossible Choices Families of Hostages Face. The Atlantic
The Big Questions
1. To what degree, if any, is God's rescue of us from sin based on our deservedness? If God saves only those who deserve it, who can be saved? Are there any ways in which your answer affects your view of the Bergdahl release? Why or why not?
2. If the reports of Bergdahl's behavior leading to his capture are true, it at minimum can be described as "dumb" or "ill-considered." What does our faith have to say about the dumb stuff we have done that has resulted in harm to ourselves and/or others? Does God hold our foolish actions against us?
3. To what degree, if any, does our salvation depend on our not walking away from the church? Is walking away from church the same as walking away from God? Explain your answer.
4. Regarding the Christian teaching of final judgment, does such judgment determine our salvation/damnation, or are we saved by grace and still judged for our actions? If the latter, what are the consequences of our actions?
5. To what degree, if any, does God's saving us depend on us?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. (For context, read 10:26-31.)
This is a statement by Jesus about human worth.
Questions: How would you apply this statement to the Taliban prisoners who were released from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Bergdahl? What worth do you assign to them? What worth, do you suppose, does Jesus assign to them?
If you were the one captured by the Taliban, what price would you want your country to be willing to pay for your return? What is the actual price, not in the abstract, but in terms of the consequences, and who all will pay it?
Romans 3:22-24
For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus ... (For context, read 3:21-26.)
This statement from the apostle Paul answers the question about who deserves rescue from God, and that answer is "no one." Thus, grace is a gift, not a reward.
Questions: To receive rescue from sin, is it necessary that we feel sinful? Is it necessary that we be able to point to obvious sinful behavior in our lives? Why or why not? Do you agree with Paul's "no one" answer? Why or why not?
The fourth-century African theologian Augustine often railed against what he considered the heresy of the Pelagians, who did not share Paul's formulation about original sin and insisted that humanity was basically good. What is your view of humanity and its so-called sinful nature? In your experience, are there people who seem pretty good at the core? Why do people, in the case of the current controversy, always seem to look for the worst in others? Does this say more about them or the people they criticize? Consider the popular t-shirt that displays a child with the words "God don't make junk." What does this say to the Romans text?
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost. (For context, read 19:1-10.)
John 6:44
No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me ... (For context, read 6:41-51.)
Both of these verses point out that God acts to enable us to receive salvation through Jesus before we make a decision to seek him. In fact, as the verse from John indicates, even our impulse to seek Christ is God-given.
Some Christian denominations use the term "prevenient grace" to describe this divine action that precedes human decision (as distinguished from divine "saving grace" that results in salvation). But whether or not that term is used, many Christians recognize after the fact that God was actively wooing them before they were even aware of their need for him.
Questions: Where have you been aware of God awakening your need for Christ before you moved toward him? What made you ready to hear the gospel?
Acts 13:13
Then Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem ... (For context, read 12:25--13:5, 13.)
The "John" in this verse is also known as "Mark" (Acts 12:25), and he was a cousin of Paul's co-worker Barnabas (Colossians 4:10). When Paul and Barnabas set out on a journey to evangelize parts of the Roman Empire, they took John Mark with them, only to have him pull out of the venture after they were on their way. The reason he walked away from the trip is not known, but Bible scholars speculate that it may have been the hardships of the journey, homesickness or even displeasure that Paul had displaced his cousin as the group leader.
In any case, when Paul and Barnabas later were planning a second journey to spread the gospel, Barnabas again wanted to take his cousin John Mark, but Paul objected because of the man's desertion of them on the previous trip. When Barnabas and Paul could not agree on this, the pair separated, with Paul taking Silas instead and Barnabas taking John Mark on an evangelistic trip of their own (Acts 15:36-41).
Given a second chance, John Mark must have grown into his call, for later, Paul describes him as a "fellow worker" (Philemon 24). Also, in 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul specifically asks Timothy to bring John Mark to him "for he is useful in my ministry."
Questions: How much energy should we put into getting people who have walked away from the church to come back? Should we seek to reconcile them, or judge them, or both? Why? What offense are you holding onto? Should there be a shelf date on some of our grudges?
Luke 15:4-5
Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. (For context, read 15:1-7.)
Good shepherds go looking for their sheep that wander off, and bring them back to the flock. Jesus told this story to make a point about God seeking us.
Questions: Consider these words from the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing": "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it/Prone to leave the God I love." To what degree do these words describe your experience? In what specific ways have you been aware of the Divine Shepherd looking for you?
For Further Discussion
1. What might be the effect of rating POWs to decide which ones "deserve" rescue attempts?
2. If it's decided that Bergdahl committed a chargeable offense in walking away from his post, what should his punishment be? Have his five years of captivity by the Taliban been sufficient suffering? Who should decide, and why?
3. How might it affect your view of this prisoner exchange if more U.S. personnel are captured for purposes of swapping them for Taliban detainees?
4. Should this prisoner exchange be measured in mathematical terms of the value of a human life? Why or why not? What biblical perspectives help answer this question?
5. Respond to this, from a TWW team member: "Some walk away from a church after years of faithful membership and serving in leadership roles due to a change in pastors, church leadership, the atmosphere, church bullies and busybodies and for their own needs. Millennials are walking away for a variety of reasons, including their views about premarital sex, inclusion of homosexuals, not being provided meaningful roles in church ministries, noisy members and a host of reasons.
"I walked away in fourth grade after watching how some church bullies treated a friend of mine while we were on a church-sponsored trip. I decided I did not want to attend a church where people were mean to other people. This was difficult for my grandmother and grandfather, an associate minister in our church and the son of a minister. I found my own way back to my home church after visiting the Baptist church my best friend attended in seventh grade. After visiting my friend's church a few times, I asked my grandmother if our home church had some of the ministries I saw at my friend's church. I returned to my home church in seventh grade and avoided that particular group of church bullies through high school."
Responding to the News
This is a good time to remind ourselves that all people -- including those with whose lifestyle and values we disagree -- are valued in God's eyes, and to consider how that should affect our treatment of such persons.
This is also a good time to review what efforts we make as individuals and as a congregation to bring those who have wandered from the church back into the fellowship.
Closing Prayer
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