A\u00a0Christian must have a life ministry and proactive faith to positively influence the world.\u00a0 There is a subtle underlying presumption to that truth, however:\u00a0 to effectively influence the world, a Christian has to be in it.\u00a0 By choosing to become a fighter pilot a Christian has elected to be deeply “in” the world, a choice that results in immense tension, a literal struggle between good and evil.\u00a0 A Christian in the fighter pilot world faces immeasurable pressure to compromise his convictions to conform, and he confronts the struggle of trying to be an effective Christian witness to the fighter pilots around him.\u00a0 The Christian fighter pilot’s eternal battle is how to be “in it but not of it”\u2014to be different without necessarily being separate.\u00a0 God has called the Christian to be salt in the world, and his salt needs to be in the meal that is the fighter pilot community.\u00a0 Christians cannot separate themselves so far that their salt isn’t even in the same restaurant.\u00a0 Nowhere in the Bible does God command Christians to segregate themselves from sinners\u2014quite the contrary:\u00a0 the Corinthian church once thought Paul had told them to do just that; he wrote to them and explained that the only way they could disassociate themselves from every sinner would be to “leave this world” (1 Corinthians 5:9-10).\u00a0 Still, there are many aspects of the fighter pilot world from which Christians must shelter themselves to prevent becoming “of” the world.\u00a0 The choices that a Christian fighter pilot makes in his life\u2014choices between how he will separate or differentiate himself\u2014will form the basis of his ministry and the framework of his “in but not of” life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beginning early in pilot training a Christian will very gradually enter the fighter pilot world.\u00a0 I received my introduction to “extracurricular” fighter pilot activities in T-38s.\u00a0 Instructors and students would stay after work on Friday nights to drink alcohol and gamble in a game called “4\/5\/6.”\u00a0 Then, each new assignment moves the fighter pilot progressively deeper into the fighter community, and he not only learns tactical skills but also how the fighter pilot life is supposed to be lived.\u00a0 More than once I have had fighter pilots tell me that it’s not about the flying, as much fun as that is; they told me it was about the comradery, the drinking, and the traditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I avoided much of the drinking and morally questionable traditions.\u00a0 This led some pilots to take me aside and give me “guidance” to nudge me to the correct fighter pilot lifestyle.\u00a0 I received similar counseling at each new place along the way, through T-38s, IFF, the B-course, and each of my operational assignments.\u00a0 The speech basically went like this:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Your failure to participate in event ‘x’ has been noticed.\u00a0 You have to realize that these are the guys you’re going to train\/war with.\u00a0 Now, while we can’t make you go, we highly encourage you to attend the event next Friday.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Each time I was told that my failure to participate in what I considered morally questionable events was going to detract from my professional career; at one point I was even encouraged to reconsider my fighter pilot career.\u00a0 Some fighter pilots seemed convinced that I would be an unsuccessful pilot if I didn’t participate in the basest detail of the fighter pilot social life.\u00a0 Part of their desire to “set me straight” was based on their assessment of my attitude; when a person does not attend the social events of the squadron and appears to claim the moral high ground, he can develop the perception that he is “holier than thou” and thinks he is “too good” to be around everyone else.\u00a0 Unfortunately, because I am not an extroverted person by nature, my socially-averse personality only furthered that perception.\u00a0 Once begun, the opinion that a person is snobbish and aloof is difficult to overcome.\u00a0 While it was not fact, the mere perception was enough to make the early days of each of my assignments uncomfortable.\u00a0 While I didn’t want to yield in the places I felt I had a moral obligation, I also didn’t want to be perceived as standoffish merely because of my personality.
\n\u00a0
\nAt one assignment, when I did not participate in some events I received the same speech, though it was somewhat unique.\u00a0 I was told without hesitation that my work had been exceptional and my flying was above average.\u00a0 I was also bluntly told that my failure to participate in certain unofficial squadron events would result in me not being placed in the position of flight commander, which was advertised as a coveted position.\u00a0 It irritated me to be told that I was, for all intents and purposes, professionally doing everything “right,” but that I would be denied a job based on something outside of our profession.\u00a0 While I bristled at the fact that an official job had an unofficial requisite, it was not a completely unexpected turn of events.\u00a0 I was finally confronted with the important question:\u00a0 if my principles (regardless of moral bearing) were in conflict with career progression, would I compromise them?<\/p>\nAs far as some non-Christian pilots were concerned, I was on track to retire as a Major (rather than, perhaps, two ranks higher as a Colonel), because in their view I would never get promoted with the principles I was displaying.\u00a0 The crux of the issue was my refusal to bend to the morals of the squadron.\u00a0 I had made a conscious decision to do what I believed to be right and in God’s will, regardless of how the squadron, my leadership, and the Air Force viewed it.\u00a0 I decided that I would perform my duty to the best of my ability and be the greatest asset I could to my profession and my country, but I would not compromise my principles.\u00a0 Since I strived to make sure that my life choices were consistent with God’s will, if that meant that I retired at a less prestigious rank\u2014or didn’t get to become a flight commander\u2014then I believed that must be the result that God intended.\u00a0 (I really hoped that I’d be promoted to four-star general so that I could prove that the moral way was the better way, but I was willing to accept the more realistic outcome\u2026)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though I frequently received the this-is-how-it-is lecture near the beginning of my assignment, it was with some small pleasure that by the end of my tour I had become rather successful regardless of the fact that I had not changed my attitude or boundaries.\u00a0 I left one unit as the air-to-ground top gun, meaning that my bombs had been more accurate than others’; at another, I left as one of the top flight leads, having upgraded without failing a ride in what was described as a “textbook” program by my squadron commander.\u00a0 I did eventually become a flight commander, even without attending the events I was told were a requirement.\u00a0 Many of the pilots came to respect my abilities, decisions, and the strength of my convictions.\u00a0 As the days passed at each of my new assignments the squadron eventually realized that while I was “different,” I wasn’t “that bad,” and they saw that I could be a good pilot and personable peer without participating in every fighter pilot event.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My experience with lectures and misperceptions is not entirely uncommon for a Christian fighter pilot; the counseling I received and “holier than thou” perception I developed are two obstacles that many have had to overcome.\u00a0 Whether by his own actions or by simple misunderstandings, a Christian fighter pilot is often in a position where he feels he must excel above his peers to simply prove himself an equal.\u00a0 I know that I have made correct decisions based on my Christianity that made me lose value in the sight of my peers, the very people to whom I wished to witness.\u00a0 I knew then that I had to be exceptional professionally to overcome that deficit and earn their respect.\u00a0 Anything less and I would be but another mediocre Christian to the men around me.\u00a0 A Christian who is mediocre in his profession weakens his witness because he doesn’t have a credible leg on which to stand.\u00a0 Fighter pilots don’t respect\u2014or follow\u2014mediocre men.\u00a0 A Christian fighter pilot is not disadvantaged by his faith because God is not an impediment; however, he must prove to the non-Christian pilots not only that he can be a good pilot, but also that he can do so without lowering himself to the their worldly devices\u2014that his faith is not an impediment, but an advantage. \u00a0The prophet Daniel is a sterling example of such a scenario.\u00a0 Carried away in exile by Nebuchadnezzar, he resolved not to defile himself by eating the royal Babylonian food and wine (Daniel 1:8).\u00a0 After a ten day test, he was able to prove that water and vegetables made him healthier than the other officials (Daniel 1:12-15).\u00a0 With God’s blessing, Daniel would so distinguish himself as an advisor that the king planned to put him in charge of the entire kingdom (6:3).\u00a0 Even though he was a Godly man in a pagan court, he excelled without compromising God’s word\u2014though at times he had to “prove” his value.\u00a0 Without lowering himself to their devices, Daniel was able to demonstrate that he could be “just as good” as\u2014or better than\u2014they.<\/p>\n
Making choices to live a Christian life in an unChristian world is not easy.\u00a0 I once heard a preacher say that in some ways the martyrs of old actually had an easier spiritual life.\u00a0 Faced with the choice to deny God or die, they did not back down from their faith.\u00a0 If asked what they would do in the same circumstances, most Christians today would probably say that they, too, would be willing to die for their faith.\u00a0 But, as the preacher pointed out, it’s living for the faith that is often harder.\u00a0 Explicit Biblical commands and moral absolutes are easy to understand; it’s the “gray areas” of life that are more difficult.\u00a0 Even devout Christians\u2014who claim they would die for the faith\u2014have been known to set their cruise control 5 mph above the speed limit or watch a movie that, when pressed, they would confess was probably not appropriate.\u00a0 So how does the Christian fighter pilot bring focus to the blur of gray?\u00a0 The starting place has already been mentioned; to live a Christian life the fighter pilot should strive for the “fruit of the spirit,” as quoted from Galatians above.\u00a0 In the same letter Paul also listed what a Christian fighter pilot should avoid:<\/p>\n
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:\u00a0 sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like (5:19-21).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Biblical commands are clear; the spiritual goals (and their opposites) are evident.\u00a0 The Christian fighter pilot must live his life and make his choices within these criteria.\u00a0 Some aspects of the fighter pilot life will obviously be inconsistent with Christian living, and the correct choice will be clear even if the decision isn’t any easier to make.\u00a0 Others may present a much more difficult choice, and the Christian fighter pilot must be spiritually prepared to make the correct decision.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A\u00a0Christian must have a life ministry and proactive faith to positively influence the world.\u00a0 There is a subtle underlying presumption to that truth, however:\u00a0 to effectively influence the world, a Christian has to be in it.\u00a0 By choosing to become a fighter pilot a Christian has elected to be deeply “in” the world, a choice that results in immense tension, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[2],"class_list":["post-71","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fighter-pilot","tag-military"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}