Tony Campolo, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Eastern University

June 29, 2006

Dear Rev. Campolo;

I am writing to you so that I may share with you a story that will hopefully give you hope that your message has been heard and has inspired others. As I have heard many times since becoming a “Red Letter Christian,” parables and stories have always been one of the most powerful ways to convey ultimate meaning and impart purpose on those who not just hear it, but who listen and take heart. Before I open, I must reveal that I was encouraged to get in touch with you by a former student whom you mentioned in your address to the Call to Renewal conference on Monday night, and who is also an enormous inspiration to me. I got the opportunity to meet Shane Claiborne at his parent’s residence in Tennessee last weekend, after I had been in touch with him for a few weeks about the same story I will soon share with you. At PAPA Fest, I met many other Red Letter Christians who have been encouraging and supporting me for some time. The entire weekend was such a life-confirming event, words and gestures would never communicate exactly how grateful I am to Shane, Jonathon, Chris, Ryan, Holly, Darin, and countless others. Without their inspiration, I would not have found it in me to fight to get out to PAPA and Pentecost. I say fight because I do not travel freely and on impulse, I must provide justification to leave Hawaii. I must do this because I am not free in every sense of the word. I am a prisoner of the Armed Services, confined my O'ahu island ‘cell’ until I am released. However, do not let me confuse you, I chose my path several years ago, just like a beggar jailed for stealing bread, I chose Mammon in order to gain an education. The US Army dangled the GI Bill on a reed and I took the bait. The person I have become regrets the justification I used to enter into service of my Empire, but nonetheless I must submit to the authorities that have been established on Earth. My allegiances are playing chicken right now, though soon one will be run off the tracks while the other victoriously claims totality in my life. I could elaborate in more detail; trace my timeline back two and a half months to the moment in time that I realized that freedom in fact is freely given, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, but I think my story will speak for itself. I have attached many documents that chronicle my journey thus far, and I am confident that you will make sense of the mess Jesus has made of my life through both my own writings and things written by others.
Originally, I thought my story needed publicity for my own safety, but I have seen clearly that the Holy Spirit will carry it as far as it needs to go. I felt that influential folks like you might help this message to people who truly need to hear it, but after some prayerful contemplation and asking other brothers and sisters what I should do; I now feel that it will reach people by the power of the Spirit. For example, by “chance” (if you believe in coincidences), Brian McLaren and a Pulitzer prize winning journalist sat at our table at the Emerging Leaders dinner Tuesday night, and I gave a brief synopsis of what my experience in the military has meant to me now that I am a “pacifist’ (I hate that word, it implies the lack of doing something). I was able to share my story with a reporter with Knight Ridder at the reception earlier that night, he approached me after I shared briefly with those in attendance about a homeless couple I shared dinner with Monday night. It was my intention to remind the conference why we were essentially there; for them, the poor, not just for the Senators. On Wednesday, I was asked to be interviewed for a low-budget documentary about Christian young adults and their feelings toward war and violence. Incidentally, there were few questions to respond to; they sort of let me rant and rave about my theology about Christian warfare. So often, by no power of my own, an audience has presented itself through “coincidence.” Hmm.
I do not wish to keep you much longer, though I would be remiss if I failed to expressly thank you for your call to PAPA Fest (Darin and I were talking about the Relational Tithe when you called, I have been invited to become a member, and I am trying to understand all the ins and outs of how it works logistically). Your words infected my very being, I had to excuse myself and consider how powerfully they pierced my heart. Dreams are meant to be big, and mine are no exception. However, I am made capable only by the power of the Holy Spirit. I will close with the same words I closed with in a similar email to Rev. Wallis, with whom I was also encouraged by Shane to share my story. This is what I said;

“Three days ago, I would have taken this time to ask you to publish something or raise awareness on something, or in some other way help me to propagate this message. Instead, three days older and hopefully wiser, I instead ask you simply to read. Once you have done that, I know you will react however the Spirit leads you to, as it did me. Maybe that is to simply enjoy the story, or to find hope for the future of other servicemembers. I cannot know or even try to guess how you may wish to move forward with this message. I can only hope you find it refreshing and perhaps an answer to the call for youthful prophets and visionaries. I only pray that I might be one of many who answer that call. I find strength in Isaiah’s answer to that call in chapter 6, verse 8; "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, Here I am, send me!" I am capable not of great things, but only of great love. May His will be done.”

Gratefully & humbly,

Logan “Lucky” Laituri

2007.01.12

Dear Lucky,

I just got around to reading the material which you sent to me describing the stand that you have taken as a conscientious objector and the values that led you to take that stand. What you had to say was brilliantly written, carefully explained, and biblically sound. I also appreciated all the good quotes that went along with your presentation in the appendix.

I was so very pleased that Shane had impacted you in such a positive manner. He proved to be one of my favorite students and he is accomplishing much for Christ and the Kingdom. In reality, you should know that he works with us in a direct fashion. Our office is the office that handles all of his speaking engagements, so we have close connections and deep involvement with him in the work that he is doing among the poor around the world.

Thanks for writing. Thanks for sharing your profound thoughts with me.

Sincerely,
Tony Campolo