Recently started watching some of the Shawn Ryan long interviews after watching his interview of Jordan Peterson. The interview with Eddie Penny is one his highest viewed interviews so I decided to give it a try. It's a 5 hour interview do it has taken me a long time to listen to it on the way back and forth to work. I can't recommend the interview enough for anyone struggling with life. Below is a clip of the time when Eddie states he saw Christ when he was 7 years old:
He describes the comforting feeling when Christ was present in his room when he was 7. However, when Christ disappeared, his room was the "blackest of black I have ever seen" and he recalls being overcome with fear. For 32 years, he rejected Christ as he felt he was the "boogyman". He completed 7 tours of duty as a member of SEAL team 6. He admits he "loved killing" and became addicted to alcohol to cope. He had 2 failed marriages and a suicide attempt. He struggled to adjust back to civilian life and to being a father. He would later discover that his whole life he had been deceived by how he interpreted the events in his room when he was 7. He now considers Christ as "saving my life" and himself as a warrior for Christ.
Hearing the story above reminded me of "proper fear" as opposed to "improper fear" as it relates to our call to be childlike (Matthew 18:3). If a child fails to perform a task, it is improper fear for that child to fear their parents' wrath. Rather, it is more proper for the child to fear that they have let their parent down. Likewise, I think it is improper for us to make decisions in our actions based on a fear of God's wrath. Rather, we should make decisions on our actions because we want to be in alignment with God and never want to be separated from Christ. It is the separation from Christ that places us in the blackest of black places overcome with fear and anxiety
Here is the whole interview for anyone interested. It is incredibly emotional. He discusses his time in war and seeing to loss of his friends. He recalls escorting the casket of one of them all the way from Afghanistan to Dover to Utah and then to Arlington National Cemetery. His describes his failures as a man, a father, and a husband. He then describes his redemption and his new life purpose.
He describes the comforting feeling when Christ was present in his room when he was 7. However, when Christ disappeared, his room was the "blackest of black I have ever seen" and he recalls being overcome with fear. For 32 years, he rejected Christ as he felt he was the "boogyman". He completed 7 tours of duty as a member of SEAL team 6. He admits he "loved killing" and became addicted to alcohol to cope. He had 2 failed marriages and a suicide attempt. He struggled to adjust back to civilian life and to being a father. He would later discover that his whole life he had been deceived by how he interpreted the events in his room when he was 7. He now considers Christ as "saving my life" and himself as a warrior for Christ.
Hearing the story above reminded me of "proper fear" as opposed to "improper fear" as it relates to our call to be childlike (Matthew 18:3). If a child fails to perform a task, it is improper fear for that child to fear their parents' wrath. Rather, it is more proper for the child to fear that they have let their parent down. Likewise, I think it is improper for us to make decisions in our actions based on a fear of God's wrath. Rather, we should make decisions on our actions because we want to be in alignment with God and never want to be separated from Christ. It is the separation from Christ that places us in the blackest of black places overcome with fear and anxiety
Here is the whole interview for anyone interested. It is incredibly emotional. He discusses his time in war and seeing to loss of his friends. He recalls escorting the casket of one of them all the way from Afghanistan to Dover to Utah and then to Arlington National Cemetery. His describes his failures as a man, a father, and a husband. He then describes his redemption and his new life purpose.
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