“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” These are among the last words in the last chapter of the last book in the Bible. And as one sits and talks with JEAN BARBARA, the new President of the Sword of the Spirit (SOS), this is among the first and most noteworthy things that strikes one about him – here is someone who truly watches and longs for the coming of his Lord and who in the meantime, lives his life only for his Master’s pleasure and glory! — GING NON (Central E), November 23, 2009
Born in Lebanon on November 28, 1957, Jean was christened Jean Marie Barbara. Raised in a family of 4 children and educated in a Jesuit school, his was a childhood characterized by close observance of Catholic practices. After finishing high school in 1975, about the time that war broke out in Lebanon, he started rebelling against all forms of authority in his life – parental, school, government and even God’s own authority. He rejected the idea of anyone dictating to him, he wanted to live his life the way he wanted to. In his words, he became a “militant atheist”.
Perhaps as a way of trying to help their child through this difficult time, Jean’s parents sent him to London to study. As it turned out, whatever little faith he had left completely vanished while he was in London because he was living on his own and had friends whose influence on him was not good at all. Less than two years later he went back to Lebanon and enrolled at the American University of Beirut where he eventually obtained his Masteral degree in Business Administration.
In October 1980, a friend from the American University of Beirut invited him to an evangelistic prayer meeting. He accepted the invitation and during the meeting, challenged the Lord thus: “If You are real and are here, reveal Yourself to me!”. And God obliged. Jean felt a strong, personal and intimate conviction that the Lord was present and was calling him to follow Him and give his life totally to Him. He did that evening and that moment was the beginning of a life completely surrendered to God and His mission.
He joined the Beirut-based community the People of God where he met Marie Therese whom he married in 1986. God has blessed them with four lovely children – Victor, 23, Nicole, 21, Peter, 20 and Philip, 8. Jean works as a tax advisor and together with his younger brother, has carried on the private practice started by their father. He considers it providential that the business was already set up and running when he joined it. With his brother mainly in charge, Jean is free to travel and attend to his many duties as President of the Sword of the Spirit.
Jean with his family (l-r): Philip, Jean, Victor, Peter, Marie-Therese, Nicole
Seven years after joining the People of God, in 1987, he was asked to serve as a Coordinator. Around 1990, he started serving as Acting Senior Coordinator while the Senior Coordinator went on a sabbatical. Jean ended up being the Senior Coordinator until 2008. In addition, he headed the Community Building Team for the European and Middle East Region, led the SOS mission in the Middle East, was President of the European and Middle East Region of the SOS from 1999 until 2005 and was the Moderator of Christ the King Association until 2002.
29 YEARS OF SHEER JOY
From that fateful evening in October 1980 when God called him back to Himself, Jean says it has been 29 years of sheer joy of knowing the Lord, of knowing the brothers and sisters in the SOS, of knowing and being grateful that the Lord has given him the privilege of being in the mission. During the 80s, when he was just starting in his personal relationship with the Lord, and amidst the war, violence, murder, bloodshed and atrocities happening in his war-torn country, Jean says, “joy never left my heart; it was truly a stamp of God’s presence, God’s love and God’s action in my life!”.
Early in Jean’s renewed Christian life, he encountered the story of the first martyr recorded in the Bible, Stephen. He decided then that Stephen’s life was the same life he wanted to live, his path was the path he wanted to take. He was ready to offer up his all to God. He told the Lord that he wanted to go somewhere where he could be a martyr. But the Lord had other plans for him. He firmly told him, “No, you stay where you are”. Jean conditionally agreed, telling the Lord that he would stay where He had placed him but that he did not want to be like the other apostles and community leaders who were preaching. He simply wanted to do side work, to always be a helper and servant.
Around 1985 however, he began sensing the Lord clearly telling him that He wanted something else from him. Initially, he resisted but quickly learned that there was no point in wrestling with God. In his life, Jean feels that God’s calls have always been accompanied by His huge sense of humor. Jean is certain that God is enjoying surprising him and asking him to do things he would rather not do. From joining the People of God, to being one of its leaders and now to being the President of the SOS which counts among its members more than 65 communities in 24 countries, Jean feels God continuously stretches him to his limits. At some point, he realized and accepted that that is the path God has laid out for him. He also understood in a deeper way who his Lord is and what He was doing in his life. God has led him to a point where whatever He would ask of him, Jean would say yes.
AN ENDEARING HUMANNESS
Lest one begins to think that he is larger than life, while Jean is fervently serious about his Christian life, there is also an endearing humanness to him. His love for his family shines through as his voice noticeably turns softer when he speaks about them. He continues to engage in some physical activities such as walking, jogging and swimming even as he cannot enjoy sports that he played before like basketball and tennis because of knee and back injuries. He values silence and only occasionally listens to music, opera being his preference. He also finds time to read books. One by his bedside these days is “Jesus of Nazareth” written by then Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. This is his third visit to the Philippines and he still delightfully recalls the “lechon” (roast pig) that was served to them while on a trip to Mindanao a few years ago. With little time to relax, Jean has learned to find rest in the mission work itself. He says an ideal relaxing and refreshing time for him is time such as he spent last summer, when he, his wife and all 4 of their children, along with many others from the People of God, went on a mission trip to Syria. Interesting though all these are, ultimately, what defines Jean and his life is his total absorption in and preoccupation with God and what He wants done.
THE OPEN DOOR
His election as President of the Sword of the Spirit in May 2008 did not come as a complete surprise to him. Believing that God’s hand is upon the “mystery in divine election”, Jean says God has somehow prepared him for it. In his characteristic humble way, he says that what surprised him was the level of confidence and faith that the brothers put in him, especially those who know him well. He wonders how despite knowing his weaknesses and shortcomings, the brothers who elected him consider him worthy.
Jean addressing LNP for the first time, Nov 22, 2009
Whatever God’s reasons are for making him President of the SOS at this time, one thing is clear to Jean: his heart is set on the Lord and on His mission in the SOS. He desires to be faithful until his last breath to the particular mission that God has given us. He wants to be able to encourage and lead the brothers and sisters in the SOS to more faithfulness to the mission. He understands and believes that the mission can be accomplished not by any individual but by a body of believers who are ready and willing to place themselves in God’s hands as His generous instruments for the renewal of the whole Church. He understands his role as the one who must see that this body is well and is working together to build a bulwark at the Lord’s service. Looking ahead to his 4-year term, Jean is not thinking in terms of what he wants to accomplish but in terms of moving the SOS forward in being sensitive to and cooperating with the Lord in what He wants to accomplish in and through us. He wants everyone in the SOS to be able to say in 4 years, “We have moved in greater faith. We have overcome fear. And we have gone through the open door”. He would like to see more of that growth in everyone, being more deeply rooted in the Lord.
Jean is fully convinced that the Father’s greatest desire for each of His children is unity with Him in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. God has placed in our hearts a longing for Heaven, a desire to be with Him forever. But Jean believes that Heaven has begun for us when our Lord came and died to redeem us. Everything we try to do in the SOS is central to entering into the mystery of God’s desire for us to be one with Him. Along with this is the call to be one with our brothers and sisters. Our call is to help fulfill God’s desire for our unity with Him and our brothers and sisters, and our mission is to call and lead others to enter into the same mystery.
Consistent with God’s invitation to us to go through open doors, we now see a special season of rich harvest all across the different regions of the SOS. In North America, there are today more groups than we ever had, especially among the young people. Save for Salvador, we have communities in every country in Central America. In Europe where evangelism is no easy task due to many closed hearts, we have lots of potential for expansion in Poland and are working with some people in Russia. Here in the Asian Region, we have more communities knocking on our doors than we can handle. In the South Pacific, we are starting contacts with communities in Fiji and in Australia. The Middle East is seeing some very promising and prospective mission fields across Arab and Israeli lands.
HIS GREATEST DESIRE: “MARANATHA”!
Jean’s total and complete dependence on God is seen every time he uses the Arabic word “inshallah” which means “God-willing”. He puts everything in God’s hands and simply obeys what he believes God wants him to do. It is clear to see that this is a man God has chosen for this appointed time. When asked what is the one thing he would want God to grant him, Jean without hesitation said, “Maranatha!”. Like a true and loyal servant, he clearly understands and consciously remembers that even as he engages in the service of the Lord, his heart is set on the coming of the Lord of the service. It is evident in his words and life that that is what he lives for – to be ready to welcome his Lord and Master when He comes again.
We are truly blessed in the SOS to be led by such a man at this time. Because there is much to be done and because the world offers more distractions than ever before, it is easy to lose sight of what truly matters. And Jean, like a shepherd herding his flock, points and leads us not to himself but to the Lord. Truly, he brings to life the Baptist’s words, “He must increase, I must decrease”. And as he leads us in the next 4 years, united as an army for the Lord and working to make ourselves and others ready for His coming , we cry out together, “Maranatha, come Lord Jesus!”.
Author’s Note : Many thanks to Jean Barbara for very kindly agreeing to the interview despite his tight schedule while in Manila; to Cor Marcojos for helping arrange it; and to Kuya Paquito and Ate Pinky Tanjangco for very graciously allowing the use of their home for it.
From www.swordofthespirit.net:
Jean and his wife, Marie-Therese have four children: Victor, 22, who is serving as a gapper in Detroit; Nicole, 20, UCO leader in Lebanon; Peter, 19, a gapper in Belfast, and Philip, 8. Jean served as Senior Coordinator of the People of God, Lebanon, from 1990 until 2008 and currently is head of the Community Building Team for the European and Middle East Region and leads the Sword of the Spirit mission in the Middle East. He was President of the European and Middle East Region of the Sword of the Spirit from 1999 until 2005, and Moderator of Christ the King Association until 2002.
RELATED LINKS:
- A LETTER FROM THE SOS PRESIDENT — addressed to all SOS members worldwide (1 Nov 2009)
- TAKE ON THE MANTLE OF A MISSIONARY – exhortation to the Ligaya Community (22 Nov 2009)
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Thanks, Ging, for doing this interview on Jean. We are truly blessed to be led by him at such a time as this. He understands and loves our call in the Sword of the Spirit and is intent on following the Lord’s lead in everything. A courageous and radical disciple, may we follow his example and be on fire for the Lord and the mission as he is!