New Identity Magazine

God in focus. World in scope.

  • About
  • Grow
    • Spotlight: In Perspective
    • Growth & Maturity
    • Foundation
    • Practical Application
    • Jargon
  • Connect
    • Community
    • Discovering God
    • God Talk
    • Life Together
  • Live
    • Give Back
    • People
    • Culture & Creativity
    • Careers & Callings
  • Back Issues
  • Write
    • Submit an Article
    • Writer’s Guidelines
    • House Style Guide
    • Content Submissions Agreement
    • Jargon Substitutions
  • Shop
  • Donate
  • Contact

UNBROKEN & UNASHAMED

By Delbert Teachout Leave a Comment

UNBROKEN & UNASHAMED - New Identity Magazine

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand is a memorable story about a forgotten hero, Louis Zamperini. Many people, like me, may never have heard of Louis, but his story is unforgettable. Some say heroes are made not born, but in Louis’ case I think a hero was born. His story reminds me that God has created each of us for a purpose.

If he was born a hero no one would ever have known it. At age two while suffering from pneumonia he climbed naked out his bedroom window and ran in the street. He started smoking discarded cigarettes at age five and began drinking at age eight. When bullied by older kids he refused to cry. Instead of running or crying he took the abuse, began lifting weights and using a punching bag, and began fighting back.

Over time his behavior worsened. The police often came to Louis’ home. He was always fighting, stealing, rebelling, while opposed to and resisting authority. His father gave him forceful spankings. His mother was unable to change him. His behavior was so bad parents forbade their children from playing with him.

Louis idolized his brother Pete and only Pete could help him. Pete would graduate with ten varsity letters in high school but track was his favorite sport. He began training Louis who hated running because he felt running to be another restraint, but loved the applause he received.

Some say heroes are made not born, but in Louis’ case I think a hero was born.

One day he got into an argument with his father and ran away from Torrance, California to Los Angeles. He hopped a freight train north. The trip was so bad he went back home to surrender to his brother. God had used a running track to get Louis off his delinquency track.

On May 19, 1934 the best milers in Southern California assembled at the Los Angeles Coliseum. At the coliseum Louis finished in first place and broke the World’s Interscholastic Mile record which held for eighteen years. Two weeks later he entered another race at the coliseum, a 1500 meter race, this time against college men. He won that race also beating the reigning champion by twenty yards.

After his graduation Louis set his sights on the Olympics. Earning an invitation to the Olympic tryouts at Randalls Island, New York, He won the 1500 meter race and qualified for the Olympic team. He failed to win any medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin but did meet with Hitler and General Werner Von Fritsch, commander-in-chief of the German Army. Then he set his eyes on the 1940 Olympics in Tokyo.

In June 1938 Louis arrived in Minneapolis to compete in NCAA Championships. He expected to break the four minute mile and bragged to the other competitors about his training and his ability. Half way through the race several runners boxed him in deliberately stomping on his foot with spikes, kicking his shins and elbowing him in the chest until he received a broken rib. For a lap and a half he tried to break free from the cluster of men who boxed him in. Nearing the end of the race he found an opening and despite his pain won the race with a time of 4:08.3. That time was the fastest NCAA mile in history. His record stood for fifteen years. A few weeks later Japan withdrew from holding the Olympics so the games were transferred to Helsinki. During 1939 Louis won every race he entered.

In April 1940 Louis found out the Olympics were canceled due to war in Europe. In 1941 Louis joined the Army Air Corps. He washed out of the Air Corps but was later drafted. In November 1941 he was sent to Ellington Field in Houston, Texas for training as a bombardier. In December Japan attacked Hawaii.

From Ellington Field, Louis went on to graduate from Midland Army Flying School and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Louis was assigned to a B-24 crew, sometimes called a flying coffin. Pilot and navigator error, mechanical failure, and bad luck were killing trainees before they ever saw combat. In the Army Air Force 14,903 personnel died in 52,651 accidents occurring stateside.

Louis’ crew and their plane, nicknamed Superman, found themselves stationed at Oahu’s Hickam Field. Louis’s crew had successful missions over Wake Island and Nauru. During a mission to Nauru Superman had been shot 594 times but was still able to complete its mission and return, although some of the crew had severe injuries.

After the mission over Nauru Louis’ crew was assigned to a B-24 called Green Hornet. On May 27, 1943 Green Hornet was ordered on a search and rescue mission for a plane that had disappeared the previous day. Ironically, while searching for a missing plane and crew, Green Hornet crashed at sea killing everyone on board except Louis, his pilot, and one crew member. During the crash Louis felt several wires wrap around his legs making it impossible to escape. He blacked out. Later when he recovered, the wires were off him and he was still alive. He never knew how he had been set free. Could God have intervened?

For days the three men floated on the Pacific Ocean, drifting westward. Search parties did not see them. Fighting dehydration, sunburn, hunger, thirst, and sharks, the three men floated. On the thirty-third day the crew member died, leaving Louis and his pilot on the raft. They learned how to catch fish to eat and trap rain water to drink. They escaped sharks by hitting them with their oars. One time they saw a plane approaching and shot off a rescue flare. To their horror it was an enemy plane and it strafed them several times. Even though the raft had 48 holes in it, neither man was hit.

On their fortieth day of floating Louis heard singing. When he looked up he saw what looked like angels in the clouds. His pilot saw and heard nothing. A few days after he heard the singing Louis went through a typhoon. On the forty-seventh day they found an island. Before they could make it to the island they were taken prisoner by an enemy boat and crew. Louis was sent from one POW camp to another where he was starved, beaten, humiliated, and tortured day after day. Near death many times Louis somehow found the strength to continue to resist the enemy. Of 34,648 American POWs held by the Japanese, 12,935 died. When Japan surrendered in September 1945, Louis and the rest of the POWs were liberated.

Returning to the United Stated Louis was still a POW mentally. His guards would constantly invade his dreams. His behavior became violent as he resorted to drinking and brawling. One night he awoke finding himself strangling his wife but in his dream he was strangling one of his guards. His wife planned to leave him but in the second week of September 1949 she went to a Billy Graham tent meeting and gave her life to Jesus. She urged Louis to attend. Refusing at first, he finally agreed to go with her. Then he went with her a second night. As he was walking out of the meeting he heard Billy Graham say he could not leave yet. That night he gave his life to Jesus. He forgave the Japanese, quit drinking, and quit smoking. Suddenly the POW guards left him alone at night. He was free.

Beginning as an Olympic hero, and then becoming a war hero, Louis lived the rest of his life as God’s hero. According to Louis we cannot convert anyone, all we can do is plant seeds and let God water them and get the harvest. He founded the non-profit Victory Boys’ Camp to help boys who behaved as he did. In January 1998 for his 81st birthday, in the village where he had once been a POW, Louis received the Olympic torch and began running. In April and May 2011 he received Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from Azusa Pacific University and Bryant University respectively. He still makes public appearances, one time making twelve talks in one day. On June 7, 2012 Louis appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

He teaches that we will never be anything in life unless we commit to a goal. He never quit finding new goals. Today, in his nineties, he is licensed, accomplished, or an expert in eighty-four fields including Scuba diving, skiing, lifeguarding, and flying.

I think we should begin using a new verb, “Zamp”. It means to be prepared mentally, physically, and spiritually for whatever comes our way. Whether we win at the Olympics, survive forty-seven days in a life raft, two years as a POW, or live life, when we win, it will be no surprise.

Share with friendsShare on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on Reddit
Reddit
Email to someone
email

Filed Under: Live, People Tagged With: Issue 17

Related Posts

  • COUNTER CULTURE: POWERCOUNTER CULTURE: POWER
  • PLANT WITH PURPOSEPLANT WITH PURPOSE
  • WHAT IS THE GOOD NEWS?WHAT IS THE GOOD NEWS?
  • FRUIT OF THE SPIRITFRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
  • A NEW SONGA NEW SONG
  • NATURE VS NURTURENATURE VS NURTURE

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Current Issue

Current Issue

Read Now

newidentitymag

New Identity | Exploring Faith
📖⁠ And every day he was teaching in the templ 📖⁠
And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.⁠
.⁠
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.⁠
.⁠
Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. [Luke 21:37-22:6 ESV]⁠
With our busy get-up-and-go lifestyles, it might s With our busy get-up-and-go lifestyles, it might seem more difficult than ever to find time for God or where we can fully make time for the essential aspects of the Christian life like prayer and Bible reading. Yes, like working out or eating healthy, it comes down to the priority and importance of those things in our lives and whether or not they’re important enough to us. At the end of the day we will make time for the things that are most important to us in our lives. Though God is not a “thing” to be fit into our schedules, I believe it’s more than possible to make a place and priority in our lives for connection with him.⁠
⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Nicholas Sowell in "ENGAGING WITH GOD" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📖⁠ “Hear another parable. There was a maste 📖⁠
“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”⁠
.⁠
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:⁠
.⁠
“‘The stone that the builders rejected⁠
has become the cornerstone;⁠
this was the Lord's doing,⁠
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?⁠
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”⁠
.⁠
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. [Matthew 21:33-46 ESV] || For more of these eventful 24-hours for Jesus, read Matthew 21:20-25:46.⁠
"I wanted to take my own life. It was a dark and s "I wanted to take my own life. It was a dark and scary time, and it was only God who prevented this act from occurring.  When I was going through this period of anguish and anxiety I did not think that I would ever again enjoy the sunshine as God meant for me to enjoy it. Yet it was this dark pit, devoid of any light or even an atom of hope, that brought me to the place where I was able to reach for light from the only true source of eternal light."⁠
⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Shannon Clark-Rivera in "FROM THE LAND OF THE DEAD TO THE LAND OF THE LIVING" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📖⁠ On the following day, when they came from 📖⁠
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.⁠
.⁠
And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city. [Mark 11:12-19 ESV]
How do I get my life together when it seems like a How do I get my life together when it seems like a mess?” That is how I translate Psalm 119:9. Most English language Bibles use something similar to the NIV’s translation of “How can young people keep their way pure?” However, I am no longer a young man, and the word “pure” does not seem to apply to all of the ways that I feel like I stumble. For me, the word “pure” sounds like it has more to do with a priest in the book of Leviticus getting ready for a ceremony. I am also not an ancient Israelite priest. Instead, when I think of the ways I fail in my own life, they are more akin to what Paul describes in Romans 7, when he says, “what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”⁠
⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @jefffrelatable in "Trading Bad Habits for Zakah" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Holy Week, a central point of remembrance during "Holy Week, a central point of remembrance during the Christian calendar, focuses upon the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is no surprise. Had Jesus not risen from the dead, our faith would be useless, and we would still be guilty of our sins (1 Cor. 15:17).⁠
.⁠
Holy Week helps us reflect upon the last week of Jesus’ life. There are a number of ways that Christians celebrate Holy Week, but there is a common commitment to expressing deep gratitude for Christ’s death and celebration of his resurrection! –@lukegeraty in Elevating Easter⁠
⁠.⁠
Join us each day this week to read Scripture and see what each day was like in the life of Jesus, leading up to his death and resurrection. It's a good way for us to be present and remember what took place those many years ago.
If you missed it, the new issue is out this week! If you missed it, the new issue is out this week! Check in with some of your favorite writers, and we don't think you'll be disappointed! The link in our bio will take you to in the full issue!⁠
😍⁠
Many thanks to our wonderful contributors:⁠
@the_christopherscott⁠
@mayotron⁠
@jefffrelatable⁠
@sclimk⁠
@slimkeman⁠
✍🏼👊🏾❤️⁠
You're the best!
Everyone has experienced a “wilderness season” Everyone has experienced a “wilderness season” before, perhaps more than once. A wilderness season is when you feel stuck or lost in a difficult situation, and your only options are to endure patiently and wait with the expectation that the situation will eventually pass or be resolved. For some people, this period may last a few days, for others it may last years—or for so long that it feels like it will never end.⁠
⏱️⁠
We all encountered a wilderness season at the same time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses closed their doors—some for good. Anticipated events were cancelled. Schools closed with awkward transitions into remote learning. Jobs were lost, hours were cut. Those who lost loved ones were unable to gather to mourn their dead. Church services became virtual, and some may remain that way.⁠
⁠.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Chitara Ellis in "Waiting In The Wilderness" | Continue reading at newidentitymag.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
We are pleased to announce the launch of our lates We are pleased to announce the launch of our latest issue with an added brightness and fresh design – while still bringing you the inspirational depth and thoughtful encouragement that you’ve come to expect from us.⁠
🌱⁠
Hope is around the corner and spring is in the air as we celebrate the renewal of life and the great miracle of Easter. We hope that the articles in this issue would help you during this transitional time of winter to spring, and the hopeful horizon ahead of pandemic to post-pandemic. Be inspired by hearing the thoughts of our passionate contributors. ⁠
🥰⁠
Take a look inside, and let us know what you think! The link is in our bio! Enjoy!
Sadly in our world today, kindness has lost its va Sadly in our world today, kindness has lost its value. But as we see from some of the examples in Scripture, kindness is to be shown in all of our interactions with others. It is a gift from God through the work of the Holy Spirit, and taught by Jesus Christ. We can no longer walk past. Now, more than ever, we need to bring kindness back. We have to especially show the younger generation’s constant examples of kindness. We can hold the door for one another; allow someone to go ahead of us in line. Smile with compassion at the clerk whose line is one person too long and everyone is staring at him or her as if it’s their fault. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Crystal Alexander in "Kindness: The Forgotten Fruit"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by @cottonbro from Pexels⁠
Charles Swindoll writes, “Wisdom isn’t somethi Charles Swindoll writes, “Wisdom isn’t something that is exclusive to those who have exceptional IQs or advanced degrees. Rather, wise behavior in the eyes of the Lord comes as a result of obeying the Lord’s commands.” Resist the urge to think that a smart person with a lot of knowledge is wise. Author Paul David Tripp says there “is a huge difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is an accurate understanding of truth. Wisdom is understanding and living in light of how that truth applies to the situations and relationships in your daily life. Knowledge is the exercise of your brain. Wisdom is the commitment of your heart that leads to transformation of your life.” ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Christopher L. Scott @the_christopherscott in "God, What Do You Want Me To Do With My Life?" Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"While you can spend time in God’s creation appr "While you can spend time in God’s creation appreciating his beauty, or with him in prayer, you can also get to know him more intimately through his Word."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Christopher L. Scott @the_christopherscott in "How Anyone Can Study The Bible"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Discovering God’s will and finding direction fo "Discovering God’s will and finding direction for your life from God is like the lead and follow of dancers. God’s the lead. You are the follow and must know the lead and respond to him."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Christopher L. Scott @the_christopherscott in "God, What Do You Want Me To Do With My Life?" Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by @EJ.Officiel from Pexels⁠
#gracelikeanavalanche ⁠
#iknowwhoiam⁠
#faithnotworks ⁠
#progressnotperfection⁠
#partneringwithgod ⁠
#acceptedbygod ⁠
#lovedbygod⁠
#faithnotfear⁠
#faithoverfear⁠
#bestillandknow⁠
#godisincontrol⁠
#beencouraged⁠
#praywithoutceasing⁠
#godsgotthis⁠
#prayerchangesthings⁠
#trustinthelord⁠
#iamachildofgod⁠
#faithfulmess⁠
#godslove
"The Creator of the Universe promises to be with y "The Creator of the Universe promises to be with you. You’re not alone. You’re his. And as long as he has work for you to do on this earth, you’re immortal. Sparrows don’t hit the ground without his knowledge, and the hairs on your head are numbered. He’s got you."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: T.J. Woodard in "Be Anxious For Nothing"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"If Jesus is speaking with subordinates, those wit "If Jesus is speaking with subordinates, those without power, he is instructing them to actively and non-violently make the statement that they are also human beings worthy of dignity. To turn the left cheek after being backhanded on the right was a statement of human dignity."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Nathan Rutan in "An Eye for An Eye, and a Tooth for a Tooth"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
We're happy to announce that the Fall/Winter 2020 We're happy to announce that the Fall/Winter 2020 Issue is out today! There are some great articles inside that we hope you'll love! Enjoy! 🤗 #linkinbio⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#newissue #newidentitymag #liveidentified #magazine #kindness #anxiety #waiting #worththewait #mcu #eatableheroes #marvel #godswill
Prayer isn’t about making the things we selfishl Prayer isn’t about making the things we selfishly want happen; it’s about making us want what God wants.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @sarahjoysly in "Prayer - The Alignment of Our Souls With God"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by @maryannkariuki from Pexels⁠
“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it th “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.” – Haldir⁠
🍁⁠
In Lothlorien, Haldir is encouraging a downcast Fellowship with a glimpse of the larger story in which they find themselves. His words reflect the apostle Paul’s encouragement to the church, that we “do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). For there is a form of grief from which there is no recovery – one in which there is no resurrection of the dead. If death is the final word, then we must suffer grief without hope, grief that diminishes our love for life because of the crushing weight of the loss we’ve experienced. But Tolkien believed that death was not the end; therefore, we may experience the beautiful juxtaposition in our own lives of deep sorrow mixed with rivers of joy. Instead of crippling us, our grief may actually help to cultivate in our character the virtues of faith, hope, and love that are necessary to continue to carry our heaviest burdens. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @slimkeman in "Memorable Middle Earth"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
#faithhopelove #lotr #thefellowshipofthering #thelordoftherings #middleearth
The Bible stresses that despite our differences we The Bible stresses that despite our differences we are called to love each other above our political positions. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14). You may feel like how politics and religion intersect in the public sphere communicate the exact opposite of this, and you’d be right. Media outlets report drama and conflict. Gracious and loving political opponents are not newsworthy.⁠
⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Matthew Hamilton in "Our Identity In Christ Is Always Greater"  Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Lum3n from Pexels⁠
#politics #voting #love #loveyourneighbor #loveyourneighbornotmattertheirpolitics
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Subscribe

More Articles

HOW TO KEEP THE ROMANCE ALIVE

So now that you’ve thoroughly fallen in love with your baby, how do you keep the love fires burning between you and your spouse? I know firsthand as a new parent, … [Read More...]

ENEMIES OF US: THE WORLD

Most days, I live with my enemies. You might even mistake them for my friends, because at times I live to close to them. They are hard to avoid. They are older than … [Read More...]

The Grapes of Wrath

Many Christians may have questions concerning what is sinful compared to what is only bad manners. The topic of anger is one of those areas in question. Is all anger … [Read More...]

Copyright © 2021 New Identity Magazine. All Rights Reserved · Log in