Funny...for some of us.

I heard the following story once upon a time, but had mostly forgotten it until I was reminded this morning. It goes like this:

On the 11th of August, 1984 Ronald Reagan was preparing for a radio address from his ranch in California. For this, he needed to speak regularly to ensure that levels were correct and that the signal was broadcasting with sufficient strength. When asked to make a test statement, he jokingly obliged with the following:

My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes. (link)

Now, magically transport yourself to the other side of the planet, to a listening post in the Soviet vacation region of Crimea where a young military translator is listening to American radio traffic for intelligence. Upon hearing this intended joke, Yuri determines that this constitutes a serious situation for the U.S.S.R. and reports what he has heard up the chain of command. The threat level is raised and fighters are probably scrambled to the expected approach routes to major Soviet cities. Nothing comes of this situation beyond another witty quote for Reagan supporters, more proof of his warmongering for his opponents and the need of clean shorts for young Yuri.

I told you that story to tell you this one (you can laugh at that if you know it as a Ron White line). This morning, a slightly older and wiser Yuri - now a national director for our pastoral training program in Ukraine - spoke to us at work. As a history buff I was amazed to hear this story from the other side. He obviously did not find it as funny as those who caught the test phrase on our side. Just another example of why, despite the low pay and occasional frustration, I love working at an international missions organization. The global perspective and opportunities to hear from those whose view of the world it so different are priceless.