Evaluating the Threat Chatter

General threat assessment requires evaluating what the actual threat is and how credible is the issuer of the threat, and then rating the likelihood of it happening and its impact.

-Anna Hampton, Facing Fear, KL4778

It is a common experience to have constant threats of violence and danger when ministering in situations hostile to the Gospel.
Therefore, it is important to learn how to manage threat chatter. This is the constant verbal and written threats relayed to the Christ follower.

Threats often sound like:

"We know who you are and we will kill you."  
"Death to anyone who talks to a Christian, and jail to any Christian who talks."  (Mullah Omar)
"We will (in graphic detail) rape and kill your wife, daughters, sons, etc."
"The government calls on its citizens to kidnap and kill Christians."
"$$$ reward for kidnapping of Christians/foreigners."
"Attack the infidel places of worship."

Those who leave a generally Christianized nation are often shocked when first immersed in environments of constant threat of danger like these.

They sound serious, and they often are, but because it never stops, it's hard to know when they will really act on these threats. It's extra confusing when there are multiple threats coming in at one time on a regular basis. The key question is "When is it serious?"

Learn to not let these threats destabilize you. Go about your ministry day in the hostile high risk environment and then go home and bake chocolate chip cookies and enjoy them. (Now you know one of my coping tools).

We pay closer attention to threat chatter when there is a slight change in frequency, tone, wording, specificity, source, and confident confirmation from significant sources. For example, when Mullah Omar issued the threat listed above, it was actually one of three right in a row and required a change in operations.

Learn to evaluate threat chatter and what else is appropriate to pay attention to about threat chatter in your situation. Use culturally sensitive skills to evaluate threat chatter coming from shame/honor cultures.

For example, even if a Mullah or Dictator is in favor of having Christians/foreigners in his country, he has to say certain things to appease the radicals who can destabilize his government and power base. Who is he most trying to appease or curry favor with?

Don't believe what is preached in the mosque or printed in papers without evaluating it in light of current politics, stability of the current power broker, etc.  This is where having help to evaluate from an on-field veteran or an experienced risk coach/security consultant can be of help to you to process and evaluate.

Many neighborhoods in these types of culture groups have a local leader.  Find out how the social system works in your neighborhood and go to that person to ask for help in understanding the threats against you, even if you may suspect he or she is disseminating them.  Humanize yourself with this person to enlist their patronage and loyalty.  Drink lots of tea, make friends, and ask for help.

Westerners have an especially hard time at evaluating all this, because we come from a "truth" culture, we tend to assume that what a leader (or terrorist) says is what he means, but this is usually far from the reality. What is proclaimed publicly is not how things actually operate in a local neighborhood. It’s important to build friendships with local leaders.

Action Steps: 

1. In Pre-field preparation, ask the worker to consider how they will respond mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually to be daily told people are out there looking to find them and kill them or their spouse and children.

2. Consider how you will off load physically and mentally the stress of constant vile threat chatter.

3. Have a spiritual plan in place of how you will respond to constant threats, the rumor mill, slander, and threat confusion.  Make sure you talk with your children at an age appropriate level about rumors, because if you don't, they will hear the rumors at the playground and be even more scared.

4. Make sure you and your family are prepared for your death.

5. Learn to live ready to die - keep short "accounts" with your relationships and tell people often that you love them and other important thoughts.

6. On a practical basis, have outside input and help evaluating the threat chatter, and when you need to pay more attention and re-do your risk assessment and mitigation.

7. Use wisdom in what you share with the children, and protect them from mental stress. 

8. Don't remain in a high-risk situation with constant threats without the ability to offload and process on a regular basis. A person who lives outside of your situation is often very helpful.

He is worthy of learning to process threats so we can endure well and wisely respond to danger. For more information, check out the chapter 11 “Information and Death-Threat Analysis”, in my book Facing Fear: The Journey to Mature Courage in Risk and Persecution.