European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 17, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday december 17, 1994 religion the stars and stripes Page 13 Christian comic has serious message Syjud Tarjanyi Toledo Blade the Rev. Jerry Falwell used to say Mark Lowry was the one Singer he loved to hear talk. That was Back in Lowry s student Days at Falwell s Liberty University in Lynchburg a. I would sing in Chapel Lowry said and Falwell would let me Tell these stories., .1 would talk and the kids would laugh. I liked  Lowry s stories turned out to be the stuff of Christian comedy routine and a calling for which the 36-year-old Houston native had no idea he was destined. That is until the stories he told Between songs at Church evangelistic services started to Tayece Terstage. I had to do something while the Little old Man inthe Back of the Church would change soundtracks Between songs. I had to say something so i started telling stories from my life and people would laugh. At first i wondered Why they were laughing at my testimony. Then i realized i was onto  Lowry still sings but he s found a Way to make pm laugh while he does thanks to his parodies of hit Christian songs. Amy Grant s baby baby has re emerged under his sing in Chapel and the Rev. Jerry Falwell would lot to Tell these stories. I would talk and the kids would laugh. I liked that pen As baby baby Why not me a Ballad about a single Man who uses lines from the song of Solomon to pick up worn in. Lowry also recorded face in this world a song about plastic surgery that parodies Michael w. Smith s place in this world. Whether he sings or talks however Lowry s comic routine parts ways with secular comedy in both Content and purpose. Like the late preacher . Lakin who would do 20 minutes of comedy before driving Home his biblical Points Lowry said i do not use comedy for comedy s Sake. I m trying to take it somewhere. I take the whole audience to the  he says the underlying message of his Rolong in the aisles concerts is that for christians life s bad news ultimately is Good. We re not Home yet. This is Boot Camp. This is not where we re headed. Salvation May take a second. Sanctification takes a lifetime. Christ said god is conforming us to the image of his son. That s painful. It s like god is rubbing off the rough edges. He uses people in our lives we wish weren t in our lives but god placed them there because it s part of the heavenly sandpaper As he conforms  Lowry said that by making people laugh at his life experiences he Hopes he can get them to live above not under their own circumstances. Some of the things i went through were horrible he said citing a Van wreck in which be broke 11 Bones and a hyperactive childhood that required him to take the drug ritalin. But he said in 10 years they re things you can laugh  they also make great material for monologues., and he said that when christians laugh god  distributed by Scripps Howard news service rmes i m toward Somalia for possible v Mildenhall air base eng land a the Pentagon is ordering about 3,000 marines to Waters off Soma Lia in Case president Clinton decides to help withdraw . Troops there de sense Secretary William Perry said Fri Day. V ,. Y  amphibious assault Force will head toward Somalia next month Perry told reporters during a Stop on his return to Washington from Moscow. At the Pentagon two senior defense officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said the Marine Force has been on Maneu vers in the persian Gulf and would not arrive off the somali coast until Jan uary. Somalia in East Africa is beset by feuding among warlords. Clinton has not yet decided whether the marines would Aid in the evacuation of the . Forces Perry said adding we Are getting ourselves in a state of readiness should the Mission be or dered. The president reviewed the situation during his weekly foreign policy meeting with top advisers White House aides said. Clinton earlier had approved Send ing troops to. The Waters off Somalia. Perry said extensive consultations hereunder Way with congressional leaders and he expected Clinton to make a Deci Sion in the next few Days. In new York . Spokesman Joe Sills said the United nations had been holding talks for several weeks with the United states on sending such a Force and would certainly Welcome their As  the 15,000 . Peacekeepers in so Malia have been working under steadily deteriorating circumstances As the clan warfare that has plagued the nation has reemerged. The . Security Council voted unanimously in Early november to end the peacekeeping Mission As soon As possible. . Secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali recommended last october that they depart no later than March 31. The peacekeepers All pakistani and Indian Are expected to withdraw in january or february Perry said. Perry would not say whether he had advised Clinton to approve the Mission. He said the Mission would require an amphibious ready group plus the equivalent of about 3,000 marines. President Bush ordered . Troops to enter Somalia in december 1992 to help Rescue the country from mass starvation resulting from famine and civil War. . Forces went in on a humanitarian Effort to deliver food and restore order but the Mission evolved into an unsuccessful and costly manhunt for somali warlord Mohammed Farah aided. The . Troop level reached a High of some 28,000 men and women but the Force withdrew in March 1994. World grows sceptical of Africa . Says Addis Ababa Ethiopia a the world will lose interest in helping poor african countries unless the continent s rulers end the vicious Cycle of wars and conflict president Clin ton s National Security adviser said thursday. Starting a nine Day visit to seven african nations Anthony Lake told the organization for african Unity headquartered in the ethiopian Capi Tal that the . Government has committed $1.5 million to support the group s conflict Resolution program. But he said that even the most will ing International donors Are facing the reality of shrinking resources. Too Many african nations Are caught in a vicious Cycle Lake said in a statement to the Oak. Bloody civil wars and deadly ethnic conflicts make political stability impossible. Without political stability there can be Little  toying with arms control a steamroller crushes toy guns from a leading department store company in Johan Nesburg South Africa on wednesday. The company recalled All realistic toy firearms from its 154 store in support of the National gun free South Africa Campaign. Malaysia extends use of caning Kuala Bumpur Malaysia a the government says it will make caning a mandatory punishment for White Collar crimes which Are increasing sharply along with the wealth of this Southeast Ern asian nation. Prime minister Mah Athir Mohamad s Cabinet also has approved a plan to eliminate All jury trials which Are currently used Only in first degree murder cases. Law minister Syed Hamid Albar said too much time was wasted in searching for qualified juries. The minister said thursday that the changes would be put to the parliament soon. The measures Are virtually certain to win approval because the governing coalition dominates the legislature. Malaysian courts often order casings for violent criminals. The punishment Drew worldwide attention last May when neighbouring Singapore flogged an Ameri can teen Ager Michael Fay for Vandal ism. White Collar offences now account for 15 percent of All crimes reported