Here is a great video to help people put Muslims in a broader context than normally done. I’ve told my Imam friend that part of my job when I speak in churches is to tell the truth about Islam and to help correct negative stereotypes that often prevail. I also said that the other part of my job is to help Muslims understand my faith in Christ and who Jesus is, how he shows us the straight path to God. That is part of the work of a bridge builder and peacemaker and follower of Christ. I think I need to add “truth teller” to that list. So my answer to the question posed by this little video is obviously NO.
Most of my Muslim friends so far are peace loving, kind, spiritually oriented to follow God as they understand him, concerned about raising their kids with a good foundation and a moral compass that takes its bearing from God, not the world. We actually share many things. I did meet a young gentleman in another part of the world that at one point in his life wanted to seek revenge for the suffering his people had experienced. But we talked at length about that too in a larger group of friends and about Jesus in Qur’an and how to deal with bitterness. We also talked about American presidential politics and that was fascinating in its own way. We also broke for prayers in the middle of a 2 hour conversation.
I try to live by Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.” The brother of Jesus also had some important things to say about this activity in James 3:18: “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”
Would love to know your thoughts or hear your comments.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.†Matthew 11:28-30
Last week I was at the Midwinter conference for Covenant ministers and I was drawn to this text in one of the workshops. I breathed deeply and found myself enveloped in a deep, abiding peace that I have not felt for some time. I felt these beautiful words from The Message were for me but I simultaneously felt they were for the people I am seeking to reach with the Gospel. Why? Let me explain.
God so deeply wants focus people to know the unforced rhythms of grace. He does for all of us but it seems that focus people have so little chance of hearing this good news for 2 main reasons. First, there are so few who have sought to tell them. It is amazing to contemplate but the people I am speaking about have a measly 6% of the all the resources the church brings to bear in sharing the good news of Jesus. Six percent for a rather large swath of humanity.
Second, the worldview and faith system of these people is empty of grace. So much of their system is based on works and performance. I keep finding expression of this reality when I spend time with my new friends. But God so wants all people to know his love and grace. He is unwilling that any would remain in the dark.
Here is another interesting factoid. Researchers have discovered that “dreams and visions” factor in the story of a full 2/3′s of focus people in becoming followers of Christ. A flesh and blood ambassador like you and me are few and far between. That reminds me of the passage where the story of the Pharisees are asking Jesus to silence his disciples when entering Jerusalem in his last days. His followers are cheering and Jesus says, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:39-40).
I wonder what kind of movement to Christ among focus people we would find if more of the so called Christ followers, people like you and me, bore witness to the “unforced rhythms of grace” in their midst?
