Battlefield Humor and Spiritual Warfare
Category: Faith... News Commentary...
Posted Friday, September 15, 2006 at 03:23 PM [GMT-6]

Our speaker in last Sunday morning's worship services was Nabeeh Abbassi, the president of the Jordan Baptist Convention. He and his wife, Ruba (who founded and directs Arab Woman Today Ministries [AWT]) were in Midland as the guests of our pastor and his wife, who met and got acquainted with Ruba during a trans-Atlantic flight last year.

Nabeeh has been instrumental in a movement to bring evangelical Christian churches to Iraq, which has an estimated Christian population of about 800,000 in a country dominated -- in every significant way -- by Islam. He spoke briefly about the challenges of worshipping in a still-violent country, and did so with more than a little humor.

In fact, the biggest laugh of the morning came as he asked the congregation if they knew why there are no Wal-Marts in Iraq. After a brief pause, he answered his own question: "because there are Targets everywhere."

He then brought us back to earth with a not-so-rhetorical question borne out of the Iran hostage crisis from a couple of decades ago, a question that has as much if not more relevance today. Someone asked a group of church-goers if they were praying for the release of the Americans held hostage in Iran. Of course, the answer was a unanimous "yes." Then the question: are you also praying that the captors will come to know Christ and be welcomed into the kingdom of God?" Very few hands went up. "Well, I hate to tell you this," the speaker continued, "but you are more American than Christian."

As one who has from the start believed that Islamic terrorism has deep spiritual roots and must be fought not just on a physical level but also on a spiritual plane, the importance of the work of bringing the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into these darks places cannot be overstated, and the issues transcend details like nationality and lines drawn on a map. In particular, ministry to Arab Muslim women offers the hope and liberty that Islam denies them.

If you'd like to provide financial support to AWT, you may do so via a tax-deductible gift to Christar (designate AWT as the recipient); if a tax-deduction isn't important, you may give directly to AWT via wire transfer.

Technorati tags: |

Permalink
Comments

This is much more encouraging than the "special guest" I heard speak this week...Dee Dee Myers, Clinton's press secretary. :-\

You are absolutely right about the need to address terrorism on a "spirituality plane" (that phrase is a little haunting in the context of terrorism). I commend AWT for what they are doing. That is true bravery and courage, to stand up for what you believe in such a hostile environment.

Posted by: Gwynne at September 15, 2006 06:12 PM

Thanks for this post, Eric. May we see the whole world thru Jesus' eyes.

Posted by: Phyllis at September 15, 2006 10:45 PM

How did your Sunday School study on Hebrews go? It sounded really interesting from what y'll did when I was there!

Posted by: Rachel at September 17, 2006 12:44 AM

Do they refer to themselves as Chaldeans?

Posted by: soccer dad at September 17, 2006 12:44 AM

Rachel, we're just now getting into the study, but I know it will be great.

SD, are you referring to the Jordanians? I don't believe they did, but I guess I'd have been surprised to hear them using what I consider to be an archaic term like that. Is that something you'd hear if you were visiting the region?

Posted by: Eric at September 17, 2006 08:37 AM

Just as the Christian of Egypt are referred to as Copts, I thought that the Christian of Iraq were called Chaldeans. (They are likely descended from the indigenous peoples of those areas, not descendents the dominant occupiers that came from the Arabian peninsula.)
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03559a.htm

Posted by: soccer dad at September 18, 2006 10:48 AM

Well, I suppose that term may have been adopted by Catholic Iraqis (based on my reading of the article you linked in your comment), but I've not heard it used by the Protestant community. However, I'm far from being an authority in this area.

Posted by: Eric at September 18, 2006 10:54 AM
Post a comment [Take your time...we're in no hurry.]
Note: You must provide either a website URL or an email address...but there's no rule that says you have to tell the truth. If you don't want your email address published on this site, just input a website URL, or make up an email address.









Remember personal info?