Listening and Learning in the Middle East | Christianity Today

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Christianity Today, November (Web-only), 2008 |

SPEAKING OUT

Listening and Learning in the Middle East

What it means to act as an advocate for global engagement.

Lynne Hybels | posted 11/13/2008 09:31AM

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Educate yourself. Do not accept simple answers to complex questions.
Visit the Middle East, and listen and learn.
Support the churches in the Middle East financially, politically, and vocally.
Pray for Palestinians, Israelis, and Iraqi citizens who are so weary of war, and for American leaders to move with wisdom in the Middle East.
Care for refugees. Detroit has the largest Arab population outside of the Middle East, and many refugees are now settling in the Chicago area as well. "Please welcome them," was a refrain repeated again and again.

I returned home from Amman with a simple prayer: "God, what is mine to do?" Yes, I feel overwhelmed with a sadness that borders on despair. But I have learned that the antidote to despair is action.

Lynne Hybels is author of Nice Girls Don't Change the World and wife of Bill Hybels, who is senior pastor of Willow Creek.

Related Elsewhere:

Previous Christianity Today articles on Jordan include:

Jordan's Eviction Notice | Country hailed for tolerance deports at least 27 Christians. (April 8, 2008)

Hardship for Evangelicals in Jordan: Lessons for All Christians | The president of Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary on maintaining fruitful relationships with our neighbors. (April 8, 2008)

Looking Back | Claims to new Sodom locations are salted with controversy. (March 12, 2008)

The Peacebuilding Prince | One Jordanian leader shares his deep desire to preserve the Arab Christian world. (February 13, 2008)

Jordan: Evangelical Seminary Remains in Limbo | Jordanian school was closed two years ago with orders to re-register. (September 3, 2001)

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November (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 52

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Rebecca

Posted: November 21, 2008 5:11 PM

The last writer, Janzer, has a much better insight of what is important, TRUTH. I.E. the fact that so many Iraqi Christians left Iraq BEFORE the I.War, etc. The other writers seem to be parroting what many critics of America and American Christians say, write and think; emotional without depth of understanding; quick to speak out with very little knowledge of what they say, and criticizeing without wisdom to suggest a valid solution for the problem. Tongue in cheek, I have add, I am surprised to know that SIMPLE, NAIVE Americans are wont to read Christianity Today......

TDickinson

Posted: November 21, 2008 2:02 PM

I do fear for my brothers and sisters in Christ whose responses to the plight of fellow-Christians in the Middle East (God's people, not "these people", please!) are so formulaic that they miss those other words of the Apostle who told the Christians of Corinth that they were the body of Christ "and individually members of it", reminding them that "If one member suffers all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it." When our brothers and sisters are suffering as Christians have been suffering across the Middle East for more than half a century, I want to ask with St Paul "Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble and I am not indignant?" Thank you, Lynne, for sharing with us the needs - and the immense dignity - of our Arab brothers and sisters. Thank you too for reminding us of their struggle to be faithful in the face of external pressures and their abandonment by Christians in the West.

Jeremy McKim

Posted: November 20, 2008 4:39 PM

Lynne - I couldn't help but notice that you did not mention once mention Jesus. I sincerely believe that those who follow Christ in the US will be persecuted for their faith much like those in Iraq. Didn't Paul say that EVERYONE who desires to live a godly life will be persecuted? Does the Word of God tell us to feel sorry for those that are persecuted? Are we to try to empathize with their hurt and anger? Didn't Paul say that suffering for the sake of Christ is a privilege? What were Stephen's last words as the rocks hit his forehead? It seems that you missed some pretty important things in your trip to the middle east. One, if we are being faithful to Jesus, we too should be encountering persecution. Two, we are not to see our selves or others as victims when they/we are being persecuted. Rather, we are to rejoice that we were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus! We have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ! Let us repent for thinking so poorly of Jesus.

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