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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

What struck me most as my Arab driver artfully maneuvered the roundabouts and winding streets of Amman, Jordan, was the sense of timelessness in a city made of stone. One of the oldest continuously inhabited ...

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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.

Jim	Posted: November 19, 2008 3:51 AM

It's good news that an influential US Christian is one of the group of those at last becoming aware of the terrible record that anti-Christian Zionism, and it's American affiliates the Neocons and AIPAC have had on the Middle East, and on the determination of non-Christian, racist, war-making US policy in that area. Dr Leon Morris's commentary on the book of Revelation, published by Inter-Varsity Press, says "For the early Christians there was an important continuity between the old Israel and the church, the true Israel" (p153). Michael; Wilcock's commentary on the same book by the same publisher says, concerning the Bride of Christ, "..'Israel' and 'the church' are two interchangeable names for the same bride" (p204). All of the very evil Edomites, a people God hates (Mal 1:2-4) were converted to become 'Jews' by John Hyrcanus in about 120BC. According to Josephus the Jewish historian 'They (Edom) were hereafter no other than Jews' (Antiquities of the Jews, XIII ix 1; XV vii 9).

Layla M

Posted: November 14, 2008 12:15 PM

This article sounds familiar to those From the Middle East or those who studied the history of the Middle East. Yet, to the naive simple American reader, it gives a new outlook on the events happening in the area and how we as Christians can educate ourselves and pray for people outside of our comfort zone. Still, I do agree that the article conveyed the message that the Christians are suffering only because of the Jews but didn't clearly state that they suffer too under the Arab regime. I'd like to shed light on the Christian condition in Israel. They definitely enjoy more freedom in expressing their Christian faith than Americans do in the US or Christians in the Arab countries . They teach Christian education in schools, worship freely with anyone that proclaims Jesus as their savior, can evangelize freely to anyone over the age of 18 and don't need a permit to hold confertences. I think the American Evangelicals need to reevaluate their thoughts and actions in the Middle East.

Momof3

Posted: November 14, 2008 10:36 AM

I agree whole heartedly with Janzer. What made this article particularly unappealing to me, is that it went from the plight of Arab Christians to the "Palestinian" issue to it is all Israel's fault seamlessly and therefore incoherently. The truth is that Arab and Semitic Christians have been leaving the Middle East in droves for years and years. Once the dishonest strangle hold Lebanese Christians had on their government was exposed, they too fled their homeland. As a Catholic who studies Church history with a background in Mid East studies, I am quite aware of the Chaldean Christians of Iraq, the Assyrian Christians, the Melkite and Maronite Christians and the Armenian Apostolic Christians (to name a few) who like we Catholics and all Orthodox, have been around for 2000 years. What you need to understand is these people have been persecuted since Mohammed came out of the cave.

jhubers

Posted: November 14, 2008 9:16 AM

Thank you, Lynn, for writing what those of us who have lived and worked in the Arab world have been trying to help our fellow Evangelicals to learn for many years now. The United States has, in fact, been complicit in the suffering of fellow Arab Christians not to mention our Palestinian Muslim neighbors. In many other areas of the world America has taken the lead in standing up for the rights of the oppressed. But not in Palestine, where Palestinians have been made to feel that they are to blame for what has been done to them. If you wish to learn more about why this is such an issue I invite you to our website (Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism): http://www.christianzionism.org.

Janzer

Posted: November 14, 2008 9:15 AM

Once again the Jews and Americans are blamed for everyone's problems. No mention of why so many Iraqi Christians left Iraq BEFORE the Iraqi War. Let's be honest, Islam is not benign toward either Judaism or Christianity. The Christian values that manifest themselves in the US (Yes, I know we're too materialistic, but there is no perfection in this world, only the next) such as the education for all, women being allowed to vote and how about DEMOCRACY are virtually unheard of in the Arab world. Are our memories so short we have forgotten the blatant defilement of women in Afghanistan under the Taliban? Yes, it is easy to dumb-down complex issues, which is precisely what was done in this article. Here's another I-feel-good-about-my-compassionate-self piece, which has no relationship whatsoever to peace making, something that requires deep understanding of all sides and avoids the perennial finger-pointing that is the never-ending hallmark of simpletons.

noble

Posted: November 14, 2008 7:37 AM

Peace-Peace, Bread-Bread, Mercedes-Mercedes. Christ hide from the 5,000 he fed because they followed him for material reasons. The US and the rest of the world is following Obama and other like minded "ear-scatchers" for the same reason. There is much wrong with the US and those that propose to speak for Christ, but the Obamans and Demoncrats of the world are analogous to the Pharisees of Christ's day. They seek to follow the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law. The world condemns the USA over the history of slavery, but don't mention the Moslem countries where it is still practiced. Women's rights, free elections, education, freedom of religion, etc. are glossed over. Obamans made "race" a factor. Ninety-four per cent of Blacks voted for Obama, while 70% of California Blacks voted to ban same sex marriages. The Black Church in America has lost its calling. Jessie Jackson, Sharpton and their like are not ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but of their own app

ChrisR

Posted: November 14, 2008 12:06 AM


Another Australian echoes the comments above - I lived in the US for 3 years, and loved it, but it did teach me that the World needs to find Christ, not the cultural baggage that the huge market of the US can cause to accrete around the core of the Gospel. SO exciting to see people of the calibre and influence of the Hybels and others approaching this problem in such a way.

JohnH

Posted: November 13, 2008 9:01 PM

Thank you for sanity. Injustice generates injustice. How to get peace is the problem. Unless other "Christians" fall into those who are of acceptable groups we tend down grade their importance and dismiss the fact that all Christians are the children of God. "Educate yourself. Do not accept simple answers to complex questions." Well said, I have a problems with USA concentric Christianity being projected into my country (Australia, most here consider Obama a better choice) and am guilty of looking at others through my biases. Time to remember that we as Christians follow an incarnated Savour, so need to be simultaneously aware of both. Emphasising local politics and ignoring the oneness of Christ is a problem. Beware the 10 second sound bite solution.

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