Wanting to talk about the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of Earth, I asked my two Somali friends about their take on the current events in the Middle East. The talk shifted to 9-11.
"Muslims would never fly planes into buildings", my Somali friend 'Ahmed' said emphatically. "These were cargo planes hijacked by someone." "The twin towers were detonated..." On and on he talked and listed a half dozen 'textbook examples of conspiracy theories'. It's not difficult to find credible answers to counter each of these on the internet. But I want to give rebuttals carefully. It gives me an opportunity to give gracious answers. Remember the old adage "win the battle(or argument) but lose the war(or relationship)"?
I feel for 'Ahmed'. He comes from an honor and shame paradigm that doesn't allow Muslims or Islam to look bad.
When we look at events in the Middle East spilling over into the West, it's all about domination. In 'Ahmed's mind the problems of today are caused by superpowers or past colonizers. Yes, the current political climate is related to what happened in history but the future lies with those in power today. That's why 'Ahmed' is here. It's not working.
Jesus preached the Kingdom of Heaven. Hebrews 12:22 reads, "No, you have come...to the heavenly Jerusalem." The focus is on justice, peace, love and proclaiming the Good News...not Real Estate. Its all about reconciliation between God and man and man with man.
My brothers and sisters, we need to revisit what the Kingdom of God(heaven) means in 2021. Could we say the Sermon on the Mount is like the 'constitution of the Kingdom of God'? I shared with my seeker friend 'Farid' how this focus is in the Beatitudes. How much better does it get than "God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.."? Matthew 5:7-9. 'Farid' loves these verses. They bring peace to his heart.
'Ahmed' is processing what he has seen since coming to the West. The process can't be hurried. An Eastern Christian friend met 'Ahmed' and pushed the Gospel Message on him without befriending him. My relationship with 'Ahmed' has never quite been the same.It takes time and much prayer to break down cultural and religious barriers to the Good News. It's often like taking off layers of an onion, one at a time. And it usually takes Friendship First! Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gives it urgency "If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dear Heavenly Father, my Muslim friends are worried about world events. Help me to show them that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the only hope for the Nations. Amen.
