Think Globally - Act Locally

“People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. Acts 17:22&23.

Paul was trying to figure out how to relate to the people of Athens. He walked around the marketplace and made his observations. Judging from all the stuff around him, Paul noted that they were very religious. He found a bridge he could use to relate to the Athenians.

At an orientation to our Christian ministry assignments in Bible college the director explained what he did to relate to people he met. He reads magazines and newspapers to be up to date with what is happening in the world. Because many people follow a favorite sports team he reads sports magazines. He was not particularly interested in sports but went the distance to find a connecting point to people he worked with or met while travelling. These days being informed about the Rio Olympics would be important.

It seems that the divide between Muslims and the rest of the world is increasing. Becoming informed about their lives, interests, and culture is a great bridge builder with a Muslim friend. Any form of media--radio, TV, news feeds, books or magazines can give us a better grasp of the people God has called us to care for.

A while back a new employee at an electronics store mentioned that the Cricket World Championship is coming up. While I don't know much about Cricket, I know about Imran Khan, a Pakistani hero of yesteryear. This little tidbit helped me to connect. When talking to men about Soccer(football), everyone knows the name Messi--probably one of the most famous soccer players in the world. With many younger men, sports is a good connecting point. The conversation can develop from there. Joy says that Muslim women often don't watch the news. They are tired of the bad news out of the Muslim world and retreat. Perhaps there are other keys like social justice, poetry, the arts or cuisine that will help with connecting and lead to uplifting conversations with them.

It helps to be observant and curious. I like to browse through the Globe and Mail and watch the news to get better informed about the state of the world. But often the best source of information is from our new friends. I regularly stop at a kiosk in a nearby mall run by a Pakistani acquaintance to get news from Pakistan and to connect with him. He is pleased as punch that I'm interested in his country. Muslim men often become very animated when talking about politics!

It helps to turn the attention to the 2 kingdoms in the world today--the Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of God'. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world...my kingdom is from another place." John 18:36. What better place to get a good grasp of the 'Constitution of the Kingdom of God/Heaven' than Matthew 5-7? And we are 'on mission' for King Jesus. This is really radical stuff.

Lord, help me to find ways of connecting with my new Muslim friend on a human level so that our conversation can move towards the Good News. Amen.

Streams

"...God's Spirit is upon me; he has chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, "This is God's year to act!" Luke 4:18&19a

We experienced this rushing Swat River in *Malala's* backyard in the Swat Valley, Pakistan. It soon joins the muddy Kabul River to blend into the emerald-colored mighty Indus River as it makes its way to the Indian Ocean.

I've been re-reading 'Streams of Living Water: Essential Practices from the Six Great Traditions of Christian Faith' by Richard Foster. The Contemplative--Discovering the Prayer-Filled Life, Holiness--Discovering the Virtuous Life, Charismatic--Discovering the Spirit-Empowered Life, Social Justice--Discovering the Compassionate Life, Evangelical--Discovering the Word-Centred Life, and Incarnational--Discovering the Sacramental Life. Each Chapter begins with a chart of Christians followed by their powerful stories, reflecting God's love and glory. At the top of each list is Jesus--the forerunner. "The astonishing new reality in this mighty flow of the Spirit is how sovereignly God is bringing together streams of life that have been isolated from one another for a very long time." p. xv.

Susana Wesley is listed as one who reflected the Incarnational Tradition. She raised and home-schooled her 10 children. Two sons, Charles and John Wesley were among the most effective evangelists who ever lived. When the spiritual needs of parishioners were not met by an assistant while her pastor husband traveled, she started "our Society" in her kitchen. "Susana prayed, Help me, Lord, to remember that religion is not confined to the church or closet, nor exercised only in prayer and meditation but everywhere I am in your presence." p. 237. 

An elder of a church said "In this church we focus on the social gospel." He wanted the humanitarian, not spiritual. He may have been influenced negatively by churches who give invitations to receive Christ by simply repeating a prayer--the 'sinner's prayer', with minimal follow-up.

My family was down 724 feet beneath the earth's surface in Jewel Cave, South Dakota. The multi-colored gems that glistened in the lights were amazing. From the layout of the cave, we could see it would take a long time to explore the cave. Likewise, responding to an invitation to follow Jesus opens up a lifetime of getting to know Jesus...getting to know God. It's often the first step to be freed from addictions or other dead-end attractions and to submit to Jesus.

On Sunday we sang the song "More About Jesus":

More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me.

As in Jesus' day, there are many people with significant problems. Like Jesus, I want to reach out to Muslims who are physically, emotionally, and spiritually needy. In doing so, there may be similarities to how present and past saints who displayed one or more of the 6 Traditions ministered. At the end of the day I want to point to a miracle-working God...to Jesus, the Saviour who understands Muslims fully and is waiting for them. 

Lord Jesus, help me to understand clearly what my mission statement should look like. And help me to continue your work on earth. Amen.

Manhood

"I am about to go the way of the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man." 1 Kings 2:2.

We saw this man dragging a bunch of rocks on a beach in Toronto. Bystanders suggested that this must be a penance thing. "Nope", he laughed, "this is resistance training." Very macho. I love being a man. When I was young, I took risks my mother never knew about! But is this what manhood is all about?

After graduating with his PhD, Karim insisted that his wife address him 'Dr. Karim'. When she refused, the tensions already high in the home were ratcheted up a notch. His demands and expectations 24-7 became intolerable to her. That's what got them into a counsellor's office. Even though their's started out as a 'love' marriage, it soon was nothing but. In his mind being highly esteemed is an essential sign of manhood.

Nazir's family tried several times to arrange for his marriage. He considered all the options, left for his homeland and met the ones on the short list. But to no avail. Nazir is still looking for an educated Arab Muslim woman who is traditional(Eastern) in her view of honor and loyalty for her husband and her role in the home. Marrying someone who is confident and empowered would pose a threat to his sense of manhood.

Immigrant men are often shocked that the government deals directly with women on issues like child allowance. Perhaps for the first time in their lives, they have their own money. Women often get jobs easier than unskilled men. Men struggle with their sense of worth when their wife has more earning power. It is demoralizing to not realize the dream of thriving in a new land financially.

God made us male and female. And he has purpose and value for each. Many men are strong. Women may be weaker physically but have a nurturing nature and sensitivity. Someone said that "men would be brutes without women!" Maybe so. The bottom line is we complement each other. In the Bible, the bar for true 'manhood' is very high. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. Protection, provision, and care are part of this package. Men are to stand tall in the world.

It was well past midnight and it was raining cats and dogs. My family was sound asleep. I heard the thud of an outside padlock fall to the cement floor. I jumped out of bed and realized a thief had entered the house. By God's grace, I switched on the right light that flooded the area. He fled and I ran outside and yelled as loud as I could "There is a thief in the neighborhood." My heart was pounding wildly. I crawled back in bed and lay there quietly till the morning. I felt like a man, although a scared one!

When David was dying he admonished his son Solomon "Be a Man". That involved much more than being a strong commander-in-chief. David went beyond eastern or western stereotypes of male-hood. He admonished his son to be passionate about God. We could summarize David's charge: Be a man of faith, action and commitment.

Dear God, help me as a man to glorify you in how I use my strength and abilities. Amen.