Carl Medearis» Guest Bloggers

Jesus Plus Nothing!

Carl Medearis — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:01:52 +0000

My good friend Tim Timmons has a new book out – Jesus Plus Nothing. Fresh. Insightful. Provocative. That’s why I like it. Here’s his recent blog about one of the takeaways of this great book. Read it carefully….

carl

JESUS PLUS NOTHING–ANYONE ANYWHERE CAN BEGIN TO FOLLOW JESUS

One of the top takeaways from my new book JESUS PLUS NOTHING stirs up so much emotional response. In other words, there is more heat than light at first. It’s tough enough to separate Jesus from Christian ownership. Now, this insight sounds even more foreign and out of bounds from what we’ve been taught. No matter how much evidence is offered or how many people are produced from non-Christian cultures who are followers of Jesus, it’s still stifling to the brain.

A little over a year ago about 60 of us participated in the Montana Awakening. We were spread all over the state, sharing the message of Jesus. I was teamed up with a Muslim friend of mine who loves Jesus and has been faithfully following Jesus for years. My friend is more articulate and genuine in his relationship with Jesus than most Christians I’ve known for years. On our first night in Montana, we were scheduled to speak along with a couple of others from Germany. I began, setting the stage for my Muslim friend’s testimony of how he had come to follow Jesus. Then he would speak and I closed out our session. Well-meaning Christians bombarded us afterward, vehemently and angrily arguing with my friend and me that it is impossible for a Muslim to be a true follower of Jesus. It was just unthinkable!

The same attitude is found among the early disciples in Luke 9, where John says to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” You see how it works? It’s unthinkable that anyone who is not one of us-one of our group-could possibly have a right connection with Jesus. In John 10 Jesus tries to instruct His disciples that He has other disciples who do not belong to His disciples’ same denomination. He says, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” Whoever Jesus is talking about, these other sheep are not from the same religious and cultural persuasion as His disciples. In the final book of the New Testament-Revelation-there is reference to “A great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne” of Jesus. (Revelation 7) NOTE the common theme of these passages. There is no reference to any certain religious group, but it’s clear that God is calling people from every nation, every tribe and every language group.

So, how is it possible for a non-Christian-a Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jew or agnostic-to come to the point of being a follower of Jesus and have a genuine saving relationship with Jesus? I’ve observed it in three stages. First-a person is drawn to Jesus because of His miracles, His teachings. At this stage a person is fascinated with the most amazing man, Jesus. He’s a great teacher and a great example. Second-after following Jesus for a period of time, a person begins to embrace Jesus’ principles and teachings. The principles begin to make more and more sense, so the person who has merely been fascinated with Jesus now begins to take Jesus seriously. Third-after continuing to follow Jesus and embrace His teachings and principles, this is when Jesus begins to transform a person’s life. If an internal change or conversion is going to take place, then it will happen at this level of progression.

This progression is perfectly illustrated in Jesus’ encounter with Peter at Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers by saying, “You are God’s Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus strokes Peter for giving such a good answer, but says, “Flesh and blood didn’t reveal that to you.” Only the Father could reveal this kind of thing to Peter. Only God can change a person’s heart. No amount of teachings or belief systems can do this. Here’s the way I see it. You don’t have to believe Jesus is the Son of God to begin to follow Jesus. The disciples didn’t! In fact, they weren’t even genuine “believers”, until later. It took them over three years of following Jesus daily for God, the Father, to change their hearts and minds of faith. When a person begins to follow Jesus, he is set up perfectly to have his heart totally converted-transformed by God Himself. We’ve seen this happen in every major culture of the world. They first are attracted to Jesus as a great teacher or example and later Jesus apprehends their hearts. One more thing. You don’t have to be a Christian to be a follower of Jesus either. Here’s the point! Anyone anywhere can begin to follow Jesus.

Follow Tim’s thoughts at: http://www.timtimmons.blogspot.com/

Reuben Bidez

Carl Medearis — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:07:32 +0000

I don’t do this often – but here’s a guest blog from my new friend Reuben who writes and sings some amazing music. I think you’ll appreciate his heart when you hear it…

carl

Two years ago I started writing songs for this record. It’s a concept record covering the 7 major stories that both the Qur’an and the Bible share. For years Christians and Muslims have fought and argued over their differences without ever looking at what they have in common. Most Christians would be surprised to know that many of the Bible stories we’ve been taught since childhood are also found in the pages of the Qur’an. But both Muslims and Christians know that these are not just stories. These are expressions of God’s mercy for mankind!

As you read these stories in the Qur’an you find a theme running throughout. The writer refers to these moments in time as “Signs of God”. I love this terminology. It is as if God is saying, “look at this moment, there is something of great importance here.” This phrase “Sign of God” became a motif throughout the songs I wrote, hence the title of the project, “The Signs of God”.

This album is an expression of peace through music. I think music speaks to a part of the soul that written and spoken word fail to reach. My hope is that “The Signs of God” will be a catalyst for conversations to begin between Muslims and Christians; conversations that lead to relationships of honor and peace.

- Reuben Bidez

If you would like to get a copy of the album, you can download it on iTunes

Or if you’d like a physical copy, you can order one from the online store at www.reubenbidez.com

Here’s a video of Reuben’s heart behind the album.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/CKXpByNIESM

“Arabs.” Words and their Meanings…

Carl Medearis — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:42:47 +0000

(This is a guest blog by my very good friend and co-worker in Lebanon, Rob Pelgrim).

Let’s play a game!

I am thinking of a tree.

I can picture it in my mind.

You don’t know what I am imagining. You might safely assume it has a trunk, branches and leaves of some kind, but can you assume we are picturing the same thing?

What image first came to mind when you read the word ‘tree?’ Depending on what may be growing outside your home, in your neighbourhood, region or country, our mental pictures could be vastly different; a bonsai, a palm, orange tree or cedar? Does your tree grow indoor or outside? Is it standing alone, or placed strategically in a park or garden, inside a mall, or is it part of a magnificent forest? What season did you imagine it in, that would determine the state of its colour, leaves, flowers or fruit? Is anything inside the tree, such as a nest of some kind, or is anything attached to it; lights, ornaments, a swing, a poster? Do you imagine a living tree, or an artist’s depiction?….

We could continue with this line of questioning for quite some time, and with each inquiry we begin to see just how complex and intricately detailed our concept of a tree can be.

The more questions we ask, the more information we can convey to clarify meaning.

Language is powerful because words are thoughts. However, the same words can describe different thoughts. To be really sure you have understood me, and I, you, sometimes we must dig deeper into the meaning behind what we say.

Let’s play again, shall we?

I am thinking of an Arab.

I can picture him in my mind.

Where does he live? What is he wearing? How old is he? What kind of job does he do? What is his family like? What kind of government does he have? How does he deal with conflict?

Arab. This four-letter word is very powerful. As a Dutch national living in the “Arab World” I see firsthand the very big issues raised by this little word.

Consider for a moment, what and who have contributed to your thoughts on what or who is Arab?

Where did you get your information? Are you thinking of people you spend time with like family, friends or colleagues? Have you lived in, or visited the Arab World? Or do your images and ideas come entirely from TV, Newspapers or movies?

If you were to describe to an Arab what you presume about him or her, if you were to say it out loud, how would it sound? How would they react? Do you anticipate they would whole-heartedly agree with your interpretation? Perhaps it is important to consider how much of our understanding of what is Arab is defined by people outside the Arab world looking in.

Centuries ago, visitors recorded what they saw on their journeys to the Arabian Peninsula, and tried to explain it to their fellow countrymen. Greek and Latin writers appropriated the term ‘Arab’ to include all of Arabia and the Sinai into Egypt, (roughly 1/3 the size of Europe) and everything in it. ‘Arab,’ in many ancient writings, basically became a synonym for all things Eastern, and with Islam, became synonymous with ‘Muslim.’ As Islam grew, so did the application of whom and what was ‘Arab’. The images and phrases used to describe these persons/places were not ones that were chosen by these ‘Easterners’ themselves. They were based on perceptions of outsiders, who framed the “Arab World” in Western terms they knew the people around them would understand. Up until now, the ‘West’ understands the ‘East’ as they have constructed it.

This construction of Arabs is continually being built with every article, newscast and film that keeps the actual ‘people’, the warm bodies and their life experiences, at a distance. In this construction, Arabs also appear to be one very homogenous group, all 280 million

of them; people who look, think, behave, believe, communicate and live almost exactly the same way, albeit far away.

East and West are directions, but they are words that express extreme opposites. How similar are you to your image of what is Arab? How similar are Arabs to each other?

The term ‘Arab’ carries with it racial, geographical, linguistic, religious, cultural and political connotations. It is being used now in so many different contexts that it is not clear what someone is referring to when they use it.

Some questions:

Are Arabs a people group?

Arabs are not one race, any more than ‘white people’ are one race. The original Arabs are people from tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. Those living around North Africa and Southwest Asia, come from many different people groups. People living in the “Arab World”, although they may identify as being Arab for other reasons, do not identify as being of one ethnicity, and generally add a national affiliation when they use the term, ie. Egyptian Arab. To be considered as Arab first and foremost, because one lives in an Arabic speaking country, so much so that ethnic or national identities are lost, is a phenomenon called ‘Pan-Arabianism.’ Someone referring to me as being of British nationality or descent because I speak English does not accurately describe me, or for that matter most of the English-speaking world. To be Arab then, as an ethnic identity is only accurate for a very small group of people from a very specific region.

Is being Arab related to where you live?

The so-called ‘Arab World’ covers North Africa and Western Asia, from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean to the Arabian Sea, with climatic and geographic differences between countries being extensive. Politically, socially, culturally and economically they also have almost nothing in common. What does the everyday life of a Lebanese Bedouin nomad have in common with a Saudi prince or a Libyan farmer? The “Arab World” has within it the enormously rich and the dirt poor, with almost no middle class to bridge the lifestyle gap between them. Living in the “Arab World” does not by definition make one Arab.

Are Arabs members of a language group?

To be Arab because one speaks Arabic is also a mere superficial and artificial argument. Does a Westerner speaking perfect Arabic then become Arab? Arabic is the official language of 22 countries, and over 280 million people (US population is 311 million). But the dialects they speak from region to region make it almost impossible for them to understand each other. The common language association is not enough to bridge the gap between so many people to unify them as one body.

Is being Arab related to religion? Is Arab Muslim?

Arabs existed before Islam, although most people living in the “Arab World” would now identify as being Muslim. Mohammed received the word of God in the language of Arabic. There are almost 1.5 billion

people in the world who follow Islam, and they read a Qur’an written in the Arabic language. Most people who read the Qur’an cannot speak or communicate in Arabic. For only a minor 280 million (some 20%) of them it is their first language. However, it is through the spread of Islam that the Arabic language has become so prominent.

It is also not the case however that all Arabic speakers are Muslim, or even that all Muslims are Arabic speakers. Unfortunately however, both terms are often inappropriately used interchangeably, obscuring their meaning.

Not all Muslims live in the Orient either, for example think of Indonesia, which is the mostly highly populated Muslim country.

Is Arab a cultural descriptor?

There are common cultural expressions throughout the “Arab World”, because of the Islamization

of the region around the 7^th Century. But there are also significant cultural practices stemming from historical traditions outside Islam that vary between states and ethnicities.

Is Arab a political affiliation? As in the ‘Arab League’?

The Arab League is a Western invention that was formalised in 1945. It sums up all the inaccurate understanding of what is the “Arab World” in one not so neat political body. The 22 countries with Arabic as their official languages comprise this union. But the concept of all 22 countries being united, in the way the 50 American states are one United States of America, is nonsensical. Yet, this is how the West perceives the “Arab World” world; as a homogenous group. The idea that this many individual countries in the “Arab World” are so similar that they should be financially, economically and politically tied, has caused chaos. As a construct, the Arab League is then expected to come up with solutions for people’s problems much like governing bodies such as the European Union and United States do, but the Arab League countries have little interest in doing that. The concept itself implies that a Jordanian King is motivated, capable and invited to solve the problems of say, Moroccans, and the Egyptian President is capable and able to resolve Iraq’s troubles.

Consider the Commonwealth.

What connects the Commonwealth countries?

Ethnicity? No.

Demography? No.

Geography? No.

Political ideology? Not really.

Culturally? No.

Religiously? No.

Considerations:

Our Western love for democracy and our fervent belief in the democratic system as the ultimate definition of freedom and responsibility has so tainted the lens through which we view the Arab World, that further deconstruction of our thought processes is necessary. Why do we assume that the political leaders of these ‘Arabic speaking’ states are representatives of the people they govern? Or that they are making decisions in a vacuum? Many of the member countries are reliant on American support to sustain themselves, as is the case with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and they are two of the most powerful countries in the region. Some of the Arab League nations cannot really be autonomous, because they do not or cannot make decisions that are considered anti-American.

At the other end of the equation, the American dependency on oil as a resource means that the US also has to make decisions to support their own existence that are politically questionable, for instance their long history of selling weapons. In the most recent example, the United States made a US$ 60 billion weapons deal with Saudi Arabia

, all they while the political leaders who signed off on that deal spoke publicly about ‘Arab’ terrorism. France also, not too long ago signed a $10 billion trade deal with President Qaddafi in Libya

Conclusion:

How often do we consider our very real role in the construction of what is ‘Arab’? Think about your original image of an ‘Arab.’ This confusion exists both within and outside the countries of the “Arab World”.

Many people very passionately say they are Arab, but they often cannot describe what it means to be Arab. The abuse and confusion of the term in the Western world, contributes to confusion here in the Orient. Now, being ‘Arab’ or living in the ‘Middle East’ carries the weight of the term ‘terrorism.

I want to call for change, by redefining our vocabulary. We need to deconstruct these terms to understand each other better, and either redefine them, or develop new words in their place to communicate with greater clarity and precision. If we were to start using the phrases “Arabic speaking world” and “English speaking world”, it would be a significant improvement. Using this language takes away the religious, ethnic and political connotations. Even saying “the Levant” is an improvement because it takes away from the connotations now associated with “the Middle East.”

Maybe next time you watch the news, or hear a sermon, or have coffee with a friend, you’ll think about the effect of the language being used and the message it communicates.

For a better understanding.

Robert Pelgrim

With special thanks to Samir Kreidieh for the initial thoughts on this subject and to Bryden Maassarany for the editing work.

Love Your Enemies

Carl Medearis — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:09:36 +0000

Love Your Enemies from The Austin Stone on Vimeo.

A Guest Blog from Scholar and Friend Colin Chapman

Carl Medearis — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:53:26 +0000

9/11 IN THE USA and 7/22 IN NORWAY: FACING OUR FEARS ABOUT MUSLIMS AND ISLAM

Rev. Colin Chapman

The Bush Administration responded to 9/11 with “the war on terror.” Anders Breivik committed his crimes on 22 July 2011 because he felt that Europe as a whole, and Norway in particular, had been naive in their response to Islam. Have we learned anything from what has happened in the last ten years about the way we think about Islam and relate to Muslims, and can we articulate a considered, long-term response to these events? This is my own personal check-list of ways in which I believe all of us in Europe – and Christians in particular – should be responding to these challenges.

Establishing genuine relationships with Muslims. Many of those who are most fearful about Islam have little or no personal contacts with Muslims. A recent doctoral researcher in the UK has concluded that “those who had ongoing friendships with Muslims tended to be more eirenic than those who had not lived in the Muslim world or had no Muslim friends.” Perhaps, therefore, we need to be much more intentional in this area and ask ourselves “How can I/we develop natural relationships with the Muslims in my community?”
Challenging our fears and prejudices. One way to deal with our fears about the growing numbers and influence of Muslims is firstly to articulate them, and to talk them through with people who have a lot more to do with Muslims than we do. This should help us to recognize the important issues which really do need to be faced and to challenge the scaremongering about scenarios that are never likely to happen. We also need to be honest about our prejudices, which are related either to race, religion, culture or politics – or a potent mixture of all of these.
Learning more about Islam and Muslims. Fear is often a product of ignorance or prejudice. If governments in the West have realized the importance of ensuring that children in schools are made aware of other faiths, all our churches and voluntary organisations need to find ways of encouraging all their members to learn more about the faith and practice of Islam. This may require strong leadership from the top, and has implications for teaching at all levels – including preaching, discipleship teaching, and lay and ministerial training.
Understanding the diversity within the Muslim community. Ignorance and fear often combine to make us think that many Muslims, in their heart of hearts, are like the stereotypes that we see in the media. The basic core of beliefs and practice that are required of all Muslims is much more clearly defined than it is in the Christian community. But a moment’s reflection on the wide diversity that exists among Christians of different countries and cultures all over the world should convince us that there are likely to be similar differences among Muslims. They’re not all the same!
Listening to the concerns of Muslims about our societies. Because we’re incurably ethnocentric, we tend to think that the way we do things in our society is bound to be the best or the right way. So instead of constantly defending everything that we do, perhaps we need to listen more to what Muslims think about our societies. While they may sometimes be very affirmative – partly because of what they are glad to have left behind in other countries – at other times, their criticisms may help us to “see ourselves as others see us.”
Understanding our history of immigration. If we have at the back of our minds, ideas about the “purity” of our race or nation, we need our historians to remind us of the many different kinds of immigration that have taken place all over Europe for centuries. We also need our sociologists to help us to understand how immigrants (like the Irish, Poles, European Jews) have actually adapted to their new host countries. If some have refused to adapt or assimilate, others have done so quite quickly and with considerable enthusiasm.
Supporting those who are working more closely with Muslims. If we have no Muslims around us to relate to, or feel that we are unable to do anything practical ourselves, we should be helping those who are at the cutting edge in ways that we ourselves cannot be. Many churches and organisations working in multi-racial areas really do understand what the issues are and how to relate to the Muslim communities around them, and desperately need spiritual, moral and financial support for their hidden work which seldom hits the headlines.
Engaging in the public debate about the sensitive and divisive issues. Whether these debates are about immigration, quotas for asylum seekers, the hijab and the burqa, minarets or the admission of Turkey into the EU, instead of criticising from the sidelines, more of us need to be involved in these debates in the media. This may mean contributing to a phone-in on local or national radio, writing to a newspaper or meeting with our member of parliament. If we make excuses like “It takes too much time and work”, “It won’t achieve anything” or “Other people are better at this sort of thing that I am”, we should stop complaining about the ways our societies are changing. If we reject the models based on certain understandings of multiculturalism and those which seek to return to some kind of Christendom, do we have an alternative model to commend which is convincing and attractive?
Understanding the big international issues. One of the saddest things about the American response to 9/11 was that instead of stopping to ask themselves “Why are these people so angry and do they have good reason to be angry?”, they channelled their anger largely into “the war on terror.” But it’s hardly surprising that Palestinians feel angry that the only super-power in the world (the USA) has been unable and/or unwilling to persuade Israel to stop building its illegal settlements on the West Bank; and it’s hardly surprising that for many Arabs and Muslims the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is high up on their list of grievances against the West. So in our globalized world where everything is inter-connected, perhaps we need to be more aware – and perhaps more critical – of the policies of our governments regarding North Africa and the Middle East, Iran and Afghanistan, because these are bound to affect the attitudes of Muslims towards our countries.
Engaging in the “hard talk” with Muslims. We shouldn’t be surprised if Muslims are defensive when we challenge them over issues like honour killings, the equality of the sexes, the treatment of Muslims who convert to another faith, and the desire of some to establish a parallel legal system for Muslims that is based on shari‘a law. It’s sad when these are the first or the only issues that some want to talk about with Muslims. And it’s equally sad when others – out of ignorance, fear, excessive respect or political correctness – feel that it’s never appropriate to raise these questions. But if we have established meaningful relationships with Muslims and begun to practise some of the principles outlined here, we may have won the right to challenge them on these difficult issues. There certainly is a place of “hard talk”; but it should be only one aspect of our wider dialogue with Muslims.

While soundly condemning the atrocities of 9/11 and 7/22, therefore, Christians, Muslims and people of no faith are called to some deep soul-searching: Are there any ways in which what we believe and what we say in public could ever encourage someone else to commit crimes like these? In our democratic and pluralist societies, facing our fears and anxieties in ways like these should help us to live together as fellow-citizens – even when we differ profoundly in our beliefs. And for Muslims and Christians in particular, these responses may contribute to a real meeting of hearts and minds which enables us to bear witness to our knowledge and experience of God.

The Blond-Haired, Blue-Eyed, “Christian” Face of Terrorism

Carl Medearis — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:07:13 +0000

I wanted to re-post a great article on the recent terrorist attack in Norway by my friend Rick Love, President of Peace Catalyst International. You can also view this article on Rick’s blog.

A blond-haired, blue-eyed “Christian” terrorist, Anders Behring Breivik, shocked the world by killing over 90 people in Norway just a few days ago. The largest massacre by a single gunman in modern history. What are we to make of this savagery?

Some people are stunned that a so-called “Christian” committed these acts of terror. Please note I put Christian in quotes and added the phrase “so-called” because I do not consider him a true follower of Jesus. Now I know how Muslims feel when terrorist acts are done in the name of Islam.

This event reminds us that the potential for evil in the human heart knows no racial boundaries. Hating and killing in the name of God knows no religious boundaries. Let’s get this straight: There are extremists among all races and all religions.

We may get some insight into Breivik’s motivation by looking at the Gospels. The Gospels display a sharp contrast between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders known as the Pharisees. Jesus hung out with the wrong crowd. Jesus loved people – all kinds of people. Because of this, he was called, “a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34). If Luke wrote his gospel today, Jesus might be accused of being a person “who had eating disorders, engaged in substance abuse, and was a friend of corrupt officials, prostitutes and gays.”

By contrast, the Pharisees showed their devotion to God by hating sinners. They demonstrated their holiness through their hostility towards “God’s enemies.” They hated sinners because they loved God. I am sure they argued their case from Scripture by using a verse like this: “Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies” (Psalm 139:21-22).

But Jesus repeatedly challenged the Pharisees’ skewed views of devotion and narrow views of love. Jesus confronted the tradition of hating your enemy head-on in the Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies” (Matthew 5:43-44).

Anders Behring Breivik hated his enemies. He purposely murdered innocent people to make a political point. His detailed manifesto outlining his preparations and calling for a Christian war against the threat of Muslim domination is a wake-up call. It reminds us of the deadly consequences of hate-filled politics. Years ago I walked the streets of Oslo with an Evangelical leader. I asked if we could visit the Nobel Institute, the location where the famous Nobel Peace Prizes are given. He reluctantly agreed and said, “Why are you concerned about peace on earth? What counts is people’s eternal salvation.” I wonder what he would say today?

If you want to know what Peace Catalyst International would say, please check out the Seven Resolutions Against Prejudice, Hatred and Discrimination and Loving Muslims Dealing with Terrorists

By: Rick Love

A Congressman Weighs In….

Carl Medearis — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:15:30 +0000

I wanted to share a post from another guest blogger on the Why Do You Fear Me? website. This post was written by Mark Siljander, former Republican U.S. congressman & deputy U.S./U.N. Ambassador.

Can a Muslim be a Good American?
By Mark Siljander

The title above is the head of an email I have repeatedly received from concerned friends. That particular letter is not unique among the hundreds of perhaps well-intended books, articles, emails, and videos condemning Islam, often from Christian authors. They warn us that “radical Islam” is intent on dominating the world, destroying Israel and our Western way of life. While I will not debate their findings, we must first stop and realize that these tactics operate from a “bad news” spirit of fear. Meanwhile, the Bible tells us not to fear 200 times. Can we truly share the message of “Good News” while basing our sense of reality in fear?

Like the author of the e-mail, I too am upset that the Muslim radicals are winning the war on terror. The extremists are bankrupting us, radically altering our lifestyles, culture and politics. I am embarrassed that Westerners, especially Christians, are so terribly ignorant of Islam and only parroting what others have told them about the radicals. I am sick and tired of my inbox filling up with countless of these types of emails and my mailbox with DVDs, and having encounters with Christians whose only goal, it seems, is to frighten us with a paralyzing fear of the Islamic threat.

I am not an apologist for Islam, but the comments in many of these resources are for the most part, ignorant, reflect only the militant’s view or are simply wrong. Even if every point was 100% correct and once we are all in a state of fright, what do we do about it then? I have yet to read or hear of one rational strategy to thwart the dreaded onslaught. When confronted for solutions, my friends retort that we need to “beef up our military” and “convert Muslims to the Christianity.” Frankly, these have already been proven a failure.

I, and others like me (see WhyDoYouFearMe.com), are working towards a “Good News” approach for new solutions. The vast majority of Muslims are struggling to break the growing political grip of radicals with the power of a peaceful expression of their faith. The West’s hyper focus on radicals and fear-based approach only alienates and isolates them rather than empowering them. Many Christians understandably replay over and over the same videos and quotes of the murderous nuts and megalomaniacs, but then generalize that all Muslims follow the same narrow and murderous view of Islam. Perhaps we should replace our insecurity, fear and anger (that insults what the average Muslims cherish, i.e. their religion, holy book, prophet and traditions) with an emphasis on what we both value as positives and the good news of Jesus.

At the beginning of my journey learning about Muslims, I was shocked to find that Jesus is actually a prominent and supernaturally endowed Messiah in both Muslim and Christian traditions. Ironically, he can serve as a bridge to connect us, rather than divide.

The actual and historical distance between Christians and Muslims exacerbates the problem of misunderstanding. Much is lost when attempting to communicate across cultures. You have much more shared history and understanding with a family member than with a stranger. How vast is the potential for misunderstanding between people who are often continents away from each other, each with their own history and worldview.

Jesus used love as his strategy for change and inspired the largest people movement in history. This approach might actually attract more people to Jesus the Messiah, rather than perpetuating revulsion.

I am often challenged when I read Jesus’ teaching regarding love of neighbors. The lawyer in Luke 10 wished to justify his actions when he asked Jesus who his neighbor was. Instead, Jesus’ story of the merciful Samaritan showed that everyone is my neighbor. The bottom line in loving is to show mercy.

What does this mean for followers of Jesus as we discern how to respond to those of Muslim faith? Certainly there is much to discuss. Please join us in walking towards a rejuvenated Biblical strategy that embraces the hope and love proclaimed in the Good News–one that casts out fear.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear is tormenting. He who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

“The gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” (I Thessalonians 1:5)

Do Muslims Speak Out?

Carl Medearis — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:25:59 +0000

One of the questions I most often get is this: Why don’t Muslims speak out
against the terrorists? It’s a fair question, because we don’t often hear
that.

I haven’t had guest bloggers in the past, but I thought this was worth
posting. Eboo wrote this for our www.whydoyoufearme.com website, but I
wanted to post it here as well.

Muslims Speak Out
by: Eboo Patel

I recently wrote a piece for USA Today where I expressed my strong opposition to Muslim extremists, my belief in American pluralism, and my desire to partner with Americans to defeat extremists and achieve pluralism. I got some interesting responses to this article.

One man commented: “The #1 argument we have against your people, referring to the non-violent amongst you, and that is as a whole, there is virtually nothing uttered which would condemn those in your ranks creating violence via killings and attempted ones. You all, again as a group, DON’T speak out against others of your ethnicity, possibly because of fear of retribution…but frankly, it does sicken us.”

It sickens me too.

As an American, as a father, violence like this sickens me – that’s why I wrote the op-ed.

But I know that I’m not the only Muslim who reacted this way. Outside that courthouse in Detroit when Umar Farouk Abdullmutallab was arraigned, were Muslims holding signs – signs like “Not in the Name of Islam,” “We are Americans,” and “Islam is Against Terrorism.” http://ow.ly/Z4qZ

And there are, in fact, a chorus of insightful, diverse Muslim voices speaking out against violence in the hijacked name of our religion. They don’t get as much attention in the media – so I’d like to point out a few.

Shahed Amanullah is an award-winning journalist, and editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com, an interactive news and discussion forum promoting a critical (and self-critical) analysis of issues regarding the Muslim community. There is much on AltMuslim that not only decries the violence addressed above, but also analyzes what we can do about it. Read this piece from Shahed on Confronting Radicalization Online. http://ow.ly/Z4uT

Reza Aslan, author of the widely read How to Win a Cosmic War is another Muslim who makes a point of speaking out on this issue. In a recent NPR interview, he pointed out the dissociation of radical Jihadists from Islam. http://ow.ly/Z4wL

“In fact, in many ways, you have to understand jihadism as an anti-clerical or anti-institutional movement. In fact, the jihadists define themselves in direct opposition to the traditional religious authorities –the imams of Islam. They find the traditional imams to be painfully out of touch. They believe the religious and political leaders of Islam have been adulterated or co-opted in some way.”

Finally, one of the best Muslim-authored pieces analyzing the Christmas Day violence, and offering further suggestions for the American Muslim community was Haroon Moghul for Religion Dispatches. http://ow.ly/Z4zh

“In both the case of the five young men who went from America to Pakistan and Umar Abdulmutallab, their own families warned the relevant authorities. Their actions argue that for all those who feel that acting violently redresses an injustice against the Muslim world, those near to them disagree enough to resist. Such a fracture within households suggests the intimacy and depth of the struggle, a battle that travels the Muslim world and unites it anew.”

It is my deepest hope that nothing like this ever happens again – but if it does, I know that my fellow Muslims will continue to speak out against those who commit violence in the name of Islam.