Good News Sense

Last time, I mentioned Stuart Robinson’s Mosques and Miracles: Revealing Islam and God’s Grace and how long I had been reading it because of the challenges described in most of the book. Well, I finally finished it, and the final quarter of the book was worth plodding through the rest. I found it hopeful and encouraging, particularly in reaffirming the importance of prayer. We face serious threats here and abroad. The world may be a very different place for future generations unless we believers face the challenge. I favor doing all we can politically, and I hope we do not surrender in the war on terror. Yet, we dare not ignore the spiritual dimension of both domestic concerns and foreign threats.

For a long time, I have thought that too much prayer is mundane—help the sick, find a job, deal with this or that problem. I wonder how many actually believe that God will hear them. I am sure God wants us to seek his help when we need it, but our privilege in prayer is so much greater. As important, I suspect some engage in spiritual practices seeking only to experience the supernatural; here again, I fear people seek something more for themselves than accepting the greater opportunity that prayer offers.

I wonder how much American Christians actually believe in prayer. Robinson tells amazing stories of Muslims coming to Christ. Sometimes, they have dreams or visions, just like in the Bible, things I’ve also heard missionaries tell. Our good life here easily robs us of a sense of the supernatural, of our own dependence on God, and of the vitality of prayer. We have our blessed lives, bank accounts, and retirement, though we’re seeing how easily our own government may take them from us. Robinson suggests, however, that miracles are happening in places where Christian missionaries may not go, and he credits God through the prayers of committed Christians seeking that very thing.

I had a student who amazed me with his simple, direct faith. He was an Afghani Muslim who had come to Christ in Russia. His Muslim father had told him, early in his life, that if he ever needed help to “pray to Jesus.” That was a remarkable thing for a Muslim father to tell his son, despite the fact that the Koran speaks favorable of “Isa” (as a prophet). My student took his father’s advice, but that was only the first of many “prayers to Isa.” He told me so many stories of dealing with life and its problems where he simply prayed to Jesus. I was to teach him English, but I gained so much more from him.

We Americans enjoy the privilege of freedom and democratic government, and I believe deeply in both. I believe more in God’s power, power we access through prayer. Political activism may turn things around in Washington, and our military may defeat the radical terrorists who cry “Death to America!” Yet God desires more from us than pleas to preserve our way of life in this world. Jesus said, “Make disciples of all nations,” including the many where Islam dominates. In Ephesians, Paul writes, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms… And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Such prayer is more than an opportunity; it is a divine obligation.

I have always had a cautious view of spiritual warfare, as some refer to it. In one sense, everything in a Christian’s life is a battle with the enemy; in another sense, it can be a way of avoiding the personal responsibilities that God has given us. To put it another way, “The devil made me do it” is an easy justification for sin; for many sinners, the devil has no need to trouble them, as they already are doing his work. Besides, the devil is not God; he is not all-knowing, all-powerful, or everywhere present. I wonder if evil spiritual influences are not more like the KGB, the former Soviet Union’s spy agency, working cleverly behind the scenes, especially in those areas more critical to the overall war.

Islam represents such an area. If you’re not familiar with this religion, I encourage you get Mosques and Miracles or Unveiling Islam: An Insider’s Look at Muslim Life and Beliefs by Ergun and Emir Caner. As the world’s newest and fastest growing major religion, it has shown itself to be both powerful and enduring, even to inciting militant aggression and terrorism through suicidal attacks. Many Muslims hate both Jews and Christians, partly from misunderstandings and partly from mistakes made by Christians. As a result, many countries prohibit missionaries and treat Christians as second class citizens, sometimes even physically harming them.

Yet prayer knows no boundaries, cannot be stopped by human borders, and will not be limited even by the devil’s power. Only our failure to use it restricts the possibilities. Robinson believes prayer is already making a huge difference, but I don’t believe the Church of Jesus Christ has yet to tap the depths of the enormous power available through prayer. I’m ashamed to admit my own failings in this area, but I urge you to make this area of prayer a priority. Pray for God’s hand to work in the big concerns in our world and in our nation. Look beyond your own comfort and future or even that of your children. Be the voice of God to change the world, to defeat the enemies of God and his people, and to win the world to His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

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Now, I’ve started reading The Diversity Culture: Creating Conversations of Faith with Buddhist Baristas, Agnostic Students, Aging Hipsters, Political Activists & Everyone in Between, by Matthew Raley. I was so impressed with what I read about the book that I wrote the author. Now, at a little over half-way, I see that his ideas mesh well with Robinson’s.  We must pray for the lost, and then we really need to make a thoughtful effort to reach them.  More later…

For a slogan to be trustworthy, it must be true. Political slogans are notable in their vacuousness, and this one is especially meaningless. Basic English grammar says that this sentence needs a direct object: “Yes, we can what?” Even adding another of the words from the same campaign, we know little more to say, “Yes, we can change things.” If I could, I’d change my bald head into a full head of hair, but I can’t do that. Despite ads to the contrary, so far, male pattern baldness can be covered but not undone.

The people of the United States have remarkable power to change many things politically, but it requires knowledge and a bit of effort. Trusting slick campaigns and glib politicians is not the way. Too many of us have accepted that approach, assuming we can trust our elected officials to take care of our country for us. People, who often wouldn’t trust their own mothers and fathers to manage their affairs (once they’re adults themselves), seem to imagine they can trust strangers with well-crafted celebrity-styled images. Our various representatives serve our interests and carry out our wishes only when we hold them accountable; we do that by voting them out of office for not doing what they promise. Frankly, Americans haven’t been doing that.  Blaming the “ins” for natural shifts in an economy no one controls is mere reaction, not accountability.  Blaming a President for the results of actions taken by Congress is ignorant, as many are.

The news has been especially troubling, of late. As a result, more and more people, including believers, seem to express doubt about the future. While the future is always uncertain, and given that the Lord makes no guarantees to us concerning this world, I find such hopelessness distressing. As believers, we are not powerless. We are intimately connected to the God of power, the One who created and sustains our very existence. As children of God and citizens of His kingdom, we can! We can make a difference, and I have written about that in some detail.

What can we do? I will mention a few things and invite you to add to my list. First of all, we can pray. We have great power in prayer because we pray to the God of all power. Prayer isn’t magic; it is not Aladdin’s lamp filled with wishes. Yes, we may come to God with our needs, problems, and wishes, and he may give what we seek. Often we don’t have because we don’t ask. At the same time, prayer is our line of communication, two-way street. We must listen, seek wisdom, ask for guidance, and respect Him who is, after all, our Sovereign Lord and Heavenly Father. As one song says, “It’s not about me!”

Second, we can love. Without love, we cannot. That’s a big deficiency in most politicians; they love no one but themselves. Their assertions of caring and compassion are a ruse, and not a very good one. Those who often make the loudest claims of caring are frequently those whose personal actions prove the lie. Paul states it plainly; without love, nothing, nada, zilch! A friend sent me a review of a book called Love or Die. Does that sound harsh? It is true, you know. Somehow, we manage to convince ourselves that the Great Commandment is, well, secondary, while we involve ourselves with what’s really important. We delude ourselves into thinking we’ve got it covered, even as we neglect love disgracefully (Isn’t that an interesting word? Fully not grace!) Without love, we cannot. With love we can.

All other sources of individual power—being an example, serving as a mentor, being an agents of change, evangelizing, connecting to our community, and influencing culture—all hinge on love. If we make them mere activities, we are no different from the multitudes of other activists. With love bathed in prayer, we can. Yes, we can! (I realized as I was writing that the idea of love as a key to effectiveness is worth further development. Stay tuned…)