Question: What do you think should be the Christian response to the hateful attack on Jesus followers in Egypt?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40960899/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa
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4 comments:
What a poignant question. I think our responsibility as those who follow Christ is to respond in the same manner we are to respond to everything: with overwhelming love! Love that is crazy! Love that forces a man to lay down his life for His friends. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners and we need to both accept that and reflect that.
Whether they know it or not, and whether we ackowledge it or not, Christ died for Muslims too. They are his children and God longs to bring them closer to Him just as He once longed for us.
this is tough for me. Like Joelle says, the clear answer is to LOVE. Following Christ's example, to me this is an obvious opportunity to, "turn the other cheek," but it's just not that easy. Turning the other cheek in this instance means possibly getting killed, not just clocked in the jaw, and I don't thing the Christian response should be to tell the Coptics, "Hey! I know there are some extremists who hate you and want you dead, and I know that you are treated like second-class citizens because of your beliefs, but...Suck it UP! Aren't you Christians? Didn't Jesus SAY this would happen?" I guess I'm saying I don't know what the "Christian" response should be...so I'll just give what MY response would be. There needs to be more than a recognition of 'unity' and inclusion. There needs to be real bridges built between the Muslim and Christian society. Bridges built on COMMON ground. We both believe in Jesus. We both believe many of the SAME THINGS about Jesus. What can we learn from EACH OTHER, not just what can they gain from us (or vice versa). Only then can healing begin and lasting friendships can be built. There is a group called Jesus in the Quran that seems to be doing some great work in that are. Check 'em out .
Great thoughts guys! Thanks for responding. There are obviously no easy answers. Here is a recent news article about some Muslims serving as "human shields" to protect their Christian neighbors from those who would seek to do them harm. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/3365.aspx
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." ~ 1 John 1:12
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.." ~ 1 John 3: 1-10.
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." ~ Gal. 3:26
Scripture is very clear when it comes to how we respond to those who persecute us; We love them. So then, how DO we love them? Simple: By sharing the truth of the Gospel w/them. Love doesn't compromise the truth in order to befriend the world.
While all are creations of God, only those who've been truly born again are children of God.
Regardless of how religious someone is, unless they believe in the same Jesus as Christianity presents, they are following a false God. Muslims fall into this category. I know this may offend some but scripture is very clear. They are lost and deceived. Christianity has no common ground for unity with Muslims when it comes to Jesus Christ and the Gospel.
The greatest act of love we can demonstrate is to share the truth of the Gospel with everyone, including Muslims. There is one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ alone.
~John 14:6
~ktf~
John
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