GlocalNet

From: “Eboo Patel”
Date: May 4, 2009 11:36:55 AM GMT-04:00
To: “Bob Roberts”
Subject: From Eboo

Bob
I wrote about your visit for my Washington Post blog
Hope you like it.

eboo

Eboo Patel
Founder and Executive Director
Interfaith Youth Core

One of the most profound experiences I think I’ve ever had in my life was praying with Muslims during their prayer time.  One of the imams had been praying in Christian churches and as he went to pray I asked if I could join them.  They were really excited.  The imam stood out front and faced the wall while the rest of us men lined up behind him.  I stood between Ghiath and Suhail.  I wasn’t standing straight so Suhail told me, “God doesn’t look upon a line that isn’t straight.”  So I got in line real tight.  They prayed in their tradition and I prayed in mine, but in their posture.  It was moving to me.  I could hear Ghiath and Suhail both whispering passionately in prayer.  There is a part of the Islamic praying that is reciting, but another part is what we would call “freestyle.”  My bum knee wouldn’t bend right so I couldn’t cross my legs like they did under themselves – later they told me just sit. 

When we finished I asked if I could pray for them in mine.  So we knelt and I laid hands on them and we prayed together in my way.  It was very very moving for all of us. 

It was funny, several ladies came up to me and said, “Do you feel better now?”  Others told me, “You should do this every day now.”  I told them I did pray, that wasn’t my first experience.  I made it clear I was a Christian but I believe that God hears all prayers. 

I was curious and wanted to experience praying with them.  I wanted to affirm the fact that I too pray to God and I believe God hears our prayers.  What I didn’t expect was the incredible affirmation it brought to them.  It’s like our relationship went to a whole different level instanteously. 

Did I sense God’s presence as I prayed?  Powerfully.
So, what did I pray? . . . . That’s between me and God!

You can’t speak of Muslim women in the Middle-East in a monolithic way.  There are just too many of them, too many cultures, too many traditions, etc.  But having spent a week in Syria at the Al-Andaluse Center for Islamic studies in Hama, Syria, which is a seminary for Muslim women, some very striking things are apparent.

First, these are all highly educated women.  Not everyone woman in Syria has been to college, just like in America, but many have.  The women at the seminary had not all been to college but the ones who were leading it had, for the most part.  There was no aversion to education or deep or rational thinking.  The lady next to Nikki is head of the institute – Dr. Rafaida Habash.  She writes papers on international issues, religion, and even poetry. 

Second, they are just as passionate in their worship of God as Christian women I’ve seen in America.  The young lady Nikki is talking to is Dr. Rafaida’s daughter Serene.  One morning she “recited” or what sounded like “singing” to Nikki and I parts of the Koran as we began our session that day.  It was incredibly moving to Nikki and I.  She was consumed by what she was doing and you couldn’t talk to her without recognizing her love for God.  It was utterly beautiful. 

Third, they are not all anti-American!  They may not always agree with our policies, but everyone we visited with expressed an interest in visiting the U.S. and having good relations with the U.S.  They would come up to us and begin talking immediately.  The young lady outside with Nikki is at an ancient church.  She’s Iranian and when she heard there was an English speaker she came up to Nikki and began talking with her and asking questions.  One thing I’m convinced of is that globally people deserve better leaders than what they’re getting.  This is true all over the world, U.S. included. 

Fourth, they are not recessive and hiding.  They share their opinions and lead out.  I have no doubt that the women I was with let their husbands know what they think and probably influence what their husband’s opinion’s …

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Jill, this is the little girl that cracks me up - she’s so sweet - sunglasses helps her worship!

This is “Zoom” - he’s one of the new exchange students from Hanoi - he turned 17 Sunday and we ate at a Mexican restaurant - he’s an awesome young man.  This year there are 9 from Hanoi - they’re all smart, sharp, promising, and we are glad they are with us!!!  He reminds Nikki and I a lot of Ti - he’s absolutely wonderfully crazy and funny!

Jill, here are some potential men who love God, are real Chineese but grew up in Malaysia - keep them on your potential possibilty list - don’t forget what I’ve always told you - marry Chineese - they are about to rule the world - and finish the Great Commission!

I LOVED Pepperdine University.  It’s not a university - it’s a resort!  It is on the cliffs of Malibu, California - wow - I’d never have made it there.  I’d be too busy hiking in the mountains or on the beach.  There was great response to my “talk” and afterwards I had a lot of college students come up talking to me about what they were looking at doing globally and how integrate their faith with it.  I also met some of the college kids who were involved in different global projects.  I really was blown away by the school and the student body.  Dr. Charles Hall is Dean of the international programs and he gets it.  He’s assembled a great team of people to drive his department.  We ate on the beach at some place called Dukes - we watched the dophins in the ocean and ate Mahi Mahi on our plate!  Thanks for a great time Charles. 

OK, I’ll write more serious blogs later - just catching up for now. 

Vince Antonucci and Forefront Church in Virginia Beach have begun working with Glocal Ventures, Inc. – NorthWood’s NGO in Vietnam – and are seeing changed lives.  Below, you’ll find a letter written to Dennis Jeffares, International Director for GVI from Dan Pollard of Forefront Church.

“We made it back safe and sound and are now trying to tell everyone about how awesome our trip was. I’m emailing to tell you how fantastic the GVI Hanoi staff is. From start to finish, they were nothing but awesome, friendly and just plain fun to be with. I LOVE being there and I’m missing the Ta Phin School and our friends there. What a year!
I know God has got some awesome things ahead for us, GVI, and those we serve. I want you to know that personally, I’ve been changed by this experience. There is a part of me still on that new slab of concrete in Ta Phin and I know I speak for the rest of my team when I tell you that because of GVI’s hard work, we were able to realize things that were only dreams a year ago. Thank you so much for your leadership and Bob’s vision. We look forward to a long partnership.
Sincerely,
Dan Pollard”

Anybody who would want to partner with us in Vietnam – you can contact Dennis Jeffares at http://www.northwoodchurch.org – you can find out what we do and how we work.  If you’re up for it, we can make a difference together.

For a couple of days this week I was in Manhattan at the Center for Foreign Relations where Richard Haas is President.  It was fun.  It was on religion and foreign policy.  I got to be with some friends and meet new friends.  Hopefully I’ll be able to fill you in on some of them in a few days and things I learned from them. 

Richard has been writing on the “Age of Nonpolarity.”  The article is in the May/June issue of the probably the best for affairs magazine around called “Foreign Affairs!”  Here’s the link.  The premise of which ”the world is not dominated by one or two or even several states but rather by dozens of actors possessing and exercising various kinds of power.  This represents a tectonic shift from the past.”

It fascinated me because it is how I see the world operating and how we do global engagement in the domains of society.  I’m in the editing process on my fourth book – and I literally draw diagrams to illustrate what Richard is talking about. 

So what will faith look like in this ever connected global world?  Go to the link, read the article and let’s translate it in to a “faith response.”  What about Richard’s conclusions?  Agree or disagree?

I’m kind of sleepy—just got off the plane from Kenya—at Heathrow for a couple of hours, then home to Texas.  I have to finish my fourth book in the next 30 days. Won’t be easy,  but I’ll get it done.  I’m excited about it.  I’m getting some really big boulders off my plate, getting into the new worship center, finishing the book, gathering a group of global leaders to network . . .  . At the same time, some things are warping up like never before. 

In some ways, this trip has changed the way I view some things that will impact what I write.  The challenge of all this will be bridging culture which translates into how people process, the pace they process, what they value, etc.  I’ve known Americans have a tendency to be ethnocentric of their culture, but so do other cultures as well. 

I think I’ve discovered the reason why church planting movements stay focused on a “tribe” or a “nation.”  It’s a lot easier to do your own thing in your own context, than to partner.  If you partner, your agenda has to die and it has to become “our” agenda.  THEN, once you agree on the agenda, even if you speak the same language, the words mean different things. THEN, you realize it’s not all about words but what’s not said, etc., etc., etc., etc. This stuff is complex—the mission is simple.  Not complex to do “my” thing, very complex to do “our” thing.   

In spite of all of that, I’m more convinced than ever the church will be global beyond merely existing in different tribes and nations. It will be connected. It must be connected.  Everyone talks about the “Unity” needed in the church.  Unity, for unity’s sake, will never happen.  Unity, because we should all be nice and love one another, will never happen.  Unity, because God has called us to a common mission and purpose, is the only way we will die to ourselves and come together. 

On another note, the Kenyan’s are pulling for Barak O’Bama. He was on the front page yesterday. 

On another note, just read The Post American World by Fareed Zacharia.  He spoke of how India is being influenced by China which promotes peace and stability that leads to development.  India’s last electoral campaign centered on that theme.  China …

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Last night we ate supper at Oscar Muriu’s home. It was a lot of fun. Omar spoke and did awesome. Later today we’re going to ride through a game reserve. Jack Sara from Palestine also spoke—what a powerful story. This is an utterly incredible conversation—a book could be written on it. One of the biggest ideas is the reality that the church is really not connected globally. Denominations and mission agencies are, but not the church. I’m sitting with the church—major leaders from all over the world and we believe this is the future. I wish young pastors were here. I MUST get them together with these guys. These are totally different conversations than the American Church and they are having conversations separate and apart from ours. We are the loosers. The problem is we don’t want to listen, and they don’t take us serious.

Sorry guys I haven’t been able to write. Web service is sporatic where I am and this is the first time in a few days I’ve been able to get on. I have had an incredible two days. I spoke at the Redeemed Gospel Church - they have 20,000 at their main campus and thousands of others at the other campuses. It was incredible. I spoke at the main campus and another location. It was very moving. The LONGEST worship I’ve ever been in in my life. It was good, and didn’t get old. The pastor has started 2,000 churches in Kenya—not bad! He’s a very happy man and is head of the Evangelical Union of Churches here in Kenya. We had a lot of fun. It’s a Pentecostal Church. Maybe I’m going soft as I get older but I liked it—didn’t seem that wild to me. Everything was appropriate and in order.

Today, I met with the guys here and we talked all day about what it would look like to work together. It was a blast. We had a lot of spirited debate and “ah-ha” moments. Tonight, we go to Pastor Oscar’s house.  Yesterday they launched a church and it had 1,000 in the first service—that’s where all the other pastors went. David Grubbs said he’s moving to Africa and joining that church. Of course, he said that a couple of months ago when we were in Korea. I love seeing a young guy’s eyes opened to the world.

Omar Reyes is just so stinkin’ smart. He had some incredible insights along the way that brought clarity. We were talking how we make a good team.

I’m more convinced than ever the church has to come together globally. It’s going to happen. I’m also convinced we are even more lost in the West than I have previously thought. We may be ready to engage the world, but they no longer want us engaging, and there’s some good reason to it. In the end, we all have to come together—it’s just going to be hard because the way we come together is going to be so radically different. As I sit and listen to these guys who plant tons of churches and have massive ministries, I’m amazed at how much they have to teach us. I’m not sure we’re ready to learn, yet. They don’t think we are—so smile …

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