GlocalNet

Last night my cell phone rang, it was a pastor I’ve known for a few years calling me from Cairo, Egypt.  I asked him how he was and how things were.  He said it’s very tense and serious but that he was safe and his congregation was well.  I asked him, in light of the murders at the church in Alexandria, are Christians there being singled out.  He told me just the opposite.  He said there are extremist that would take this situation and use it to their advantage - but all Egyptians, Christian and Muslim alike, have the same concerns and want freedom in their country.  Those extremist and terrorist who would take advantage of the situation should watch carefully what their fate will be by the masses if they should gain power for their own agenda. 

The social media, as in Iran, and in Tunisia, have played a powerful role.  There is no way you can be connected and keep people in the dark.  It’s amazing how governments try to block internet signals from coming into their nation from other parts of the world.  The state is not the parent - and the state does not exist for the leader - but the leader for the people and the state for the people.  People will find ways around it, and those leaders who oppress and use their people will pay a price.

Demonstrations in support of the Egyptian people are taking place all around the world.  Even here in DFW where I live there were at least two in the past two days representing perhaps 1,000 people.  Soooo, how do we respond?

1.  Pray for Egypt.  We’ve been instructed to pray for leaders in governments - regardless if they are Christian or not.  God used Pharaoh for his purposes and David for his purposes.  I once read a scholar that said wicked rulers are a result of wicked people - not the other way around.  Pray for the leadership, pray for people - and yes - pray for the Christians.  There are those that single them out to persecute them there - but the majority of Muslims there support and protect the Christians.  Demonstrations all over the middle-east were held in support of middle-eastern Christians - we should pray and support them every way possible as well.  The problem is there are just so many extremist. 

2.  Model here what we want there.  I had one of NorthWood’s elders send me an article that showed how the Muslim population is growing in the U.S. and he expressed that he was glad to be a part of a church that wasn’t ignoring it.  Freedom of religion is for all - not just my religion.  That is what the world, not just America, must be about.  I believe things are shifting in that direction, it’s slow, but it’s beginning to happen.  No faith can survive by popular vote or adherence through force. 

3.  Develop friendships.  From our Global Faith Forum several pastors have reached out to rabbis and imams and people of other faiths and I’m hearing some incredible stories.  I had my birthday a couple of days ago, my dad called to tell me Happy BD but gave me the greatest present ever by telling me a story.  My parents worry about me sometimes, some of the wild places I go, etc.  My Dad had been in another country doing some work - he’s an evangelist - and a man about his age kept popping up various places he was.  They began to talk.  My Dad said, “Son, he was the sweetest little man, and has businesses all over the world.  And you know what Bobby, he was a Muslim, - son he wasn’t one of those extremist - he was really a good guy - I liked him.  I want to hook you up with him because I don’t want to mess things up - this guy is really good.”  I told my Dad, you can’t mess it up - just be his friend.  Friendship is where everything starts.  It’s easy to vilify and hate if you don’t know someone from the other tribe!  Most are not extremists - that’s just all we see in the news. 

4.  Be GLOCAL.  Everything is everywhere whether you get it or live that way or not - you are.  I still listen to the way people sometimes talk in America - especially believers - and they live as if it’s us against them.  They think they can isolate themselves.  You simply can’t.  We are no longer the only ones needing oil - the Chinese and Indians are coming on strong.  I have a young friend whom I spoke at a conference for a couple of years back and he has really stuck with me and his ideas.  The Conference was called 1-21: Doing 1st century church in the 21st century.  I thought to myself we are really 1-18 - we are doing 1st century church in an 18th century mindset.  The Gospel is just as powerful today as ever, but we have to plant it in each soil, each century, each culture, unique to it’s context - now more than ever before, this will be a nightmare for those who long for the “good ole days” or the greatest opportunity for the Gospel since the first century - I vote for the latter!