March - April 2010

Editorial Rick Wood, Editor

When I say the words "Islam" or "Muslim," what thoughts or images come to your mind? Do you think of bloody pictures of terrorist attacks from Israel or New York? Do you think of masked gunmen with AK-47s raised in the air and explosives strapped to their chests? Perhaps fear or anger rises in your heart. If so, you are not alone. download pdf of this story

"Do you mind if we blindfold you?" the Hezbollah fighter asked nonchalantly.

"If I have a choice, I'd prefer not, but I'm guessing it’s your call," I replied with a (nervous) smile. For some reason, they simply chose to make me change cars (all black Mercedes) several times on the way to meet with the #2 man in the Lebanese Shi'ite organization.

My two Lebanese Muslim friends and I waited in the hallway of the dark building for about five minutes before someone walked through the door and said "Follow me." We did, and found ourselves in a room adorned with yellow-and-black Hezbollah flags and big, soft armchairs. And we waited. download pdf of this story

A Unique Solution to Evil in the World Vincent J. Donovan

If we take seriously the words and life of the man from Galilee, we are driven to the conclusion that his was a unique solution to evil in the world, a different kind of solution altogether, an unacceptable solution by any political standards: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you." download pdf of this story

On Thursday, January 28 I joined others at the U.S. Center for World Mission in watching "Why Do You Fear Me?", a 90-minute “live Web event” reportedly witnessed by Muslims and Christians in 57 countries. Co-hosted by former South Carolina Governor David Beasley, noted author Ted Dekker, and author and roving peacemaker Carl Medearis, "Why Do You Fear Me?" was partially a promotion for Dekker’s and Medearis’ new book, Tea With Hezbollah, but primarily a platform from which the three co-hosts could answer audience questions and promote their appeal for greater empathy and mutual understanding between Muslims and Christians. download pdf of this story

So, what is it like to love an enemy? What are our so-called enemies really like, one on one? What are their favorite movies? When was the last time they cried? What is their favorite joke? If we could only take People magazine-like snapshots of the very people who make many in the United States cringe. And what do our "enemies," being deeply religious people, think of this great teaching to love your neighbor, even if that neighbor is your enemy? It’s no secret that Muslims believe that even though Muhammad is the last prophet, Jesus is also greatly revered, having lived a perfect life, and destined to return one day and claim his own. What do they think of the parable of the Good Samaritan? Do they follow its lesson as poorly as most American Christians? download pdf of this story

...It has been an experience of utter faith and abandon to God’s will in the deepest crevices of our souls, or a walking in our own pitiful strength. In the end, though, it was an experience of jubilant praises and quiet awe, of "praise the Lord" shouts and sighs of deep gratitude and imperative silence before the Almighty. As Jude walked with Muslims, he tried to place his feet in the footprints of God that he not fall out of sync, and dared not to leap away as the momentum grew. download pdf of this story

Recently I heard a comedian suggest that “brown is the new black”, that brown people (aka those of Middle Eastern/Asian descent) now receive the abuse, discrimination and suspicion that black people faced in the past. While he was speaking largely of the North American experience, I wonder if in a more global setting it is true that Muslims are the new Nazis. In some circles is the word “Muslim” held with the same contempt as the word "Nazi" was 65 years ago? download pdf of this story

Today, there are over 4,000 known evangelical mission agencies sending out 250,000 missionaries from over 200 countries. This is up from 1,800 known mission agencies and 70,000 missionaries in 1980. It is remarkable progress, and a powerful demonstration of global vitality and vision in the evangelical movement. download pdf of this story

The first sound you heard in the cave-black, cavernous St. Louis dome was the clicking of a tap shoe on the stage. The beat quickened, as did the percussion. A spotlight silhouetted a slim dancer pacing the floor, wandering, jumping. Soon he was joined by other dancers, also walking, pacing, leaping. The narrator's voice shattered the silence with John’s story of Jesus lonely descent to dwell among us. We watched Jesus’ journey danced for the next 18 minutes. We paused. Then 18,000 voices broke into the Doxology, led first by a soloist, and then joined by the worship band and vocal ensemble. We had been ushered into the presence of the Lord of the Universe! download pdf of this story

The algorithm required to answer the question: "Can you recommend a text for me to Teach English as a Second/Foreign language?" is normally complex. I calculate location, native language, course objectives, and teacher experience; I sift through the existing texts; and then I have to explain why no text is adequate to accomplish the task. That calculation just got much easier, thanks to the introduction of the New Bridges curriculum. Written by Nancy Cheek and Kathryn Herbert, New Bridges showcases the best of interactive teaching methodology in a relevant topical format without sacrificing the grammatical and linguistic foundations that students need to become confident and competent interlocutors. download pdf of this story

It was my first trip to Ethiopia. My pastor, Dr. Charles Blair, had preceded me on three previous visits doing leadership training with the 17 denominations of the Evangelical Church Fellowship of Ethiopia (ECFE). On his third visit, the Ethiopian leaders told Pastor Blair that he could bring other teachers to Ethiopia. Pastor Blair had worked with me on our AIMS project for the former Soviet Union right after the Berlin Wall came down. In this vast project, we trained national leaders in church planting who were experiencing newfound freedom in unevangelized areas, including work among unreached Muslim and Buddhist peoples. The results and miracles in the former Soviet Union were tremendous! We made a video of this project, and Pastor Blair took it with him to Ethiopia to show the EFCE leaders. They were inspired and said, "We need this training and impact here." We were eager to respond. download pdf of this story

Joshua Project (www.joshuaproject.net) is a research initiative of the U.S. Center for World Mission, seeking to highlight the ethnic people groups of the world with the fewest followers of Christ. In an eff ort to continue to focus on the unfinished task and highlight the unreached, Joshua Project has revised its progress scale. For simplicity and clarity, we have moved from a four-color to a three-color scale. download pdf of this story

Medical people have a basic guideline for the treatment of patients: “Do no harm.” I have often thought about that when dealing with cross-cultural situations. I know by experience that it is easy to do harm, especially when living and working in a cultural situation very different from one’s own. It is embarrassing to think back over some of the mistakes I made simply because I did not know that the “side effects” of my desire to help might be negative. download pdf of this story

The rescue and reconstruction of Haiti weigh heavily on many minds and hearts. Much could be said about this small nation, including the difficulties of meaningfully helping a country where the rule of law is questionable and where only a few people control the flow of money. download pdf of this story