“Sarah
saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with
her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her
son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son
Isaac.” The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son . . .
. .The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What
troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice Ishmael where
he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a
great nation of him” . . . . .God was with Ishmael, and he grew up; he lived
in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow.”
Genesis 21:9-20
Genesis 21:9-20
“This
is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s
slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the
sons of Ishmael . . . . His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,
near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in
hostility toward all the tribes related to them.” Genesis 25:12-18
Both
Christians and Muslims trace their heritage back to Abraham, a pagan to whom the
One God “spoke” about 4,000 years ago.
However God “spoke”, be it through thoughts, dreams, or words that
felt audible to him, Abraham heard that God would create of his descendants an
extended family whose purpose was to bless the world (Genesis 12:3).
But
it just wasn’t happening. He
and Sarah couldn’t have children! So
Abraham and his maid hooked up, had a son, Ishmael.
Then, as happens so often, a biological son of Abraham and Sarah is born,
Isaac. Although the promises
to Abraham were passed on through Isaac (the second born which undercut
conventional ancient near east heritage), God also love Ishmael.
Yet the breach in relationship was never healed (Gen 25:18).
Muslims
trace their heritage back to Abraham through Ishmael.
Christians trace their heritage back to Abraham through Isaac.
Is this an irreconcilable breach of relationship?
What can we learn? Some
thoughts follow.
1. What if both Christians and Muslims unified around Genesis 12:3 (God blessed
Abraham and his descendent to be a blessing to the world) which would unite us all
in seeking to bless the world?
2. What if Christians viewed Muslims through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ? This would mean viewing all of our Muslim cousins as men and women
who are just as forgiven for their sins as we are. That forgiveness happened as an
event in history on the cross 2,000 years ago and it was efficacious for the whole
world. In one fell swoop, everyone, everywhere forgiven! Of course this doesn’t
mean that everyone accepts God’s forgiveness in Christ, but as a starting point
what if we Christians viewed all Muslims first and foremost as forgiven and loved by
God, just as God loved Hagar and Ishmael?
3. What if we Christians were to recognize that most human beings react to being
pushed around by pushing back? Ishmael’s descendants pushed back against the
descendants of Isaac, Esau and his descendants pushed back against the
descendants of Jacob, the Canaanites pushed back against the Israelite
occupation of what we now call Palestine. The Palestinians of today push back
against Israel‘s reestablishment as nation, as do all those who consider themselves
descendants of Ishmael. What if we chose some other route than just pushing
back, which always results in push back? Might Jesus have given us a way
forward that brings different results?
4. What if we Christians were to learn the lesson that Cain didn’t learn when God
spoke to Cain’s jealously with these words
1. What if both Christians and Muslims unified around Genesis 12:3 (God blessed
Abraham and his descendent to be a blessing to the world) which would unite us all
in seeking to bless the world?
2. What if Christians viewed Muslims through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ? This would mean viewing all of our Muslim cousins as men and women
who are just as forgiven for their sins as we are. That forgiveness happened as an
event in history on the cross 2,000 years ago and it was efficacious for the whole
world. In one fell swoop, everyone, everywhere forgiven! Of course this doesn’t
mean that everyone accepts God’s forgiveness in Christ, but as a starting point
what if we Christians viewed all Muslims first and foremost as forgiven and loved by
God, just as God loved Hagar and Ishmael?
3. What if we Christians were to recognize that most human beings react to being
pushed around by pushing back? Ishmael’s descendants pushed back against the
descendants of Isaac, Esau and his descendants pushed back against the
descendants of Jacob, the Canaanites pushed back against the Israelite
occupation of what we now call Palestine. The Palestinians of today push back
against Israel‘s reestablishment as nation, as do all those who consider themselves
descendants of Ishmael. What if we chose some other route than just pushing
back, which always results in push back? Might Jesus have given us a way
forward that brings different results?
4. What if we Christians were to learn the lesson that Cain didn’t learn when God
spoke to Cain’s jealously with these words
“sin
is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
Genesis 4:7 (NIV2011).
What if we Christians looked at our own sins of jealously and injustice and
instead
of judging the Muslim “thems” we put ourselves in their shoes, and instead of
judging and pushing back against them, we risked loving and blessing them just as
God told Abraham’s descendants to do? What if Christians were unflaggingly
of judging the Muslim “thems” we put ourselves in their shoes, and instead of
judging and pushing back against them, we risked loving and blessing them just as
God told Abraham’s descendants to do? What if Christians were unflaggingly
determined to be ministers of reconciliation
rather than by default aligning our
thinking with the God and Country thinking which all too easily views Islam as a
force first to be defeated?
5. What if you or I had been born in Iran as Shiite Muslims and we were raised
praying to Allah in a Mosque with signs on the wall reading “death to Israel”, “death
to America”. What if you or I were just regular Muslims doing our best to follow the five pillars of Islam and be faithful to God as he has been revealed to us. How
would we want Christians to view us? How would we want Christians to engage
us? What approach would be most effective? Would it help me to have Christians
insult my prophet or argue that my faith is wrong and hateful? How would you feel
if Christians avoided you, viewed you with suspicion and in their pulpits proclaimed
that the prophet I honor proclaims words straight from the pit of hell? Perhaps this
perspective will help as you speak about Islam to others.
6. It seems to me that of all religions, Christianity is the one which is most in touch
thinking with the God and Country thinking which all too easily views Islam as a
force first to be defeated?
5. What if you or I had been born in Iran as Shiite Muslims and we were raised
praying to Allah in a Mosque with signs on the wall reading “death to Israel”, “death
to America”. What if you or I were just regular Muslims doing our best to follow the five pillars of Islam and be faithful to God as he has been revealed to us. How
would we want Christians to view us? How would we want Christians to engage
us? What approach would be most effective? Would it help me to have Christians
insult my prophet or argue that my faith is wrong and hateful? How would you feel
if Christians avoided you, viewed you with suspicion and in their pulpits proclaimed
that the prophet I honor proclaims words straight from the pit of hell? Perhaps this
perspective will help as you speak about Islam to others.
6. It seems to me that of all religions, Christianity is the one which is most in touch
with reality. It
acknowledges evil, it knows that evil must be defeated and it
recognizes that pain, suffering, death and blood
are required to defeat it. And
that’s exactly how God defeated it, with his own pain, his own suffering, his own
death and his own blood.
7. The fundamental truth upon which Christian realism stands is the resurrection of
Jesus Christ and the ultimate restoration and renewal of all things. Nothing,
nothing anywhere or anytime can prevent this outcome
8. Numbers 5 and 6 above give every Christian his path forward in “approaching
Ishmael”. Christians will want to influence their world with this path leading the
way.
9. What would happen if a Christian “we”, whatever form that may take, even as it
absorbs some awful blows from what some have called the “rage of Ishmael”,
were to turn the other cheek, forgive those who have sinned against us, were
return good for evil, and simply blessed those who consider us their enemies.
Actually churches all around the world and its mission agencies are doing
just that. What might that look like for you and for me who reside in suburbs of
New London?
10. My first reaction like so many Christians is to fight for my tribe’s survival over
against the tribe which is trying to devour me. It’s so easy to say, “defeat radical
Islam and wipe them out”. It seems to me that’s more like Darwinism than like
Christianity.
11. A good question to ask is “What actually works?” Does push back ever
accomplish anything except the temporary preservation of myself and my tribe,
and that only for a time until someone else wins the battle of King of the Hill?
12. I do think GK Chesterton’s observation about what really works (see #6 and 7
above) is pertinent. “The Christian ideal has not be tried and found wanting. It
has been found difficult and therefore untried”
death and his own blood.
7. The fundamental truth upon which Christian realism stands is the resurrection of
Jesus Christ and the ultimate restoration and renewal of all things. Nothing,
nothing anywhere or anytime can prevent this outcome
8. Numbers 5 and 6 above give every Christian his path forward in “approaching
Ishmael”. Christians will want to influence their world with this path leading the
way.
9. What would happen if a Christian “we”, whatever form that may take, even as it
absorbs some awful blows from what some have called the “rage of Ishmael”,
were to turn the other cheek, forgive those who have sinned against us, were
return good for evil, and simply blessed those who consider us their enemies.
Actually churches all around the world and its mission agencies are doing
just that. What might that look like for you and for me who reside in suburbs of
New London?
10. My first reaction like so many Christians is to fight for my tribe’s survival over
against the tribe which is trying to devour me. It’s so easy to say, “defeat radical
Islam and wipe them out”. It seems to me that’s more like Darwinism than like
Christianity.
11. A good question to ask is “What actually works?” Does push back ever
accomplish anything except the temporary preservation of myself and my tribe,
and that only for a time until someone else wins the battle of King of the Hill?
12. I do think GK Chesterton’s observation about what really works (see #6 and 7
above) is pertinent. “The Christian ideal has not be tried and found wanting. It
has been found difficult and therefore untried”
What
do you think?
For
more:
follow on Twitter @jefflampl
What I think is that our job is not to love people into a life and eternity of hell. We are to pray for our Muslim cousins ,as you call them, so that God would remove the veil from their eyes so they can see the truth and pray God would thru the power of the holy spirit, bring them into a relationship with his son, Jesus Christ. To assume all are saved because Jesus Christ died for the world is a false teaching and negates his word, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Our role as a christian is to pray for Muslims that they come to know the truth of his son.
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