The power of The Way, The Truth, The Life

I love our church.

All debate about high church versus low church aside, God is worshipped there and I believe the hearts of the men and women there are open to be challenged to the life of faith. That's a good place to be...and I love it.

Today we talked in our Bible Study about the recent comments by the Pope about Islam. Now, while the question of whether or not the Pope was out of line, or should apologize is not something I want to discuss (I think what he said was perfectly within the realm of acceptable statements from the leader of a division of the Christian faith...mainly, that where Islam differs from Christianity is not good, and that Islam is not Christian...which one might think goes without saying, but...whatever...).

What I DO want to discuss is something else. The leader of our group this Sunday brought a recording from a recent interview with an Iranian pastor in Canada, formerly a leader in Hezbollah. I think that his conversion story and opinion of the God he now serves is something all Christians should hear...I only wish I had a link to the audio or a transcript. If I can track one down, I'll share it. But here are my thoughts on what was said.

His testimony was amazing. While in prison, he led fellow muslims in worship. One day he said that he knew the presence of God had come to him, even literally tapped him on the shoulder...and that rather than destroying him, this presence told him the truth of the gospel, a book the young man had never previously read. He spoke through the tears in his voice as he remembered what it was like to know that God was near, to actually hear this presence tell him that what he sought was not Allah, but The Way, The Truth, The Life--an idea unthinkable in Islam, but central to Christianity.

Then the interviewer asked this pastor's opinions on what was happening in Israel between the Israelis and Hezbollah recently. The pastor summed up the long question asked of him by asking if the interviewer wanted to know what he thought it would take to end terrorism in the world. He answered...the love of Christ.

The love of Christ will end terrorism.

This is so contrary to our thinking, I could not help but be challenged:
Peace through strength!
But that's the role of the state. We're the church, and an opposing idea in the world today is currently ready and willing to kill to spread their beliefs and challenge ours. Do we fight back?

No. We don't...or, we shouldn't. I am not, of course, a pacifist. If God had not had other plans, I would currently be serving our nation in the military. But since its become clear that that is not the road for me to walk...I have had to wonder how I can effect a change in this world, how I can try to bring about peace. And this pastor, who sought God truly and found The Way, The Truth, The Life...this pastor sees clearly the answer I have been seeking.

The love of Christ can change the world. Not end sin, not banish poverty, not eliminate death...this world must end--paradise is for the next life, not this one. But I wonder if we really remember that? If we lived as if that were true, and lived as if we believed that for this life, showing as many people as possible the love of Christ were the greatest joy and priority...would this world continue as it is today?

I think we must believe it could not. So why aren't we living such a life?