An Invitation to the Middle East; Forgiveness that leads to Forgiveness

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

If you had asked me eight years ago what I thought was to be the hardest thing that faces a person in the Middle East who follows Christ, I would have listed out a whole litany of things. Persecution. Cultural Stigmas. Christian crusaders and their history. Lack of community. Lack of resources. Family pressure. Politics. ISIS. War. Martyrdom. And to be honest, these are real and legitimate difficulties for the modern-day Arabs who find themselves following the Risen King in a region where he is decidedly regarded as a prophet who is not God and did not die on a cross. However, one thing that has surprised me since learning to love and lead in the Muslim world, is that there is one difficulty that can be the greatest stumbling block of all; following a Jewish Messiah who has plans and purposes that He will see to completion for the apple of His eye, Israel. 

For many of us growing up in the Western world, we have learned to read the scriptures as they apply to us and (often with pure intentions) found ourselves in the middle of the story. And we are! Christ has found us and we Him. In an effort to make sense of scriptures, I spent years replacing Israel with my name and real places with my nation of choice. It was not until I entered a community centered around worship, prayer, and singing scripture every day that I was confronted about this from the Lord.  As I spent a year sitting, pacing, and often weeping in this humble little room, the Lord revealed many profound parts of scripture to me. One of these revelations was how small my perspective had been on His plans and purposes regarding end times and specifically that there was one place on earth that stood at the center of not only His words and teachings but also the place He has chosen to display His glory to the ends of the earth. After studying and seeking for years, now I truly believe that He has sovereignly chosen Israel to display His glory to the ends of the earth. Not because this geographical location or people are special in any way other than He simply chose them, and it is my joy to partner with His heart for the fullness of His Bride.

Now in all honesty, this lesson for me took time and energy, but it was a great delight and joy to discover. However, when this translates to our Arab brothers and sisters, this commences a fight and wrestle, if ever they are willing to face such a confrontation. Whether it be my Palestinian, Turkish, Iraqi, or Jordanian friends, there is one common denominator: Israel is despised and hated above all else and for legitimate reasons. There are years and years of pain and hurt and hostility that we in the West can really never understand until we have had our homes, families and national identities stripped from us. Now hear me when I say that the last thing I intend to do by writing this is to defend national narratives or talk about geopolitics. But one thing is clear: when there is every reason in the world for entire people groups and regions to turn their backs on a people whom God has made covenant with, there is without a doubt an invitation for forgiveness, healing, and for the power of the gospel to be put on display.

This one thing remains clear: this precious revelation I had in the place of prayer was not for me alone nor only for us who can extend our love easily. God is revealing His heart and passion to redeem His Jewish people for anyone who would seek Him wholeheartedly, even in such nations where to speak the name Israel is synonymous with cursing. I cannot overstate that this act of forgiveness and even extending love and prayer towards a formerly hostile people group is absolutely impossible apart from Him. What we have witnessed on the ground is that often before theology is introduced or resources are made available, it is the Father who reveals and turns the Christ-exalting Arab’s hearts toward their cousins. We have seen that the power of the gospel, Christ reconciling all things to Himself, does indeed include the healing of deep familial wounds, war-torn nations, and nationally agreed-upon hostility; all centering upon Christ’s covenantal love towards Israel. Often there is a cost amongst evangelical believers in the Middle East when they choose to face this shadow side and share the forgiveness they receive with their Jewish brother and sister. Pastors, churches, families, and friendships are at odds even within the Christian communities regarding this great divide, and the cost of forgiving and the even higher price of admitting love towards Israel is one that must be counted.

Now I ask, can you imagine a greater stage to be set for Christ to be exalted and the power of the gospel to be demonstrated amongst the nations of the world? A historically hostile and oppositional worldview to be crushed by faithful saints who stand in the gap and say, “we have been hurt and our pain is deep, but we forgive you with the love of Christ because we have been forgiven, we no longer identify ourselves as your enemies but rather as your brothers and sisters; One body in Christ and citizens of the New Jerusalem where King Jesus will sit enthroned and rule the nations with faithfulness and in righteousness.” When Corrie Ten Boom faced a former guard of her Holocaust camp years after she’d been released and he extended his hand in a request for forgiveness, she shared both the impossibility of forgiveness on her own strength and the necessity of extending it as a true believer. She explained, “I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You, [Jesus] supply the feeling.” Corrie thrust out her hand. “And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. “I forgive you, brother!” I cried. “With all my heart.” For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then. But even so, I realized it was not my love. I had tried, and did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The fruit of Corrie’s extension of forgiveness toward her former guard(s) has undeniably changed thousands of lives who let themselves out of the prison walls of withholding forgiveness. What will be the fruit of the descendants of Ishmael laying down their lives for their Jewish neighbors? May this powerful demonstration of love provoke jealousy towards salvation for the Jewish bride so that they would again cry out and ultimately fulfill Jesus’ words saying, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Will you pray with us for this reconciling to continue throughout the Middle East? We are asking that the Holy Spirit, in His unique ways, would carry on His work of bringing healing to release the freedom to forgive by experiencing Christ’s chain-breaking forgiveness for themselves. May it be that what we have seen as a great stumbling block instead be the great turning point for the world to see a Love exalted that displays what Jesus meant when He said “by this, the world will know that you are My disciples.”