Saddam has for many years committed gross human rights violations, making him a tyrant to his own people in Iraq, and in a real sense, the enemy of everyone who upholds human rights. How then must we act toward him and those who sympathize with him? Jesus clearly instructed us what to do in this kind of situation, saying, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

In making this statement Jesus Christ was not laying down a principle governing judicial or intergovernmental affairs. He was instructing us as believers in our personal capacity how to relate to those at enmity with us in the sphere of our interpersonal relations.

It is open to debate whether or not a pre-emptive war against Saddam is justified at this time. But it is beyond dispute that Christians are ambassadors for the Prince of Peace and, therefore, our character, conduct, conversation and heart cry to God should reflect the peaceful character of our Lord – Jehovah Shalom. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9)

Crying Out in Prayer

Many have prayed fervently that there would be a peaceful transformation in Iraq by God turning Hussein’s heart. If Saddam has hardened his heart, as it seems he has, let us pray that the hearts of other Iraqi leaders would be turned so as to minimize massive loss of life. God does not "delight in the death of the wicked", therefore, we should not be eager to see punishment fall on Saddam, much less on his fellow countrymen (Ezekiel 18:23). Let us pray that hundreds of thousands of Iraqi countrymen will not be needlessly killed in a war that is not essentially their fault. May God’s name not be discredited because of indiscriminant killing of Iraqi civilians by armies that Muslims believe are marching under the Christian banner.

The prophet Habakkuk¹ cried out to God, "In wrath, remember mercy". As we echo this prayer perhaps Christian generals and other American/British soldiers would exercise godly restraint, thus showing true concern for the welfare and peace of Iraqi civilians. We can be thankful as we hear reports that American authorities are acknowledging the need for restraint, e.g. they are saying they will not use daisy cutter bombs, which were responsible for killing many civilians in Afghanistan.

Conduct and Character

It is right that we should pray for peace in a far away place like Iraq but what about the reverberations this war is having in our own country? Surely there are ways we can reflect Christ’s peace in our own back yard – including how we relate with Muslims. Do we shun our Muslim neighbors or barely tolerate them while secretly feeling a bitter attitude against them?

For many years Muslims have been critical of the West, but now that war against Saddam is upon us, and, because many Muslims perceive the war on terror to be against Islam, their anger is growing. Last week I talked with two Muslims about whether they foresaw any possibilities for a peaceful outcome in the Middle East. Their reply was an emphatic "No". Then they launched into a tirade against America for being the 'bully' and for siding with Israel, etc. All Muslims are not as bitter as these two men, but there’s no doubt increasing numbers of Muslims do feel angry and critical against America. Furthermore, this feeling has become generalized, to some extent, against Christians because, we too, are perceived as being sympathetic to Israel. In this tense and increasingly polarized climate that we are living in, how can we live peaceable lives?

God tells us "as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18). Not a single stone should be left unturned as we try to do everything we can to live peaceably. For example, let’s not overlook small kindnesses, even greeting people, which is perhaps the simplest act of kindness. You might be surprised to learn that this topic is touched on in the lifestyle manual Jesus left as a guide for us. He taught his disciples to greet people who are outside our circle of familiarity saying, "And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?" (Matt. 5:47)

When we encounter a Muslim in the elevator or work next him on the job do we greet him/her with a smile or do we act aloof and seem withdrawn, perhaps because we are timid, bitter, apathetic or whatever? Doing a small act of kindness like this, is more meaningful than we might think, especially considering the 'unfriendly vibes' that many Muslims are accustomed to receiving. The tragedy of Muslims being stereotyped, mistreated or shunned happens all too often here in North America and in other western nations.

It is important to realize that a greeting does not just show a friendly disposition, it actually conveys the thought of peace, especially in Arab and Jewish culture. A greeting is not a mere formality or superficial token of respect, it implies wishing peace on someone; for example, 'Salaam alaikum' (or Shalom alekem) literally means 'peace be with you'. If we want to share the good news effectively, we need to befriend unbelievers as Jesus did in small ways, like greeting people. In the time of Christ, Samaritans were a particularly despised and stereotyped group of people but notice how Jesus showed a respectful and caring attitude to the woman of Samaria by engaging her in normal conversation (John 4).

We should not underestimate the longstanding inhibitions that have held back many Christians from befriending our modern day ‘Samaritan’ neighbors and sharing the good news with them. The inhibition against befriending Muslims was no small thing before 9/11, but with many Muslim extremists having been implicated in the war against terrorism and now with the war against Saddam, the barriers are much greater. (Indeed, the escalating conflict in Israel which seems endless has also added to the polarized climate.)

An elderly lady shared with me an experience that should encourage average Christians to overcome their fears and inhibitions. She related how she paid for an item at the cash register. She paused to thank the young Muslim man at the teller (his headpiece indicated he was a Muslim). She spoke to him with love in her eyes, "God bless you, I hope you have a good day." He looked at her with pleasant surprise in his voice, saying, "No one has ever said that to me before." She replied spontaneously, "God really does love you." Imagine if Christians by the hundreds, or even thousands were exhibiting this kind of respect and warm regard for Muslims!! They would realize that true followers of Jesus are not prejudiced or prone to stereotyping people, they love all people.

Conversation

The friendly attitude Jesus showed to the Samaritan woman in John 4 gave her a pleasant surprise and aroused her curiosity to want to know what made him different than normal Jewish people. Having asked her for a drink of water Jesus graciously bridged from the topic of immediate concern – well water - to living water i.e. eternal life. We might ask if, in our current situation there is a meaningful way we can bridge from the matter of immediate concern – i.e. seeking peace in Iraq - to talking about a time when worldwide peace will eventually prevail through the intervention of Messiah, the Prince of Peace? (Indeed, a line of discussion which can point the way to finding peace with God.) It is obvious that peace is a burning issue in our world today. If there was ever an opportune time for promoting the 'gospel of peace' by capitalizing on these concerns, it is now (ponder these passages: Ephesians 6:15; Romans 10:17; Isaiah 52:7).

Once we have established rapport with a Muslim through small acts of kindness, we will want to grow in our understanding of how to share a reason for our hope of peace. We will want to learn some of the similar beliefs between Muslims and us which can help us to connect with them and eventually share Christ in a positive way. You might be wondering if there are any points of common ground like the "water" in John chapter four, which can serve as a creative bridge to witness?

Muslims and non-Muslims alike are concerned about peace. In fact, many who view the events in the Middle East from the ‘outside’ are perplexed at seeing certain ironies in the conflict over the Holy Land. It is obvious that Israel is not peripheral to Hussein’s agenda as seen in how he has strategically positioned himself as a champion for the cause of the Palestinians by raising up a massive army called "The Jerusalem Army" (estimates of the size of this army start from 200,000 and ranging upward to several million). ‘Outsiders’ are intrigued to realize that both combatants in Israel, while believing in One God and His prophets, make exclusive claims to Jerusalem as their capital and to the temple mount as their holy site. On the other hand, both disputants believe that in the last days the Messiah will bring worldwide peace. These two religious groups with considerable common roots and similar beliefs are hopelessly entangled in a 50 year old conflict that seems to be irresolvable. The question arises; "Is this God that they both claim to believe in, a God of peace?"

This ironic hope of peace is not just based on dubious similarities or vague generalities taught in the Muslim and Jewish holy books it is grounded in specific parallels. For example, authoritative Muslim writings called the Ahadith echo clear Messianic prophecies. The 'Messianic-peace' is believed by both camps to be like lambs and wolves living together peacefully and children playing safely near snakes. Moreover, Isaiah's prophecy about lambs and wolves underscores the Spirit-filled qualities that characterize the Messiah and qualify him to be the perfect peacemaker -- the Prince of Peace. In this regard, the Qur'an, like the Bible, repeatedly affirms Jesus was strengthened and filled with the Holy Spirit. These insights are explored further in an article you can find on the internet. This springboard into positive discussion is developed further using other similar beliefs. The cumulative effect of these facts is to show that Jesus Christ is the unique peacemaker/mediator between man and God [Check out "Middle East Peril and Promise of Peace" and "Converging Destinies: Jerusalem, Peace and the Messiah"].

As Christians we are told to share a reason for the hope we have "with gentleness and respect". Paul empathetically "preached the gospel ... becoming like a Jew to reach the Jews" and also becoming like other groups to reach them for Christ. If we put ourselves in the shoes of a Muslim we will understand that many of them are wary about being handed a ‘tract’. It behooves us to show genuine care towards them and then, when we do share literature, we do it in a sensitive way. It is probably wiser to start by sharing the shorter of the two above-mentioned articles. It so happens that this article has been adapted from one that originally appeared in the Daily News. This should encourage you since you will probably feel more comfortable and natural sharing a newspaper article than giving a tract. After reading this article you will be confident, seeing how positive the approach is. We need to keep our focus positive as there are potential 'landmines' or 'rabbit trails' that can easily derail or side track us. Consider how Jesus side-stepped a similar land-mine issue in John 4:21. For many generations the location of the worship centre had been a topic of heated debate² between Samaritans and Jews.

You may want to obtain a new book that explores clues revealing the peacemaking work of Messiah, entitled, "Messiah: The Peacemaker" subtitled, "A discussion guide for use with the video Prince of Peace"³ [write to: starsign77@hotmail.com]. This video is the familiar Jesus movie based on Luke's gospel, with a slightly adapted introduction and a cover jacket subtitled, "Prince of Peace".

These clues seen in the movie, climax at the end of Christ's life with his crowning achievement of making peace between man and God. Ultimately, Messiah's peacemaking efforts will reach their goal, when peace pervades the world, under the direct rule of Christ, as foretold by Isaiah, "His ever expanding and peaceful government will have no end." (9:6; 11:6-9)

FOOTNOTES:

For more information write to starsign77@hotmail.com