Missing It

I live near the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. What a place! You can climb up Mt. LeConte and see for miles and miles…beautiful sculpted mountains, towering trees, wildlife as far as the eye can see. But to get the vision you have to ascend the mountain.


Most conversations I have about the Muslim world quickly descend into questions such as “do you think we should go into Afghanistan?” Or “will the military find Osama bin Laden?” And, like most, I could give you my opinion which is worth about what you’ll pay for it.

What if, we’re missing a vision…wandering in a misty lowland? What if?

The disciples were trapped. They had a whole assortment of preconceived notions about the Samaritans. Words such as “half-breeds, religious rejects, perverts” might have been echoing through the warehouses of their thought-life. “Lift up your eyes…” Jesus had a different perspective. His vision was elevated. He stood out and called out the disciples.

At various junctures throughout the history of Christian-Muslim interaction, Christians have had opportunity to demonstrate to the Muslim world what the Kingdom of God looks like. Personally, I don’t think we’ve done a very good job largely because our faith has often worn the garments of our national interests and assumed cultural supremacy. Despite that fact, today Muslims throughout the Muslim world are asking serious questions about their own faith. Many are seriously considering Christ for the first time. From what I have seen and what I can gather from others, there is a widespread attraction to Jesus in the Muslim world that is a unique occurrence in history. There are mass movements of Muslims turning to Christ in Bangladesh, the Philippines, Algeria and other unlikely places.

And you and I have a role to play even if we never go to those places. The church of Christ gives witness to her Lord through our attitudes and actions. What is echoing through the warehouses of our thought-life about the Muslim world? “They kill the innocent. They don’t even worship our God. They hate America.”

“Out of the treasure of the heart the mouth speaks.” Isn’t it time we lift up our eyes?

Here’s the burning question? Might it be that Christians in the West (North America and Western Europe) are overlooking one of our greatest opportunities in history? I am speaking of the opportunity to point the Muslim world in the direction of our Lord. Might we be so enmeshed in our national interests and cultural concerns that we can’t see what God is doing to bring thousands of Muslims to Himself? Are we missing it? And is our fear causing us to miss opportunities with Muslims in our cities and neighborhoods?

Fresh vision comes through elevating our vision. “Lift up your eyes…”