In the Shadow of Our Steeples and Around the World

by David E. Mowen

“…the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God” (Lev 19:34).

“Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deut 10:19).

Ephesians 2:11-19, “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens (strangers) from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

Islamic terrorist attacks followed by western punitive retaliatory attacks are reminiscent of the crusades in the minds of Muslims and Christians alike. During the Crusades, “Christian” armies marched through Muslim countries warring to regain the land and rule for Christendom.

However, recently groups of Christians seeking better relations with Muslims followed the Crusade trail in a Reconciliation March apologizing to populations for the actions of the Crusaders, others are storming the same lands in Prayer Marches engaging in spiritual warfare to reclaim Muslims for Christ.  Still others argue these infidels ought to be annihilated for the atrocities of 9/11.  God however has a different plan in mind:

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven...” (Matthew 5:44, 45).

“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also” (Luke 6:27-29).

God wants us to love, bless, do good unto and pray for our enemies and according to the verses above we are to love them as we love ourselves. God wants us to wage peace not war, not man’s peace but the Gospel of Peace, from the Prince of Peace Himself, Jesus Christ.

“When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7).

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things” (Romans 10:15)!

“And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh" (Ephesians 2:17).

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15).

“And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:18).

Waging peace on Muslims means reaching them with the Gospel of Peace, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, not hating them. Not long after 9/11, one of the deacons in my home church asked me how I could be interested in reaching Muslims with the Gospel when they needed to be hunted down and killed for what they had done to America.

I wish I could say this fellow’s attitude represented an isolated case, but it doesn’t, similar views are held by many in a majority of our churches.  We forget God loves Muslims, too. We forget but for the grace of God, we could have been born in a Muslim country to Muslim parents.

Francis of Assisi understood this years ago, when the West waged a propaganda campaign recruiting soldiers for Christ in the war against the Islamic Bloc, Francis walked into the Egyptian battlefield to share Christ’s love and the Gospel of Peace to individual Muslims.  He entered the enemy camp and shared the Gospel with the Sultan himself.  He returned unscathed and so respected that a new path in Muslim-Christian relations was forged.  We need men, women, and churches today who, like Francis of Assisi, will shun attitudes, prejudice, hatred, revenge, hostility and suspicion, but determine before a holy God to render good for evil, love for hate, peace for war, who will turn the other cheek, breaking down the middle wall separating us and making of the twain one new flesh.

Waging peace on Muslims means reaching out to 1.4 billion Muslims who make up more than 1/5 of the world’s people, including the millions of Muslims living among us here in America.

God has been trying to get the church’s attention.  From the discovery of oil in the Arabian Gulf in 1969, to fifty Americans being held hostage in the American embassy in Iran, to the Iraq-Iran war in 1980, the U.S. Gulf war with Iraq in 1990, to embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, to the September 11^th attack on America in 2001, God has tried over and over to get our attention about this large bloc of humanity we have virtually ignored.

I fear what it might take for the church to wake up.  We are charged over and over in Scripture to go, to take the Gospel to every tribe, tongue and nation, to every people. Because we have not done our job, God is bringing those overlooked blocks of humanity, these Hidden People to us.

These Hidden People, hidden yet in view of the U.S. churches include Muslims, Hindus, Chinese and Tribal peoples.  The people representing these countries have become known as the 1040 Window countries or people groups.  Many of these hidden people live right here in our American cities, in the shadow of our church steeples yet out of the evangelistic efforts of our churches.  These are the Steeple Hidden People.

They come by the millions, they live in our cities, work alongside us in our jobs, behind medical desks, on our assembly lines, in restaurants, serving our needs in hotels, gas stations and retail stores, teaching in our schools and universities.  Close enough to touch, yet untouched by the Gospel; close enough to see, but out of sight of the local churches.

In the case of Muslims, many are living, working and studying here in America, they number more than eight million and that figure is growing exponentially every year. 

Never before in history has it been so possible

to reach Muslims with the Gospel:

Three Reasons

First They’re more accessible; God has brought them to us.

Second They’re more willing to listen; they are looking for answers because of change and transition in their world and worldview.

Third They’re more open to new ideas as they are growing disillusioned with Islam and its ability to meet their needs in this fast-paced and ever-changing world.

When Muslims have the opportunity to meet real Christians who demonstrate the reality of and their dependence on, a living, personal and powerful God, who answers prayer, who is an ever present help in time of need, who loves and cares for them, then they will be willing to risk isolation, persecution and even death to know our Lord Jesus Christ.  This will never happen if the church doesn’t take seriously her responsibility to demonstrate God’s love to them and reach them with the Gospel of our Lord.

What we need are some Francis of Assisi’s, some churches, some men and women who will boldly go into their own neighborhoods to rescue the perishing men and women of every tribe, tongue and nation.  We need churches, men and women who are determined, no matter the cost, to wage peace on Muslims, Hindus, Chinese, peoples of every tribe, tongue and nation both in their own Jerusalem, and to the uttermost parts of the earth until all shall hear!

Today more than 40,000 Muslims will go into a Christ-less eternity, not because they’ve rejected the Gospel, but because they haven’t heard the Gospel.

Will you accept the responsibility personally, individually or as a church to obey God and reach the hidden peoples He has placed in the shadow of your steeple?

Now is the Time!          If not you, who?          If not now, when?

David E. Mowen