I have been reading a book called Light Force: A Stirring Account of the Church Caught in the Middle East Crossfire by Brother Andrew and Al Janseen. This is an account of Brother Andrew’s time serving in the Middle East. The Lord has called him to strengthen the Church in the Middle East so that the light of Jesus Christ may shine brightly in the midst of great darkness. In 1986, Brother Andrew met with various Christian leaders in the Middle East. They convened in the basement of a Beirut office building to discuss a plan for peace in the Middle East and specifically the area of Lebanon.
The following is an excerpt from the book where Brother Andrew got up to speak to this small group of church leaders. Be encouraged as you read this and let the Lord challenge you to catch His vision.
“I would like to begin by making some observations about this unending conflict here in Lebanon. Many people expect solutions to come from the outside. They will not come. Many people wait for others to take the initiative. But we must take the initiative. Many others to whom I have already spoken express the desire for peace at any price. This is very dangerous and irresponsible and indicates that no one has yet seriously pursued a plan for peace.”
I spoke with passion, but inside I wasn’t at all sure this was going to work. The men in the room listened, but their faces revealed no emotion. Were they simply being polite? Did they believe they could do something practical about the conflict around them?
“I would like to address three questions,” I continued. “The first question is, What is our objective? The answer is simple: We want peace. We already know that. So we go on to the second question: What method do we choose? We must begin where we are. And as it happens, God has placed us here in Lebanon. The reason is because we see this conflict as a spiritual battle. All other definitions fail, and that’ why solutions are so elusive. So we who are here must proclaim peace. 1 Corinthians 1:21 says God ‘was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” This becomes a very personal thing, because God’s plan for a changing world is always to change people. No one can be part of the solution if he is still part of the problem.”
I then referred to three verses in Ephesians 2. First, Jesus is our peace; He has broken down the dividing wall of hostility. Second, He made peace by reconciling us to God through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. Third, Jesus came and preached peace. “There is something creative in the very act of proclaiming, because it expressed faith, and God honors faith. To those who say that this sounds too spiritual for such a practical problem, I ask, Have we ever given Jesus a chance? Is He or is He not God?”
As the men shifted in their chairs, I took a deep breath and continued. “This problem of peace breaks down into three parts. First, peace in our heart. God can never bring peace to the world through people who do not have peace in their own hearts. Second, peace in our own home. Through the sheer determination pledged by every individual member, we say, ‘We shall not fight!’ That means not fighting one another in the home, not fighting our neighbor, not fighting our friends, not fighting our colleagues, fellow students, or anyone. The very basis of our life and actions is the peace that God has given, and from that peace, we act. Our homes, therefore, become homes of peace. And the number of ‘homes of peace’ will determine how close Lebanon is to peace.
“Let me emphasize this point. We need to create a movement. Every ‘home of peace’ should be recognizable. That implies that this is a haven where everyone is welcome to find refuge. It could be done with a sticker or a symbol on the front door or whatever we have courage for. Every ‘home of peace’ could have some literature, which the Bible Society will produce, on the theme of peace, and Open Doors will finance that. The third part is peace in our community, in our churches, in our spheres of influence. It is said that they will know we are Christians by our love. This peace movement will demonstrate love everywhere we go.
“Finally, the third question, What are our resources? Our resources are people. That is, all those who say, ‘Enough is enough,’ all those who are discouraged, all those who expect God to do a miracle, all those who say there’s no human solution, no political solution, no military solution. All of these people, and that includes us in this room, are our resources.
“I conclusion, I say that this is simply one method to bring about peace in Lebanon. It has not been tried yet. We must give God a chance, and it’s open for all those who love Jesus Christ and who through that very fact alone have enough motivation to make sacrifices and to risk something in order to get peace. May God bless you as you prayerfully ponder this peace plan, and let me know what God is telling you.”
I sat down and waited. There was silence for a few moments. Then one pastor commented haltingly, “Brother Andrew, I would like to think that we can do something. The conditions, as you know, are horrible. But we are so few. Look at this room. There are twenty-five, maybe thirty of us.”
“That’s why I put resources last,” I said. “If we start with resources, we will make our goals too small. But if our vision is God’s heart, He can multiply our resources.”
The gospel is the only answer that can bring true peace. Peace is more than a political agenda. Eternity is at hand as we consider the issue of true peace. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.” True peace before God can only come through Jesus Christ.
NE Minneapolis is in need of this spiritual peace. It is a community in need of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). Will you be among those who say, “Our resources are small. We only have 25 people?” Or will you be among those who gaze upon the greatness of our God and say, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”
As Brother Andrew says, “If our vision is God’s heart, He can multiply our resources.” Let us seek after the Lord and let us pursue His heart for NE Minneapolis, trusting that He will multiply our resources.
Christ is All!
Frank
