God's heart, my heart

Couple more quesions:

What have you learned about God’s heart for the nations?

I believe that God has a lot of love and compassion for the nations. If I can say this - I had the overwhelming feeling that He was fully present there, in the middle of all the heated action, caring for those who were suffering and for those who were putting their lives on the line for Christ, but . . . not so much present back here in Red Deer. It’s like, where’s the action here? It’s boring. No bullets. No Bedouins. No deaths. So God doesn’t come by as often, but rather, He spends most of his time overseas where His people take bullets for him and people are in high physical and spiritual need. He has big dreams for those nations but for Canada? I doubt it. We don’t need anything.

Okay, that was a load of ….. I said all that with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek.

So really, here is what I have come to think.

I have become convinced that this same God that loves and engages fully with the nations abroad loves and engages the people of Canada and yes, that means here in Central Alberta too. Our broken world here in Red Deer hides the ugly stuff underground and the less-ugly stuff is just woven into our culture and made acceptable to the mass while it all still continues to break the heart of God. Our world here is in desperate need of a God of action. A God of love and compassion pouring Himself out of our nation through His people.

So I believe that If you and I would ask God for a greater understanding and likeness of His heart for our nation, then we would begin to see just how much action and suspense exists in our own back yard through our lives being spent for God, taking bullets (figuratively) for Jesus here in Central Alberta.

So while I saw His heart for the nations, I have a renewed sense of His heart for our nation and our people.

It’s time to join Him in the action already underway.

Was there anything that broke your heart during this trip?

You mean besides no Tim Horton’s?

I would say that I felt as though there was a blanket of spiritual darkness across the whole land. Everyone seems caught up in their own sense of justice, their own political soap box and religiosity. On the first day Matthieu and I went to find takeout lunch for everyone on the team and we were refused service because we were Christian and not Muslim. I got the impression that no one trusts anyone else. Suspicions run wild. The political corruption is rampant.

I met a fellow one day in a store that was very friendly, kind and helpful. We chatted for some time. He said Lebanese are like the fingers on your hand. In Canada we use the term “two faced” to describe a person that is not very authentic. This man described the people of Lebanon as a hand with 5 fingers. Every finger has a different size and shape. Not two faced but multi-faced. You never know what you have in front of you when you chat with someone. You are being categorized and the interaction calculated based on the assumptions made. (I speak in general terms. We met some really beauitiful people as well that are quite authentic.)

This created great sadness for me. Authenticity takes a back seat to respect. And to gain or maintain respect you put on the appropriate face or choose the right talk you need for the occasion.

jp

From one child to another - love and compassion

Before I left for Lebanon I had a young girl from our church ask if she could send some of her clothes to Lebanon for someone that could use them since she had out grown them. I said sure, I’ll take them and see what I could do.

On the last Friday we spent in the Bedouin village I asked Siham and the wife of our host if they knew of anyone in the village that would need these clothes, some sunglasses, an English bible, and a stuffed toy dog. It was easy for them to come up with family in need.

This family is without a father. He has been out of the picture for a little over a year. A single mom with 10 children of which there was more than one set of twins. Siham and our hostess brought two little girls from this family into the compound and into a room where I could visit with them a bit. I could see in their eyes and by their actions they were both shy and yet curious. No smiles. They were wearing some clothes that looked a little grubby. Siham later told me that their mom had dressed them in their best clothes before she sent them over to the compound.

We began to see what might fit each of the girls, one a little older than the other. It wasn’t until they received an article of clothing in their hands did we begin to see some smiles. A couple of articles were a little too small and our hostess told us that they had a little sister that could use the clothes that were too small. Then we gave the youngest one the toy dog and the sunglasses. She beamed from ear to ear. Neither of them spoke a word through this whole time. Siham spoke to them and asked them to share the dog and the glasses with each other. They were happy to do so.

We added to their gifts some pencil crayons for the older one, wax crayons for the younger, candy, scissors and glue and some paper for coloring.

I spoke to Matthieu later about this exchange and he filled me in on a little more about the family. A little over a year ago the father had become a new believer. Just two days after asking and receiving a bible from Matthieu he was shot to his death on is way in to town. Many here lose their lives here after confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Now our host, chief of this Bedouin tribe takes care of this family as best he can with the limited resources he has.

So from around the world a young girl at CrossRoads understood all on her own what it means to give life to another person in a foreign country. She has impacted three little girls, showing the love and compassion of Jesus in a very practical way. I’m sure there is also one more mother in Lebanon now that has received some encouragement and hope as she sees a little joy being inserted in the lives of her children.

jp

Wedding Feast Joy

The day is done. I won’t get this up to my blog for another day because Kathleen and I have relocated to one of the Bridges of Love Team’s home near the Bedouin camp. Up to this time we have been traveling back and forth each night from Beirut. It takes about an hour and 20 minutes to cover 50km. Back and forth, up and down, start and stop, HONK! HONK!, no traffic lights, no lanes, many check points, . . . and about 4 million other vehicles in similar motion.

So the day after the day doing loops between the bed and the bathroom went okay. I woke up feeling feverish but at least the stomach had settled down and I was good to go for the day. I remember distinctly waking up to a deep yearning for a piece of toast with some butter. Not a toaster or loaf in sight. Every piece of bread here has a weird shape and it would be sin to attempt to toast any of it, I’m sure. I never accomplished much today for the team but I was vertical and walking. Jordan dehan!

I had many people praying for me and I was so grateful. I’m writing this at the end of the day and I don’t think I have any symptoms right now. Wow! Thank you Lord!

I’ve been thinking a lot about what we are doing here and wonder about our North American ideas of compassion. Do we have compassion that’s birthed out of pity on those who have far less than us? Or is our compassion of another form? One that sees suffering in a fellow human and we choose to serve that person out of respect? Respect or pity?

I think our general way is pity until you come face to face with that other human being that is suffering in some way (in our limited perception of suffering, these people would not see themselves as suffering) and you come to know them, their hopes and dreams, and in that encounter you begin to see that they are far greater than you. They are far more adjusted to the circumstances of life around them that you ever would be. They have far more faith for their daily needs than you have, and they have far more love and compassion to give away than you have. You come to have a great deal of respect for them and out of that sense their greatness.

I think Philippians 2:1-5 corrects all our thinking on this matter. It states that as we come into a full realization of the unity that we have been given in Christ, and having experienced the comfort of His love, and have come to deeply know His tenderness and compassion, that we are compelled, not by duty but by a deep seated desire to do likewise to absolutely every person we encounter. (Freely we have received, freely give.) Value every person you encounter as greater than yourself. Out of this view comes the love and respect that is due these people we meet here in Lebanon. It’s out of this view that I can love my neighbour or that person in my life that causes me grief, etc. You name yours. I’ll name mine.

The day has passed and I’m left thinking that these wonderful people, the Bedouins, will be among the greatest in heaven. As they come to love Jesus like I have, they have more courage, more faith and more passion for the things of Jesus than I could ever hope to have. It will be an honour for me to meet them at the wedding table where I hope to have the privilege of serving them as they sit close to where our Saviour is seated.

jp