http://ethicsdaily.com/middle-east-christians-strength-through-powerlessness-cms-2222

[Crabtownboy]

We Christians are strongest when we are weakest.

Baptist leaders from all across Europe and the Middle East participated in these meetings. Several leaders from various Middle Eastern countries gave an update of their ministries.

The expectation was to hear about the terrible tragedies that are taking place in the Middle East. We heard some of that, which is no different from what we hear every day in our news media.

However, we also heard another side of the story, a story that is not told by the news media.

We heard a story of God at work in the middle of all the tragedies. A story about churches being transformed by the dreadful situation around them, moving from a survival-mode attitude to a community of God's people that has a loud and clear prophetic voice.

We learned about churches that are discovering how to be agents of hope in the middle of hopelessness around them and agents of reconciliation despite the violence surrounding them.

We listened to stories about people of different faiths and backgrounds encountering the gospel for the first time in their lives through the church communities that are caring for them holistically.

No one expected to hear stories from Syria and Baghdad about local churches that are taking the initiative of gathering their own limited resources and putting them at the disposal of displaced people that are in dire need of help.

Christians in our part of the world are rediscovering their role as they experience a deeper understanding of the gospel.

What we did not hear in the Middle Eastern presentations is that the churches are seeing themselves as victims.

- See more at: http://ethicsdaily.com/middle-east-...-powerlessness-cms-22222#sthash.gJrTQupY.dpuf

 

[gigabyte71]

Not really surprising. Americans are generally very self centered, and that shows in the churches here.