When I dropped my exhausted frame onto my bed in my room in Yogyakarta, Jakarta, I saw this small green conspicuous pointer. Exhausted from 35 hours of travel my focus faded as I fell into a fitful sleep. Six hours later and beginning to wake slowly, I dreamed that someone was crying pitifully somewhere near me. My head begin to clear, as I lay there and woke. Remembering where I was, I rolled over, onto my back, and focused on that small green pointer on my ceiling, as I heard for the first time, in many years, the Muslim call to prayer. I realized, as my head and my eyes cleared, that the devoted prayer leader was what my mind was processing, as the sad pitiful cry. These small green arrows can be seen in all rooms of any hotel throughout Indonesia. Small arrows can be seen in office buildings, public buildings, bus stations, train stations, and airports...just to name a few. I googled the word KIBLAT, written on the arrow. I welcome you to also. When I googled the word, I found that this well placed arrow is pointing a follower of Mohamed toward Mecca. It is placed strategically so that they know which direction the devout Muslim should pray. Just Googling the one word, on that small green arrow, brought up more info than I had time to follow. I found many diagrams explaining the angle to pray, the way the prayer rug should be placed, the stance or submissive bowing...how and where. Crucial info was explained to a possible convert or to the battle wary follower of Mohamed. An interested seeker would find the instructions seeker friendly. The convinced, long time follower, would see it as a source of pride, because all those who did not know Mohamed would and could be pointed toward the most holy place in the world for the devout Muslim. All these things were explained without a word being spoken. I got it, through drawings. I did not have to process long before it occurred to me that we, Christ Followers, could learn a lesson from the very people that we think are a bit bothersome at best, and to be avoided at worst. In my own country, we used to have the equivalent of the annoying arrows. We had many billboards up that would point us to Christ, a church, a Christian based event. When is the last time that one could see a bold bill board making claims that Christ is the only way? No, we cant say that in many places anymore because the one who does could be labeled as backward or close minded. When is the last time you saw praying hands displayed in a restaurant, public building, school, courthouse? When is the last time something publicly pointed anyone to Christ? I notice that we make a lot of fuss about those other religions that seem so radical or that take a stand for what they really believe to be the truth. Many get upset when these strange new religious people move into our country, cities, counties, and neighborhoods. They may dress differently, pray differently, and engage in different norms than you and I. But despite the abuse they suffer for being so different, the way many are treated, the nick names they receive, the prejudices that they endure, they seem to stick together and continue in their goal to follow their prophet...and we do not. They want the world to know what the true devout Muslim thinks of Mohamed. They want the world to know where their most holy place is. They want the world to hear them during their prayer times...that is why one can hear it several times a day around many parts of the world. Many dont care to look like every body else around them, especially when they live in areas that are opposed to them. They are as radical about their following and devotion to who they worship as we, Christ Followers, were called to be. In the scriptures of the Bible, we, Christ Followers were also encouraged not look like everyone else. We were commanded to have no other gods. We were exhorted to not be timid about The One we serve. We are encouraged to, “Always have an answer for the hope that we have.” We were shown example after example in scripture of men and women who sacrificed everything they had once they understood who The Christ was. Early Christ Followers believed in The Way so deeply that many were martyred for it, some being, burned on crosses hung upside down, sawn in half, skinned alive, fed to lions in coliseums full of spectators, imprisoned, beaten, run out of towns, and so forth. Today, Christ Followers, many of us, feel we are being persecuted if we cant get the parking spot we want at Harris Teeter, or cant get the table we want at our favorite eating establishment. Our Scripture, The Bible says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” We dont, at least not openly. They do. Scripture commands us to go to the nations, and reach them in their language, so that they might accept or reject Jesus Christ. We dont. They are going to other countries and into neighborhoods and drawing attention to themselves. Scripture tells us to look and act differently than all the folks around us who dont know Christ. We dont. They can be picked out of a crowd a mile away...especially the more devout ones. During my time in Indonesia, I heard their prayers many times. I saw them everywhere dressed just like you and I and also with full traditional dress. I ate with them in restaurants and drank coffee with them in Starbucks. They ate and drank the same way we do. I saw them laughing and having fun with friends...the same way you and I cut up and laugh and have fun with our friends. The difference is that they, the devout ones, are bold in their faith and their prophet, and most so called Christians cannot make this claim. Our government cant get Gods name off of stuff fast enough. We cant stop praying to him at ball games soon enough. We whisper when we say the name of Jesus, unless we use the more accepted phrase to name God as, “The big man upstairs.” Many of us, like someone smarter than I am said, “We are at a age in history where we are treating God like a bothersome parent who we are ashamed of.” This trip to Indonesia has encouraged me. I am hoping that I will be as bold as my other devout friends. Many other religions prove they think more of their god than I do mine. I pray that I will look different, act different, not be able to engage in conversations about the latest style, TV show, or fad going on at the moment. People, who know me, would tell you that I do not have a fashionable bone in my body, but I am hoping that I become even more unfashionable. I am praying that, like my devout friends around the world showing their gods off, I will become bold enough to brag about my God, the God of the Universe, and in some way, like a little green arrow, point people I meet to the One True God. God! Coming home from Indonesia, Wick Jackson
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 15:03:40 +0000
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