Understanding Islam
Seminar illustrates fundamentally different Christian approach to war on terror

What are the implications of the war in Iraq?

We've all heard about the war on terror, and securing America's future prosperity through Iraq's vast oilfields. But rarely do we hear about the implications for Christian-Muslim relations.

Because most Americans have a very basic understanding of the complex history between Christians and Muslims, a seminar entitled “A Christian Response to Iraq: Understanding and Relating to the Muslim world” was held on Saturday, August 25. The seminar explored the differences between Islam and Christianity – as well as some quite surprising connections that few Americans are aware of.

The seminar was catalyzed through a meeting between Lancaster Conference bishop Lloyd Hoover, David Shenk, and local doctor Bob Doe (who engages in medical missions trips to Muslim areas). Held at the Breakout Ministries building in Leola, Pa., members of Mennonite and local non-denominational churches attended the presentations by the three men. Because some Amish have an affinity for the Muslim commitment to bringing all of life under the authority of God – as well as outward similarities in conservative approaches to dress for women and beards for men – representatives from Amish churches also attended.

When local doctor Bob Doe opened, he said, “This is not just about Iraq, but about a Christian response to terrorism and violence.” Dr. Doe has been on numerous volunteer medical trips overseas, including to Central Asia and Iraq. He continued, “The spirit of radical Islam is not going to be beaten by tanks and guns and planes, but through the gospel of love.”

Islamic expert David Shenk, global consultant with Eastern Mennonite Missions, opened a valuable window into the fundamental ideas that drive Islam and Christianity as he shared at the event. He believes that Jesus taught a clear disconnection from any Christian support for violence – whether personal or national.

“Jesus told Peter to put away his sword. That wasn't Jesus’ way,” Shenk said. He spread his arms wide. “When the soldiers came for him, Jesus instead gave up his life on the cross.”

Shenk contrasts this with Mohammed's path, military conquest over the city of Mecca –which made war against the Muslims in Medina. The Muslim approach brings religious and political rule together; Islam quickly became an empire of both political and military might. Shenk says this is profoundly different from Jesus' path. Jesus could have chosen to seek political rule, but instead turned away from using political or military power to establishing his kingdom of peace among all nations.

Shenk travels all over the world to talk about this understanding of Jesus as the way of peace, among both Christians and Muslims. “But when Muslims hear this, they ask me, 'But why then are American Christians so violent? Why do you support war?'”

Shenk says, “There's a real perception that the church in America is locked up in the American international agenda. It is clear that we must walk with the utmost humility and repentance as Christians in our engagement with the Muslim world – not as representatives of the American agenda. Many Christians think that we are bringing Christianity to Iraq – but the reality was that there has been a significant Iraqi Christian presence for nearly 2,000 years.” Shenk noted that the war has made these Christians targets of violence; the number of Christians in Iraq is dropping dramatically as hundreds of thousands of Christians have fled Iraq.

The difference between Jesus’ approach to conflict, as articulated by Shenk, and the Muslim approach to conflict, is great. But the difficulty of American Christians walking in this approach was illustrated by Bruce Heckman, who with his wife Joyce spent ten years in the Middle East serving with Eastern Mennonite Missions. Heckman said he once spoke at a church and gave an impassioned call for them to pray for Muslims and to send people to the Muslim world. “Afterwards a man came up to me and said 'I agree with you and feel a burden to pray for Muslims, but I just can't do it. I can't pray for Israel – and for their enemies at the same time.”

It is ironic that the ideology that drives Christians is often disconnected from the very message of loving one's enemies that Jesus taught about – and has more in common with Mohammed’s teachings than Jesus’ teachings.

The speakers also shared some astonishing historical and theological points of connection between Christians and Muslims. Shenk says that the Qu'ran, Islam’s holy book, has a high respect for the Bible with specific mention of the Torah, Psalms, and the Gospel as being revealed scripture. It also states that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, worked miracles, and will return at the end of time to set the world right. But Shenk was also clear about differences, such as Islam not believing in the incarnation of God in Christ. Muslims believe that it was Mohammed, not Jesus, who brought the final revelation of God.

Dr. Doe also shared about the background of the Kurds, who live in northern Iraq, southern Turkey, and western Iran. During the Assyrian captivity, a great many Jews settled in those areas and intermixed with the Kurdish population; many of them are therefore sympathetic to the Jews, and feel exploited by the Arab populations. “The Kurds are open to us,” Dr. Doe says. “They want us to come, to connect with us.”

Lloyd Hoover, one of the organizers of the seminar and a bishop in Lancaster Mennonite Conference, said, “This is the kind of information we're not getting in the news, in the media. There are millions of people out there that are waiting to be loved, to know the peace of Jesus. What does it means for us to love Muslims?”

So what is the “Christian” response to radical Islam and terrorism as well as militant Americans?

Shenk sums up, “We are to extend the peace of Christ to all people, including militant Muslims and American Christians who struggle with the call of Christ to love those who oppose you. We can't live this way on our own. It's only through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit that we are able to accomplish this astounding miracle. Brothers and sisters, our world desperately needs this witness.”

- Kenton Glick is EMM media producer

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