Flying Ducks

Okay, have any of you ever watched ducks flying? Terra and I have observed a few in the past week or so, and we have come to realise that it is a very funny site. Other birds seem graceful and competent, but ducks seem kind of spastic. Geese are nice to watch taking off and landing - ducks are just funny. It's like someone snuck up behind them and popped a paper bag! Their wings start flailing around, and then they shoot up beating their wings like their life depended on it (although I guess the higher you go, the more true that is). They look so awkward - like a 14 year old boy who has just had his shoe size jump by 4 sizes over night. Actually, the old Nintendo game "Duck Hunt" was pretty accurate - flapping like mad, weaving all over the place, with eyes bugged out. If you want a good laugh, go watch ducks fly. That's my thought for the day.

Muslims pt. 2

Okay, here's an addition to my previous post, to try to make some points clearer thant they were. I realize that my previous post was not a complete analysis of a situation, and may have come across differently than I intended.

1) My main point was that I have been concerned about the Muslim people, with all of the different reports from around the world. I still am. And I firmly believe that we need to be praying for them. That will not change. I was also hoping to point to the idea that Christ is working in those areas of the world, even though we sometimes despair at the lack of Christians there. There is great hope that we will see dramatic movements of people to Christ.

2) I realize that many Muslims, especially in North America, would claim that the Qu'ran doesn't teach Jihad, or holy war. In my research (which has not been intense, dedicated research, but rather a collection of things I have learned from many sources, both personal and academic) it appears that the passages regarding Jihad are hazy, at best. Thus scholars here say that the Qu'ran does not teach it, while both history and Muslim scholars in other places seem to hold to it rather firmly. Again, this is not unanimous, by any stretch.

3) Piggybacking on the previous point, Muslims throughout the world have and continue to include violence and holy war as integral to Islam. Converts to another faith are persecuted, often to the point of death. The history of Islam includes much warfare - if a country resisted the preaching of Islam, then holy war could be declared. As I understand it, holy war could be declared if a Muslim was attacked - frequently, if a messanger of Islam was rejected, then this was viewed as an attack, and holy war was declared. Islam's history is just as violent as many aspects of Christian history.

4) Islam here is quite different from Islam in many other places. Again, numerous contacts, both personal and academic, indicate that in order to grow in North America, Islam has deliberately worked at changing some of its image, and softening many of its stances on different issues. I expect that most Muslims here would be strictly opposed to what is happening elsewhere in the name of Islam. Note that there were hardly any demonstrations in North America about the cartoons of Mohammed compared to the rest of the Muslim world. I strongly suspect that the teachings and culture of Islam are different here than in the rest of the world.

5) I do not believe that Muslims here or in the rest of the world are any less deserving of respect and value than any other person. They too were created by God, and as such are valuable to him and me. I do have concerns about what they often seem to be taught, how in many places they only seem to value Muslims and all others are not worthy of living, and most importantly, how they reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. I disagree with them, but I do not hate them, by any stretch. I have a deep concern for them. Again, though, I acknowledge that my knowldege of all these things is not perfect. I have research and testimonial knowledge of the situations and realities in the Middle East and Europe, not first hand, eye witness knowledge.

6) I am well aware that even if a society as a whole seems to display one thing, there are many within that society who would be opposed to it. I do not doubt that there are some, if not many, Muslims in those countries who would also oppose what is done in the name of Islam.

7) I am not defending the Christian record, or the practices of many Christians. I was not in any way seeking to say that Christians are perfect. I know as well as any that we are not, and that often what we claim to believe is not what we live. My belief, though, is that faith in Christ is the only means by which we have been given to enter heaven. I am concerned about the witness (or lack thereof) that many Christians give, but my focus in my previous post was not on all that is wrong with Christianity, but the concerns I have for the Muslim world.

I hope that clears a few things up. I don't hate Muslims, but I do disagree with their faith, and I am concerned about many of the things that they seem to do around the world. Despite this, I have great hope that one day, they, too, will come to know Christ. Let me know how this sits with you.

Our Muslim friends

Finally! After two of the most hectic weeks I've had in ages, I'm finished all of my ordination stuff. One more interview (at the end of June), and I officially become Reverend Chris Ulriksen. That's weird. And I don't really ever expect to use the Reverend title - I just won't have to correct people when they call me Reverend (happens sometimes).

I've been thinking a lot about Muslims lately, what with all the terrorism by Muslim groups, Iraq, and most recently the whole explosion in the Muslim world about these cartoons. I often wonder about the growing Muslim community. I've noticed two things. First, there is, or at least seems to be, a large percentage of Muslims who are quite radical in their beliefs (of course, many would consider us Christians radical, too). I don't really blame them for being committed to something they believe in - I can understand that. What concerns me is the prominent place that hatred and violence seem to play in their lifestyle. Islam somehow seems to breed this - not just the idea that God is only found in their faith (we share that), but that anyone who rejects that is not worthy of living. I know that's a vast simplification, but I struggle with the lack of love that they display (as a group). The second thing that I've noticed is how much they are spreading into Europe, especially Britain and France. Not that these nations have been anything other than "nominal" Christian nations for years now, but it is amazing to see how common and strong Islam is in Europe. I find myself wondering what could possible stop this tide of Islam.

Just this week I read a book called "Understanding Church Growth" by Donald McGavran. This book is a few years out of date (1990), and a lot has happened since then, but I found some of his comments interesting. In short, he pointed out that the culture in many of these Muslim countries is very much "group" oriented, and that many are not willing to listen to the gospel because to do so would completely separate them from their entire society. He pointed to Indonesia (I think - it might have been the Philippines), where the church has taken off because at a certain point, entire groups made the decision to follow Christ - to the point where mosques became churches. I know that even hearing the gospel is a challenge in most Muslim countries, but the book helped me to realize that God has not forgotten the Muslim world, and that when the gospel permeates those societies, the change could be quite rapid. In fact, he pointed out that as the Qu'ran is held up to the same type of scrutiny as the Bible has been, he expected that this would cause many to reconsider their beliefs (again, provided they are ever able to hear this information).

I guess in light of all the negative publicity and acts of Muslims, we need to hold tight to the fact that they are people who are desperately love by God, and that Christ desires a relationship with them as much as He does with us. I think we also need to hold tight to the hope and encouragement that God is at work there, even when all we seem to see is lostness, brokenness, anger and violence. For me, it was also a call to do what I could for them, which is primarily to pray for them and those missionaries who are working there. I hope that this can at least spark a few thoughts and prayers for Muslims from the rest of you as well.

That's it. I'm out.