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Sep 17, 2024 06:00am

Breaking Barriers

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“Peace in the Middle East”

This was a slogan in the early ’90s during the Gulf War, also called Dessert Shield and Dessert Storm.

I was 7 when troops were deployed. I remember getting off the bus one afternoon and noticing a yellow ribbon on our mailbox. At school, we learned these were to show our support for the troops fighting in the Middle East. I didn’t understand much. I certainly didn’t understand anything about the conflict. All I knew was the pictures and videos I saw on TV and the talk around town and school.

At just 7 years old, I had drawn the conclusion in my mind that people from the Middle East were bad and were our enemy.

In my first year of college, my friends and I were headed to class and passed through the commons area of the dorms. On TV, a red line at the bottom of the screen read “BREAKING NEWS.” Terrorists had flown planes into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center tower.

And we were watching it live.

As fear spread throughout our campus, news continued to come in about who was behind these attacks. The news anchors described them as people of Middle Eastern descent. A picture formed in my mind as I recalled the image of Saddam Hussein from when I was younger.

As America rallied its troops, the country became united in a way I had never witnessed. This attack completely changed the way we lived. We were on high alert, and it was ingrained in us to be cautious and suspicious of anyone of Middle Eastern descent. Once again, they were known as the enemy.

In 2021, our missions department was sending a team to minister to pastors, encourage and support them in their efforts, and celebrate with them as they dedicated a new ministry center. They invited my husband and I to go and be a part of this team.

My breath caught in my throat. They had asked us to go with them to the one place that struck fear in my heart.

The Middle East.

Honestly, it was always in the back of my mind. The fear, the pictures I had once seen on the television, remembering the scenes of the plane crashes and the people who were responsible. It was hard to push past the idea that those in the Middle East were our enemies.

Even after we prayed about it and said yes, there was still anxiety about going. How would they react to us? We even took security training, and goodness; my anxiety was through the roof!

As I packed our suitcases, I just kept praying that the Lord would do a mighty work in me.

When we landed in Jordan, we were in culture shock. From the clothes worn and the smells of incense burning to hearing the Arabic language over the intercom and everywhere we turned.

It was overwhelming.

But – it was far different than I expected. The people of Jordan and Egypt welcomed us into their lives. In the midst of my nervousness and anxiety, their smiles, warm hearts, generosity, and hospitality broke down walls and barriers that had long existed in my mind.

One day, as we sat in the market square in Egypt outside the Muslim mosque, we heard the intercoms go off with music. It was the call to prayers. Men began filing into the buildings, and women and children remained outside and placed their mats on the ground. And all at once, as the man began to pray through the speaker, they all started their own prayers, kneeling and bowing.

And my heart broke.

These men, women, and children were not the enemy I had once believed them to be.

They were simply lost.

Just as I had once been.

They were searching for hope, healing, and purpose. For years, they have been led to believe that they can achieve these things through their work, the prayers they pray, and their unwavering commitment to a false god.

The sound of the prayers continued overhead. Behind my sunglasses, tears streamed down my face as I thought of all of these people and their hopelessness. There would never be “peace in the Middle East” until Jesus fills their hearts.

Throughout the two weeks we were there, I witnessed the most beautiful people share their challenges, not just in sharing the gospel but in everyday life. But it didn’t stop them. They persevere through it all, offering hope to those in need and sharing with them where true peace, love, equality, and power comes from.

We couldn’t stop talking about the trip when we returned. We fell in love with the people there. And we are praying for the Lord to allow us to return soon, to visit our friends, and to love on our brothers and sisters. And to continue sharing the gospel with the people in the Middle East.

Acts 10:27-35
“While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.
28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.
29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in shining clothes stood before me
31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.
32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’
33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism
35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”

A Jew walking into a Gentile’s home was unthinkable.

But God…

He broke down barriers and walls that had long existed within Peter. God’s love and forgiveness weren’t just for the Jewish people any longer. He was bringing the gospel to the Gentiles.

Can you imagine the culture shock Peter must have felt? Everything was different, from the food to the clothes to the everyday happenings in their lives.

But he realized these people were not his enemy. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, they could now be called his brothers and sisters.

This world is full of people who look, talk, act, and believe differently than you. We can choose to ignore them, hate them, persecute them, or we can love them enough to share Jesus with them.

What barriers and walls is God bringing down in your heart to use you in a more impactful way for His kingdom?

What is He calling you to do today? Maybe it’s that you need the salvation He freely offers. Maybe you need to know what it means to follow Him and develop a relationship with Him. Or perhaps He’s chipping away at the hardness of your heart towards His creation and allowing you to see them as broken as you once were, in need of the Savior.

Our enemy is Satan. He will do anything to distract us from the mission Christ gave us. Do you want to wage war on the enemy? Share the gospel. The battle is already won, my friend! And the victory can be found in Jesus Christ!

Share it!

If you want to know more about following Jesus, go to follow.lifeword.org.