But they are not the first culture to rule with violence, fear and harsh punishments. The Jews of Jesus' day were under the strict and watchful eye of the Elders, who answered to the local Holy Roman authority. It was important to control their people, in order to keep the Romans out of their business. As long as the Elders kept their people in line, the Romans allowed them to mostly self-rule, unless the infraction was so large it could not be ignored and threatened the Empire itself.
Thus, the penalty for stepping out of line was quick and severe. There was no glory in being individual, and people were not valued for striking out on their own or being different. A thief would lose a hand or be hanged on a cross for stealing. Adulterers would be stoned. Those with disease were cast out and left to die. It was a hard world, and life was short. If you followed the rules, you might be okay for the 35 years of natural life at that time. If you stepped out of line, punishment would quickly follow, and your life could easily end.
As people flee the areas which ISIS holds, they are fleeing a world every bit as harsh and dangerous as the Jews under occupation and the early Christians experienced. Their faith is unacceptable to those in charge, and being different is deadly. They want to escape, to bring their children to a place where they can expect to live in peace, be educated, and grow up. In other words, they want what we all want from life.
As I have thought deeply about this subject, something has slowly dawned on me. In addition to fleeing the danger, they are also seeking a world in line with their own faith. As they spread throughout the world, an Islamic diaspora, they are bringing their faith, their system of beliefs, and their way of worshipping, with them. But this is not just a refusal to assimilate. It is something much deeper and more fundamental for them, and it is a reality we often fail to address. They view the western world through the eyes of their own religious understanding, and they see us as lost to their God, to Allah.
When I first realized this, it turned my thoughts upside down. It is certainly not how we think of ourselves, lost and condemned, and it is a little surprising to come to the realization that they are as firmly convinced we are lost to Allah as we are that they are lost to God. That is backwards from how I learned about life, faith and God.
But they are no different than we are. They see those who do not believe as they do as lost or sinful. They are tasked with sharing their beliefs with those who do not subscribe to them, and to bring their "true" version of faith to the non-believers, just as we are.
That is a startling way of looking at things, at least for me. But if we are ever to understand what they are trying to accomplish, and how to reach them with our message, we have to understand where they are coming from. We can't shut out their reality and change their future in a vacuum. We have to meet them where they are, just as Jesus did.
Jesus was, among other things, a missionary, bringing his truth to those who did know him. He traveled to areas where his new message of God had never been heard. He addressed those who worshipped false gods, idols, and who refused his new message. He reached out to everyone with his teaching, regardless of their past beliefs or actions. No border was uncrossable, no barrier was too high. He was The Word, and he taught everyone with whom he came into contact.
Those who followed in his ministry continued to spread the good news to those who hadn't heard, offering up the salvation of God to non-believers. Christian missionaries have ventured out into the world since Jesus left this earth, going where God sent them, preaching his message of love and peace and salvation. So it should not be surprising that people of other faiths do the same.
So how do we incorporate this understanding of Jews and Muslims into this, the holiest of weeks in the Christian calendar? I look to the example of Jesus to see how we share his message, no matter who we are with, or what their current beliefs are. Jesus did not come just for the chosen few. There is no special genetic code or magic word needed to be a part of his kingdom. All that is required is accepting him and what he has to offer us, and we will spend eternity with him.
We cannot force people to change or to believe in God. Instead, they have to hear the message, feel the message, see the message, and want what we have. They have to reach for it and grab hold of what is offered. They have to feel the burning desire to spend eternity with the creator who made us all.
Against this backdrop, I look at the thieves hanging on the crosses beside Jesus. They were common, petty criminals, men who failed to follow the rules. They willfully violated the norms of behavior in some way, and they were paying the ultimate price for their folly.
One of them was openly derisive, even as he was dying. He did not understand the message of the Savior on the cross. Instead, he clung to his old beliefs, which he had not served well, and which were not going to save him now. He was blind to what was being offered, mind closed off and heart blackened with his sin.
But the other man? He reached out in faith. He saw the difference God made in Jesus, and he recognized that hanging beside him was a man of truth and light. He wanted to have even a sliver of what Jesus was offering to take with him into eternity.
Jesus gave him what he came to give us. In his dying moments, he offered this sinner eternal grace, and ultimate forgiveness. In loving recognition of a child of God, he said,
"Today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43 NIVWhat powerful words to offer a dying man who faced the uncertainty ahead. He lived in darkness, but entered eternity in the light of God's grace. It was not too late, even then. Jesus gave himself for that opportunity for each one of us, no matter where we came from, no matter what we have done before, no matter what we have believed.
We face a lot of uncertainty in our world today. We look at the conflicts and differences, and it is easy to get lost in the fear of the current geopolitical situation. We can focus on the differences, and what separates us, and it will drive us further apart. But ultimately, we are all searching for the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Jesus is all three. We simply need to listen to the message and act with our heart.
Today I am grateful that salvation was made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus, and that it is equally available to every person. No one is too sinful, no one is forgotten, no one needs to be left behind. Whatever our life experience, no matter where we come from, no matter what we have done, no matter what choices we have made or what we have believed, we are God's, and he is looking for us. Just like the common criminal hanging with Jesus, we need only open our eyes and hearts, and we too will be with him in paradise. There is no greater gift.
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