"If we don’t truly know what the gospel is, we have to find an explanation for Christianity. Rather than extending ourselves to the other person, we tend to defend our position. I think the majority of modern evangelism involves Christians trying to explain to everybody else why they believe what they believe because they’re insecure themselves." CM (SOJ)
It was a few years ago when I first discovered Carl Medearis. I was at a Breakforth Conference in Edmonton and Carl was doing some sessions. The title of one of the sessions intrigued me. "The Art of Not-Evangelism" which is the subtitle to his book "Speaking of Jesus". I think if I remember correctly, I went to all his sessions that weekend and picked up both his books "Speaking of Jesus" and "Muslims, Christians, and Jesus." I read "Speaking of Jesus" right away, but shelved the other book, and didn't pick it up until this past month. After I read "Muslims, Christians, and Jesus", I decided to reread "Speaking of Jesus"
Who Carl is speaks largely about what he writes, so I am including his bio found on his website.
Carl Medearis is an international expert in the field of Arab-American and Muslim-Christian relations.
He acts as a catalyst for a number of current movements in the Middle East to promote peace-making, as well as cultural, political and religious dialog leading toward reconciliation. He is the author of several acclaimed books including Muslims, Christians and Jesus, Speaking of Jesus, Adventures in Saying Yes, and Tea with Hezbollah.
Carl, his wife Chris, and their three kids lived in Beirut, Lebanon for 12 years. Through their unique and strategic approach around the Arab world, they encouraged university students, business professionals and political leaders to live their lives by the principles and teachings of Jesus in order to change their societies and nations.
Today Carl and his wife Chris share their lives between Colorado and Dubai. They spend their time working with leaders in the West and in the Arab world with the hope of seeing the Arab Middle East and the West experience full and fruitful relationships through the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
I think what draws me into these books with so much enthusiasm, is Carl's disdain for Christianity as a religion, and his adoration of Jesus.
On the back cover of "Speaking of Jesus" it reads.
"Author Carl Medearis is not interested in keeping Christianity alive. Not one bit. Carl believes it has grown into something that is rarely attractive, frequently divisive, and all too often embarrassing. He believes you may feel this way too. In his new book, Speaking of Jesus, Carl gives a wink and a grin and the permission to stop feeding this thing called Christianity. His offer is that doing so allows us the freedom to relax and feast on Jesus." CM (SOJ)
I guess a few years back I was looking for voices that were talking about Jesus, not the religion that evolved out of his followers. Carl's books are journals of his journeys in the Middle East and conversations he has with people he encounters on his travels. Why does he travel? He follows Jesus. Sometimes following Jesus takes him into strange places.
I was staying with friends at a hotel in Basra, Iraq, in the spring of 2003. While there, we managed to attract the curiosity of the hotel staff. They were curious about this team of international people staying at their hotel. Since a war was well under way, they were all the more intrigued because we weren’t wearing camouflage and toting M4 carbines. During the day, out in the streets, we had given out all of our texts—Arabic translations of the gospel of Luke. We were checking in for another day and as we stood in the lobby near the front desk, the hospitality manager leaned across the counter and looked at me.
“Why have you come here?” he asked in English. “Are you with the American army?”
“No,” I said, “we followed Jesus to Basra, so we are trying to find out what He is doing here.” CM (SOJ)
This is the art of non-evangelism. It seems so simple. Striking up a conversation about Jesus and only Jesus. I think that is why Carl has so much positive response from the people he talks to. He is not trying to convert, conform or Christianize anyone... he is just following Jesus and seeing what Jesus is up to, and it seems that the Jesus he follows opens doors for him that Christianity would never be able to.
"The whole message of God can be summarized in one short sentence: Love God and love people. Eight times in the Bible we are told to “love your neighbor.” It’s one of the most repeated commands. And it’s clear from the teachings of Jesus that our “neighbor” is basically anyone we meet who is in need (which would be everyone).
As we’ve discussed, Jesus seems to have a favorable bias toward the “wrong crowd.” I hate to say it, but Muslims probably fit into this category! They’re outsiders here in the West: wrong religion, wrong language, wrong temperament. Sounds like Jesus’ kind of people." CM (MCJ)
"Muslims, Christians, and Jesus" was published first of these two books, and it is a helpful guide inside the world of "Gaining Understanding and Building Relationships" with Muslims... which is something Carl does... builds relationships. I am all for learning how to have relationships with "Jesus' kind of people".
If you looking for a quick and concise read and insight into the basics of the Islam faith, this is a good book to get your hands on and your eyes reading. One may find that we have more in common with our Muslim neighbours that we realized...which just might include a love for Jesus.
I have many friends who are Catholic and if, during the seventies and eighties, people were to have broadly blamed Catholicism for the terrorism in Belfast, they would have been completely wrong. Everybody knows Catholics are not terrorists. Neither are Muslims. Terrorists are terrorists. CM (MCJ)
I still admire books about the simple message of Jesus. I am done with Christianity, as Carl Medearis is, but I like his invitation to "Speak of Jesus" and to gain some understanding and build relationships. I still struggle in my theology, and might for a long time, but maybe this isn't about theology, it is finding common ground, and maybe that common ground is Jesus. We can't be too educated on people. We need to move closer to understanding and farther away from the fear. I am of the thought that fear is a result of a lack of knowledge and understanding. Most of our fears are unfounded, because we haven't taken the time to get to know our neighbour.
Thank you Carl, for two amazing books and your invitation to discover Jesus in a whole new light. I need all the help I can get right now.
"Once again, the power of the simple message of love, forgiveness, and peace showed that it conquers all. It’s the way of Jesus. The world is full of strife, war, conflicts, and hatred. The life Christ offers is the opposite of that: He provides a way to live in this very world, but to do so in peace and love. But we have to choose this stand. It doesn’t come easily or naturally." CM (MCJ)
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