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Vulnerable is Ok? Posted on 09/30/2009 12:00 AM   |  EMail to Friend   |  View Comments (7)

Dear Friends it has been so long since I was able to write to you. There were so many reasons for this. I was down with the flu, then my brother Abraham is leaving for University in the West and apart from that our whole phone&internet system decided to go on holiday during the Eid break. This is not uncommon, when Ramadan finally comes to an end&the expenses of the Eid celebration begin to make themselves known to people they begin to look for creative ways in which to make a fast buck on the side. It is not unusual for cable operators to turn off people's satellite channels so that we have to call them to come in&look at what 'seems to be wrong' and then pay them for the service, or for people's electricity to be cut off so that again the electrician and local supplier will need to be called in. It is the same with water, wireless connections etc... And in the scheme of things guess who is at the bottom of the ' food chain'? Christians. Because when it comes to the Ummah (ie the Islamic brotherhood) there is a strange sense of loyalty, so even though after the Christians have been cut off from the rest of the world and decent living by losing water and electric connections, Muslim brothers will be attacked- but only in the end. After all Eid is an Islamic celebration so they feel more for their Muslim Brothers. It is strange. One would think if they feel sympathy it ought to be the whole way right? Finally we had the cable and internet provider come in&look at what is going on. As expected he tried his best to open up word documents& picture folder etc pretending that they may hold the cause for our wireless failure. I am just really really annoyed. It was evident he was trying to snoop& see what we view&do on the computer & look for anti Islamic propaganda. We have long known that they are paid by some one or other to keep tabs on the computers' of Christians. But they do it so blatantly - anyone- even I-know that to get wireless running one does not need to read ' recent documents'. These are the stresses& pressures under which your brothers&sisters live. It is hard for us. It is tiring. We are still mourning for the persecution of the last month or so. We are still shocked at the way the events catalysed and one young man met death because of a false blasphemy accusation. Anwar the Cable guy could easily have made up something while looking at the computer, printed something, made up a story and then taken it to the police. We would not have a leg to stand on after that. No one could save us or get us out. But then I hear dadi comfort us and encourage us, ' Why do you live in fear? Why not pray that while reading Anwar will meet the heart of Christ in what you write and put on your computer'. Wow! What an absolutely amazing thought? She has lived through so much that he faith has multiplied over the years. Will you pray for the rest of the Maarias and Abrahams and Anwars in Pakistan and the Muslim World. Pray that in our vulnerability we would not seek to be more in control but just to be more faithful to our King.

When is enough enough Lord? Posted on 09/17/2009 12:00 AM   |  EMail to Friend   |  View Comments (12)

I watch the news, read the papers, but nothing is as disturbing as hearing the cry of a heart, the fear of a brother or a pastor, saying that he is concerned for his people. One friend comes and tells us that a pastor and his wife have fled, his son and daughter were kidnapped, escaped and now are seeking a refuge to be hidden from possible attacks of the extremists in their neighbourhood. Another Pastors sends an emailing asking that the brothers and sisters spread the word that his people need prayer and that we stand in the gap for one another and our churches. So even in that this blog becomes an answer to the prayers of so many, in that I am passing on to you the cry of their hearts- 'Pray for us, pray for strength and perseverance'. I am devastated by the news of the Fanish. Did you hear about it. Fanish is the latest victim of the blasphemy law. Yesterday, well almost a day and a half ago now he was found dead in his prison. 19 and dead, accused for blaspheming by desicrating the Koran. His crime was actually that he was supposed to have insulted a Muslim girl. Now they say he committed suicide in prison. But there was enough evidence of torture to his body to suggest that that is not necessarily the truth. Whether or not this was suicide of extra judicial murder, Fanish is the victim of a system which fails to be inclusive and fair to all of its citizens, a system which has failed to birth a generation of Pakistanis who see Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, Sikhs etc not only as equal citizens but even as equal human beings. The fear I have is that there is no way of knowing when the person next to me may decide to take matters in to their hand and make a decision of whether I am equal enough in the scheme of things, and if they deicde not, how will they treat me. Will I become a victim of their hatred and anamosity. Who does the responsibility lie with? I could be noble and honourable and say 'ME' and say that I have to be more engaged with my Muslim neighbout and show that I have the dignity of a dignified God breathed into me, and the life of a living God in myself, but can I ever do enough. Can I ever be careful or ready enough for the day someone decides that they want to interpret my behaviour and my actions as blasphemous. Never, I can never do enough. I can never blog enough, I can never write enough. The only thing I can do is be obedient. Reach out and take the grace and love for my neighbour that is on offer from the bounty of God's gifts to us as member of His body. What I can do and do with faithfulness and faith is to go on my knees and call out to His name and ask Him to fill you with the desire every day more and more of that desire to do the same and stand in the gap for those moments, for those who are abused, are being abused, have been abused and will continue to be abused because they have chosen to walk the road to Calvary. Your prayers and my prayers, our tears before the Lord may become just the strength and courage we all need to face the cross that is ours so one day we can all wear the crown.

An Error and some tension for our youth group Posted on 09/11/2009 12:00 AM   |  EMail to Friend   |  View Comments (9)

I am still all stuffy and feverish and though I am not able to take any more days of from the assignments I need to hand in at college, I wish I could curl into bed and stay there. It has been raining and pouring all week and we feel the temperature change every second. The heat has lost its intensity and all around us our neighbours are fasting during the day and in a frenzy in the evenings to get their shopping done before Eid, the festival that follows Ramadhan. New clothes, bangles, henna patterns on hands and feet, every imaginable menu being concocted while in the throws of low sugar and hunger at mid day. This happens every year. I may have to call mariam and apologise for not making it to her Iftar party (a party to mark the opening of the fast in the evening). I did not want to go anyway because I feel uncomfortable. All her Aunts and cousins and Uncles and friends collect and then there is always comment about my weight and the fact that I have put on so much weight since last year and then so many suggestions that as a Christian I do not belong. Most years I see it as an opportunity but I am tired today and I do not think I can make it. I have been tired and little despondent for a while. Truth be told like all the other Christians in our youth group, I am very very concerned about being back in college. We all know that things are stressed and dangerous. Another Church has been burned today compounded by the other daily reports of believers being kidnapped, arrested and put into jail. Will you please pray for us. Pray that we will be salt and light despite the fear that the evil one tries to fill us with. Pray with us as we rebuke that fear. Perhaps it is in the midst of that that I am sorry about something I left out in my last email. I forgot to mention the fact that though Jehad is considered a pillar of Islam the more important one (which I missed out) was the one about Alms giving, giving to poorer Muslims which is called Zakat. All my life my friends and I have made this error in the Islamics exam and have forgotten one or the other. There is controversy over whether they are 5 or 6 and because of that I missed one out. As I read over it, I realised something was wrong and am so sorry for that. Any more questions and I would be happy to talk about them. But to be honest Jehad is interchangable with others.

The five Pillars. Posted on 09/09/2009 12:00 AM   |  EMail to Friend   |  View Comments (3)

Friends I am not supposed to blog today but I had a comment from a family member saying there is no good work in the pillars of Islam. I just want to clarify that none of the pillars state 'do good deeds' within the Islamic mindset, the ultimate and only good works, are in fact the very accomplishing of those pillars and what they command. The five pillars include : 1. Believe in the Creed or Shahada which says that Mohammed is the last prophet and that there is no God beside Allah 2. Praying Nimaz/ set prayers 5 times a day 3. Observing the Month of Ramadhan (fasting) 4. Going for Haj or pilgrimage at least once in the lifetime if possible 5 Waging Jehad or Holy War in the name of Allah. Those 5 pillars in Islam (which I have blogged on before and explained in a previous blog) are considered ultimate goodness, if you observe those you have a chance of pleasing Allah. Goodness is defined particularly within the Islamic context in terms of how much one adheres to Islamic teaching. Therefore no amount of goodness that pours out of the heart of someone who does not adhere to those is just not good enough. That is why a Christian is never essentially good to the Muslim neighbour and falls short. It is the law and the pillars that cleanse.

Pray that they will behold Christ within us Posted on 09/08/2009 12:00 AM   |  EMail to Friend   |  View Comments (5)

Last year it was during Ramadan that while Muslims broke fast in the evening at the Marriot Hotel in Islamabad, that other Muslims drove up to the 5 star hotel and blew themselves and their heavily armed vehicle up, killing several, injuring many and destroying the front of the building. All this at the time when Muslims were opening their fast. A fast that is decreed for the month of Ramadan and represents the month in which the Koran was received by the Prophet Mohammad. The Koran being a book that is supposed to stand for peace and justice and goodwill and teaching its adheratnts the ways of goodness and righteousness and encourage them in ‘good works’. Then why did on a day representing that, inner reflection and devotion to Islam did other Muslims, take another pillar (Islam has five pillars which each Muslim must adhere to) Jihad and go as far as taking their own lives (suicide is held by Muslims to be wrong in general) so that they could destroy and kill. This year we see that same restlessness and that same desperation. The minorities minister targeted, Christians killed in Quetta in a laboratory and some injured. The violence that seems to be the hearth of the Ummah continues to keep the spirit of jihad alive and well. By the same token as Christians in Pakistan we need to collect in prayer by the hearth of the Church- we need to meet at Grace and Salvation and feed on the nourishment those give us, making us able to forgive and reach out with the same of those. Why do we have to live like this? Do you ever wonder why? All I know and I am learning is that every single day, the closer to Christ we grow, the closer we grow to the cross. The Cross is a sign of sacrifice, suffering and above all Hope and Eternal Life. How true that there is no crown without the cross. As we run this race as your brothers and sisters in the Muslim world, seeking to live to the glory of Christ in the midst of the 5 pillars of Islam, in the midst of Minarets and Calls to Prayer, seeking to lift the name of Jesus higher. When you pray for us to walk close to Jesus, you are praying for a walk that is a Calvary walk. Pray that we will be brave enough and strong enough to stay on this road. And give thanks for the love of God and that nothing can separate us from that. May those who have violence as their tool and their weapon, know Christ when they charge toward us and behold the breastplate of Salvation and face Christ within us and turn away from the prince of darkness and his deception.

From Maaria's sick bed... Posted on 09/06/2009 12:00 AM   |  EMail to Friend   |  View Comments (6)

Every day new attacks on God's people, each attack from a new angle and a new form of warfare, if not targetted killings and mass killings, then instead, the every day picking on of Christians by Muslims in a way that is worse than ever before. Is none of these, then the random picking up and taking in for interrogation of unsuspecting Christians going about their day to day business. I am in bed. I have the flu, a very sore throat and achey head, but it is all accentuated by the fact that I have felt so tense this Ramadhan about going to college. I have avoided any confrontation or any unnecessary arguments. There is no point. I want them to see Jesus through my life and my ways not through debates and conflict in our lifestyles, the only conflict I want them to be aware of is that of light and dark. Mariam is driving me crazy about her mehndi ceremony which is a Hennah Ceremony. No one gets married during Ramadhan but as soon as the month of fasting ends, all the weddings begin. A few days after Eid she wants me to go for her Mehndi, which Pakistanis have decided is harmless fun and yes it may be fun for the girls of the bride to get together and dance and sing songs and dress up, it is really not only pagan, but also quite a shallow affair with thousands and thousands of rupees being wasted. Beside that a few years ago when I went to another's friends mehndi ceremony I was convicted deeply by the Spirit and I knew that was a place I was not meant to be. Perhaps God will lead some Christians to go to these ceremonies at their Muslim friends' weddings but I do not feel God leading me there, nor do I believe Christians ought to have Mehndis themselves. I did not want to embarrass Mariam but she was driving me crazy so I had to say to her that as a Christian I could not go to a ceremony that adhered to the ancient hennah ceremony of the Hindu tradition where the Henna and the bride's yellow clothes are symbolic of fertility and where the inclusion of happily marriad women dancing around the bride is in fact the exclusion of widows. single women, divorced women, abused women, barren women and women who would not bring a good omen to the marriage. The dancing and the use of Henna though apparently harmless fun to many is a call to the spirtuality associated with fertility to make certain the girl is blessed for a productive and fruitful future. My God can work despite the use of yellow. Perhaps for some it is tradition but as a Christian I cannot condone that. As a Christian I cannot dance before a false God or Goddess, as a Christian I cannot say it is ok to side line women and judge who will bring a blessing and who a curse. Please pray that in this I may be able to encourage Mariam to think about God's sovereignty and my faith. It is situations like this that we can shine for Christ and the world can see him.