As we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, I thought I would post the following from Shane Claiborne’s book The Irresistible Revolution. In his chapter where he records the details of his visit to Iraq, he writes the following:

I was invited to worship services nearly every day while in Iraq. The Christians in Baghdad gave me so much hope for the church. One of the most powerful worship services I’ve ever experienced was just a few days before I headed home. Hundreds and hundreds of Christians from all over the Middle East had gotten together - Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox. They read a statement from the Christian church directed to the Muslim community, declaring that they love them and believe that they were created in the image of God. Then we sang familiar songs like “Amazing Grace.” We said the Lord’s Prayer in several languages. They led us to the cross and prayed a prayer similar to the one Jesus prayed when he was on the cross: “Forgive us, for we know not what we are doing.” Hundreds and hundreds of people continued to try to get into the service and ended up gathering outside with candles. It was holy.

Afterward, I was able to meet with one of the bishops who had organized the gathering, and I explained to him that I was shocked to find so many Christians in Iraq. He looked at me, puzzled, and then gently said, “Yes, my friend, this is where it all began. This is the land of your ancestors. That is the Tigris River, and the Euphrates. Have you read about them?” I was floored – by my ignorance and by the ancient roots of my faith. It is the land of my ancestors. Christianity was not invented in America . . . how about that?

The bishop went on to tell me that the church in the Middle East was deeply concerned about the church in the United States. He said, “Many Americans are for this war.”

I nodded.

And he asked, “But what are the Christians saying?”

My heart sank. I tried to explain to him that many of the Christians in the U.S. are confused and hope that this is a way God could liberate the Iraqi people.

He shook his head and said, very humbly, “But we Christians do not believe that. We believe ‘blessed are the peacemakers.’ We believe if you pick up the sword, you die by the sword. We believe in the cross.” Tears welled up in my eyes as he said, “We will be praying for you. We will be praying for the church in the US … to be the church.”

I hear or read from time to time that the church in many other countries is stronger that it is in the U.S. It seems, at times at least, that American Christians believe that we are the ultimate example of Christianity in the world. Evidently, Christians elsewhere would disagree. It’s ironic that many American Christians are behind this war (as I was at one time), and yet those Christians that the war is supposedly helping oppose it and are praying for the American church to “be the church”, to be peacemakers. Perhaps the world would be better served if we were to put aside our arrogance and listen to other Chrisitans around the world. We might just have a lot to learn.