What an eye-opening weekend we had with Sami Barham. Sami is a Palestinian from the West Bank of Israel. What an unusual and wonderful opportunity it was to spend time with a life-long resident of the Palestinian area. Sami was saved as a teenager and he has gotten a good theological education and has gone back to his hometown as a missionary.
There are several things that were greatly impressed upon me as I have spent time with Sami. One thing is his confidence in the gospel to bring people in his homeland to Christ. It was the simple and clear presentation of the Gospel that opened his eyes to Christ and he is assured that that Gospel can yet reach into the heart of his people. And he has seen many in his town come to Christ.
Secondly, I am moved by his compassion for his Palestinian “family”. I have been challenged to rethink my unquestioned devotion to a secular Israel coupled with an indiscriminate criticism and animosity for Palestine. It is my observation that as followers of Christ we need to use more caution as we consider the political issues of our world. We have a calling that rises much higher than the course of political matters.
Along with that Sami has clearly expressed his conviction that only Christ can bring peace to the Mid-East. Ultimately the struggles of our world are a “religious” matter. I am becoming increasingly weary of being manipulated by political matters rather that seeing things through the eyes of the Bible and my Savior. Our true unity is with God’s people not with political persuasions.
May God help us to love the lost!
