I am still stuck on a story Ravi Zacharias told last weekend about an encounter he had with one of the leaders of Hamas. Sheikh Talal Sider, one of the four founders of Hamas, held an audience with Ravi and some other Christian leaders as they tried to help in the peace process between Palestine and Israel. The Arch Bishop of Canterbury, Canon Andrew White, brought a few Christian leaders to the Middle East to talk with leaders in the conflict. The Sheikh allowed each to ask one question.
Ravi put this story in many of his messages on what makes God, Jesus or even prayer unique as he did while giving the keynote address for the National Day of Prayer last year. http://www.rzim.org/USA/USFV/tabid/436/ArticleID/10018/CBModuleId/881/Default.aspx
But the last day, I saw one of the leaders of Hamas, one of the four founders. I went there for one reason; I had one question for him. He gave us a great meal, told us of eighteen years he’d served in prison, some of his children had been lost in suicide bombings, and this and that. And I had a question. I said, “Sheik, I may never see you again and forgive me if I’m asking you the wrong question. Please tell me, what do you think of suicide bombing and sending your children out like that?” I didn’t like his answer. I couldn’t say much. The room was full of smoke.
After he finished his answer, I said, “Sheik, you and I may never see each other again, so I want you to hear me. A little distance from here is a mountain upon which Abraham went 5,000 years ago to offer his son. You may say the son was one; I may say it’s another. Let’s not argue about that. He took his son up there. And as the axe was about to fall, God said, ‘Stop.’” I said, “Do you know what God said after that?” He shook his head. I said, “God said, ‘I myself will provide.’” He nodded his head. I said, “Very close to where you and I are sitting, Sheik, is a hill. Two thousand years ago, God kept that promise and brought his own Son and the axe did not stop this time. He sacrificed his own Son.”
I said, “Sheik, I just want you to hear this. Until you and I receive the Son God has provided, we’ll be offering our own sons and daughters on the battlefields of this world for many of the wrong reasons.”
It was quiet. We walked out and the Archbishop just put his arm around me. As I was about to get into the SUV, the Sheik came over and he just patted me on my face. He kissed me on both sides. He was a strong man; he pulled me to him. He said, “You’re a good man. I hope I will see you again someday.” That’s all he said.
I just say wow. In our meeting he went on to say, that until we accept God’s son, we’ll be sacrificing our sons for land, money, power or fame. Aside from the profound meaning of what he said, I can’t imagine the courage one would have to have to speak straight to the sheikh.
ASK THE BLIND PASTOR 