Charlie Kirk - a tribute

It was as I was preparing the post for my French-language blog that went out last Sunday, that I heard the news of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Like so many more around the world, I was both shocked and saddened, and tears welled up in my eyes. Why? I had never met this young man - 31 one years of age when he was murdered. I had never been at one of the events that he had hosted in so many university campuses. However, I had often heard him speak as I watched YouTube videos taken at many of those events, and had been greatly impressed by his knowledge, his unapologetic testimony to Jesus as his Saviour and Lord, and his calm demeanour in the face of many attempts to rile him. He was known for his political debate, passion for sharing Christ, and support for Israel.

On the day following his assassination, I started to read, again, the book of the prophet Jeremiah. As is my custom, I lifted down a couple of commentaries from my bookshelves, that I might benefit from the words of those who understand much more than I. One of those was a Scripture Union book from many years ago, written by Rev A.E.Cundall. In the introduction to Jeremiah, I read these words: "The prophet Jeremiah ... was an exceedingly courageous man. Called to an extremely difficult task, that of proclaiming God's judgement upon an unresponsive,apostate Judah, he stuck to his task for forty years in spite of popular resentment, which sometimes took violent forms. A lesser man would have given in long before this. Jeremiah had an especial heartache, for he was every inch a patriot; he loved his people and it grieved him to see them inching towards the disaster which he foresaw so clearly, but to which they were so blind."

I would suggest that that description would, to a very large extent, fit Charlie Kirk. 

Last Sunday's French blog post was based on II Tim.2:24 - "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt teacher," (emphasis added). I had shared the road that I had been obliged to travel before entering the teaching profession, here in Scotland, and made the point that disciples of Jesus don't have to follow such a path, but that we should all be teachers in our own way - teaching the Gospel message by word and action.

Those words of Paul to Timothy applied to Charlie Kirk. He withdrew from university studies after one year because he had quickly recognised that he was not being educated, but indoctrinated. Yet, he had a wealth of information at his fingertips, including an apparently encyclopaedic knowledge of God's written Word, that I wish I could match. He was certainly "an apt teacher".

Let those of us who pray, seek to uphold his widow, Erika, and their two young children, before the throne of grace.

I want to write more, but that would make this post unacceptably long, so I'll leave that until next time. Be sure to read!

Response from S.U.

The following is the response from S.U. - in the person of Dr Andrew Smith.  I am grateful to Andrew for his prompt reply that came as a comment on the original post.  However, I am never sure how many people (apart from the authors!!) look at the comments that are made so, in fairness, I am 'posting' it as well.   My only continuing concern is that the Muslim young people might end up having a greater influence on their Christian counterparts - even if they are already youth workers!  To that end, I would encourage all of my Christian readers to uphold these young disciples of Jesus in prayer - and to visit the website for additional information!  http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/YouthEncounter/41589.id

Dear Brian

I'm writing to you in response to your post about the Discipleship and Diversity training day. My name is Andrew Smith, I am the director for Youth Encounter and am running the training day. Firstly can I thank you for alerting me to the fact that it was mentioned on Radio 2 - I missed that programme. Also for raising these important questions which many people have, and with which I am always happy to engage.

Youth Encounter is a Scripture [Union?] project which has the clear aim of 'Helping Christian young people live out their faith amongst their Muslim friends', an issue which is important for many young people across the country. The Discipleship and Diversity training day is part of this project and is designed to help Christian youthworkers in their discipleship of young people. At the day we will be looking at:
• What issues does living amongst Muslims raise for young people and how can we speak into this?
• How can we help them build friendships with Muslims?
• Can they share their faith with Muslim friends? If so how?
• How do we help them deal with conflict?
• What kind of events could they invite Muslim friends to?

As you can see this is not about assuming that we all believe the same, but aims to help young people love their Muslim neighbour with a genuine love whilst also loving the Lord their God. It also equips the young people to 'give the reason for the hope they have within them. With gentleness and respect'.

The other main work of Youth Encounter is the bringing together of Christian and Muslim young people to build friendships and to understand and explain what they believe. Once again this is not about claiming that our faiths are the same. At every event we run (and you can see many examples on the Youth Encounter website)we look at an issue of interest to young people and look at how Christianity and Islam speak into the issue. We then clearly identify the similarities and differences between the teachings of the two faiths. In doing this we challenge the young people to discuss difference peacefully.

I hope you can see that this work strives to be faithful to Scripture and relevant to the lives of young people.

Finally you raise the challenging passage in 2 Corinthians, with Paul's injunction that we must not be yoked to unbelievers. I believe this passage is a real challenge to the whole church. I'm not sure that in our work we are 'yoked' with Muslims. In fact in many ways I am yoked to other non-beliers not least through the fact that I have a mortgage with a bank with no Christian basis. I'm also aware that there are churches up and down the country doing very good work in conjunction with local authorities, the police and others. These partnerships could be considered ‘yoked’ as they carry contractual obligations. In the light of this I think it is important that people like yourself keep asking these questions so that the church more widely can wrestle with these important issues.

Thank you, once again, for asking these questions and for taking an interest in the work of Youth Encounter.

Yours,

Dr Andrew Smith
Director of Youth Encounter

What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?

I don't normally listen to BBC Radio 2!  However, I awoke very early this morning and, for some reason, my MP3/Radio, that had been left on Radio 4, was on 2.  I hadn't even realised that from 0600 to 0800 there is a 'Sunday programme' but, there it was - the 'God-spot'!

It was the end of a report on a training day on Discipleship and Diversity to be held, next month, under the auspices of Scripture Union - a well-known Christian (and evangelical) organisation.  What surprised me was learning that it was part of Youth Encounter - designed to help Christians and Muslims learn about and reflect on youth work in a multi-faith context. 


Now it must be admitted that Christianity and Islam do have certain things in common.  Both believe in the existence of a Creator God; both hold the written Word of God in high regard; both give a special prominence to Jesus of Nazareth; both anticipate a 'heaven' and a 'hell'. 

However, the differences are very important.  The Allah (not, by the way, a name; but simply the Arabic word that I would translate into the English language as 'god') is not the God of the Bible.  The Islamic conception of Allah is of a distant deity who has arranged the fate of every human being - a fate that cannot be avoided.  In Islam, it is the Qur'an that is claimed to be the final written revelation of God.  In Islam, Jesus is an honoured prophet  - but no more than that (and, of course, second in importance to Mohammad).  In Islam, it is my actions in life that determine whether I spend the after-life in heaven or hell.


The Gospel provides a totally different picture.  Almighty God is not a distant deity.  He is One Who is intimately involved in His creation.  For the Christian, it is the Bible - both the Old Testament and the New Testament - that contains His written Word.  Jesus, of course, is God incarnate - God 'clothing' Himself in human flesh.  He is the pre-eminent One; "... the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him [Father] God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.  He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.  Everything was created through Him and for Him.  He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.  Christ is also the Head of the church, which is His body.  He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So He is first in everything.  For [Father] God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Jesus, [Father] God reconciled
everything to Himself.  He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross." (Col 1:15-20).

The Gospel also makes clear that I can never earn my salvation by my own good works.  "God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago." (Eph 2:8-10).


So, while I am all for dialogue with anyone, I am concerned that someone in S.U. may have forgotten that clear injunction given to the early church in Corinth: "Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?  What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?  And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: 'I will live in them
and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says YHWH.   Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.  And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says YHWH Shaddai.'" (II Cor 6:14-18).


If S.U. is encouraging an involvement with Muslims, then surely it should be, not to work together, but to work (and pray) for their salvation!   It should be to introduce them to Jesus, not merely as a prophet, but as Saviour, and Lord, and God.  It should be to lead them to the One Who said, "I am the way , the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6).

I plan to send this post to S.U. headquarters for comment.  I will report, at a later date, on any response that I may receive!