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Should
Christians Convert Muslims?” The words blazed
across Time’s June 30,
2003, cover. Articles inside presented a fairly
positive, accurate picture of
Christian relief work in Muslim countries. The
authors did their homework,
interviewing a broad spectrum of respected missionary
leaders. They uncovered
uncertainty, even within the evangelical community,
about whether Christians
should overtly share their faith. Some leaders
stated that evangelism often closes
doors, thwarting attempts to deliver food and health
care. Others believed
that attempts to share the faith sometimes foster
political instability.
Although the gist of the articles seemed sympathetic
to Christian missions, the
general message seemed to be, “Shut up and get
on with the good deeds.”
So
then, should Christians convert Muslims—or anybody
else for that matter?
Perhaps Time asked the wrong question. First,
we
have to get our theology
straight. Christians don’t convert anyone. That
is the Holy Spirit’s job (Jn
3:5-8; 6:63; 16:8-10). Just what does God expect
us to do?
Witness
Jesus commissioned the post-Resurrection church,
saying, “You will receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and
you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
God calls us to be powerful witnesses. As witnesses,
we tell the truth about
what we have seen and heard. We give credit where
credit is due. In other words,
if we offer health care and humanitarian aid because
the love of God compels
us, we say so. Otherwise we simply glorify ourselves.
This witnessing may get
us into trouble, even when sensitive, appropriate
and
accompanied by good works. The New Testament records
the first missionary
ventures. Early missionaries faced everything from
imprisonment to political
instability. Peter and John, on trial for healing
a disabled man in the name of
Christ, boldly insisted, “We must obey God rather
than any human authority”
(Acts 5:29). Paul wrote to his friends in Corinth,
“Five times I have received
from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three
times I was beaten with rods.
Once I received a stoning” (2 Cor 11:24-25). Yet
he did not hesitate to speak
clearly of his conversion to Christ before the
political leaders who imprisoned
him (Acts 26).
Make Disciples
Second, immediately prior to Christ’s crucifixion,
he told his disciples, “Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey
everything that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20).
Making disciples involves
long-term involvement with a handful of people.
Jesus didn’t tell his disciples
to distribute tracts, to preach on street corners
or to fly into remote areas,
patch people up and leave. Although these activities
could pique interest in
Christ, they appear insensitive and ineffective.
If we look at Jesus’ model for
disciple-making, we see him patiently mentoring
twelve men for three years.
Although his public ministry included healing and
speaking to crowds, his most
intensive work took place among a small band of
disciples. We also see a
progression in this Great Commission—making disciples
(basic teaching), then
baptizing and then the advanced course (“everything
that I have commanded you”).
Jesus did not make disciples to foster dependency
but to empower them to become
leaders who would, in turn, prepare more leaders
(2 Tim 2:2).
What might disciple-making
entail for nurses? For me, it includes traveling
internationally to teach nurse educators and leaders
how to incorporate a
Christian nursing metaparadigm into their teaching,
and then mentoring them
individually through e-mail and occasional visits.
For others, disciple-making takes
place long term, in-country, through patient teaching,
modeling and
encouragement. Some short-term missionary nurses
partner with local Christian churches
and agencies to provide needed health services.
Still others work on a broader
scale, partnering with large international health
care organizations and
institutions.
Heal in Christ’s Name
Third, when Jesus commissioned the first batch
of missionaries, he charged,
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are
few; therefore ask the Lord of
the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
Go on your way. . .
.Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome
you, eat what is set before you;
cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The
kingdom of God has come near
to you’” (Lk 10:2-9). Their job description could
be summed us as pray, work
hard, live among the people, accept their hospitality,
heal and proclaim the
gospel. If they don’t welcome you, move on.
Overall, a healthy, Spirit-filled
church is a church in mission. Every
Christian is a missionary. Christ has given us
our mission—to be his witnesses, to
make disciples, to heal and to proclaim the gospel.
We are to do that with
boldness and sensitivity, loving and respecting
the people we encounter. However,
our agenda must be set by God’s standards, not
by the world’s expectations.
When a disabled man sought a hand out from disciples
Peter and John, Peter
answered, “I have no silver or gold, but what I
have I give you; in the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk” (Acts
3:6). That caring act got them
into big trouble with the governing authorities.
As Christian nurses, we
offer the same gift to those in our care—at home
or abroad—quality health care in
the name of Jesus Christ. And it just might get
us into trouble.—JAS
Discussion
Questions on this editorial |
