YWAM Chairman Addresses Interfaith Relationships in Muslim Mosque in England
YWAM International Chairman Lynn Green addressed a prayer meeting in a major Muslim mosque in England last week, appealing for Christian-Muslim reconciliation.
The international chairman of Youth With A Mission addressed a prayer meeting in a major Muslim mosque in England last week, appealing for Christian-Muslim reconciliation.
Last Friday, YWAM International Chairman Lynn Green together with a few Christian companions, were invited to speak at the Grand Mosque in Leeds, England, according to a YWAM news report.
Green told YWAM that God had recently sent him “some unusual opportunities.”
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"This past Friday I had the privilege and honor of speaking at the Grand Mosque in Leeds,” Green said. “The young Muslims who created so much devastation in London on July 7 this year were members of that Mosque and they built the bombs just a few yards from where I spoke."
On July 7, four suicide bombers blew themselves up on a bus and the underground in London, leaving 56 deaths and hundreds of injured. Although the suspects were U.K. natives with Pakistani heritage and Muslim background, many have mistakenly related terrorism to those Muslim ethnic minorities.
According to Green, the current violence in France, along with reactions to the London and Madrid bombings have put Europe in a dangerous place, YWAM reported.
In the midst of the intensifying misunderstanding and hatred between different faiths after a series of violence and terrorist attacks in Europe, Green used the special occasion to deliver a message of reconciliation between the Christian and Muslim communities in front of some several hundred Muslims, according to YWAM.
"We are now very vulnerable to a rise in nationalistic or racist thinking. One of the most dangerous facets of our fallen nature is our tendency to see the world through ‘us and them’ eyes. That can manifest itself in nationalism, racism, tribalism or religious bigotry," Green told YWAM.
"That is why Jesus commanded that we should love our enemies. And we can't love anyone without first building some bridges of friendship. I believe it is of the utmost importance that Christians, and the churches they attend, should reach out to their Muslim neighbors all across this land," Green continued.
The encounter with Muslims in England has been quite fruitful. According to YWAM, Green described the Muslim audience as "gracious" during the question and answer session after his speech, adding that "God gave me wisdom and that good progress was made."
Some other related issues such as the war in Iraq or the troubles between Israel and Palestinians also were discussed.
"The general tone of our dialogue was one of respect and they repeatedly expressed very warm appreciation for our reconciliation initiative," Green reported to YWAM. "I was particularly pleased that some local church leaders had taken the initiative to bring us together and that they would remain to follow up on the relationships that were strengthened on the day."
In addition, Green highlighted the sermon delivered by the Imam during the prayer meeting, which "condemned the recent lethal bombings in Jordan as well as the London bombings in July and declared that all violence of this type is condemned by Muslim law (Sharia)."
Green lamented that many Western press agencies do not normally hear messages such as what he heard.
"It is a dangerous deafness," he said.
According to YWAM, Green was scheduled to fly to Amman, Jordan on Nov. 17 to speak to a Christian audience. He would also be looking for opportunities to build more bridges of friendship with the Muslims.
Jordan was the site of a recent suicide bombing earlier this week.
