Jeff Adams

I can’t believe we are almost finished with our study of The Mission – not finished with The Mission, just the study! One  of major emphasis has been to take the focus off of geography and put it where Jesus did, on the peoples of the world. For the past few decades we have not done the best job of  going to the uttermost, so God has been bringing the peoples of the world to our doorstep.

After talking a bit Sunday about learning to be sensitive to the different people groups in our own city, I received an email from Shirley,  a fascinating lady in our congregation who is herself a case study of ethnic sensitivity. I asked her if I could share the following article with you. I found it to be a wonderful example and confirmation of what I have been talking about.

After living in Jerusalem for two years, I became used to seeing people sharing sidewalks and hearing traffic noises, so when I come back to my well manicured, quiet Overland Park suburb, I have to spend hours every day on the patio of the Starbucks on the Plaza. It is not close to the liveliness but good enough.

While on the patio, I noticed many people speaking all different languages. I’ve heard Arabic, Russian, Ethiopian, Korean, Chinese (which is also my mother tongue), French, and others that I cannot identify. They all seem to have settled in Kansas City for awhile.  Since I just came back from the Middle East, I took special notice of the Arabic speakers. I talked to one of them, and discovered that he was a Palestinian from Gaza. Ha! How strange that I should meet a Gazan all the way back home here in Kansas City. Then, I met his friend, an Iraqi who is studying at UMKC. We talked about Middle Eastern food, weather, deserts, Gaza, similarity between Hebrew and Arabic, and how amazing it was that we should meet. A few days later, I asked a lady where she got her accent and found out that she was from Egypt.

A few weeks later, I gathered all of them plus my Kansan friend Suzy, who has a big heart for strangers, for Happy Hour at Kona Grill. Suzy and I drank our sugary alcoholic drinks while our new Muslim friends drank soda and we made a point of not ordering pork dishes. We joked and laughed and talked about our hobbies, childhood, life path, and we laughed more. At 9pm, the evening was still young, and our new friends invited us to their usual hangout, Simbab’s hookah bar in Westport. In the mild cloud of hookah smoke, we listened to the owner Sami serenading his customers and we made plans to cook together and go to UMKC’s culture day together.

While talking, we found out that after living in Kansas City for years, they had not made friends with locals, let alone Christians. Statistically, that is surprising. The Kansas City metro area is made up of 94% US natives and about 40% Christians. Has no one from these majority groups reached out to a stranger from a different culture background? What about different religions, different social economic classes, or different colors? Cared if they are homesick or need a friend? Invited them to a ball game or a BBQ? By reaching out, I mean actively making friends by conversing, exchanging contact information, hanging out together, and introducing them to your friends to give them a chance to be a part of your circle and give them a chance to make new friends. Being a first generation immigrant, I can assure you that foreigners almost never turn down an invitation from the locals because we are dying to see how the locals live; and I am sure people in other minority groups would respond in the same way.

Many Christians do not agree with other religions or alternative life styles, but we have to remember that under every title and label, there is a person. Do we see that person? Do we care about that person, who is just like you, God’s crowning creation? Rule number one for reaching out is, of course, do it out of sincere care and even curiosity, never out of ulterior motives such as converting, earning favor with God, or hurrying God’s Kingdom. Trust me, it is very obvious if one carries a hidden agenda, and it will only bring about disappointment and distrust for your new friends.

“Imitate me,” said Apostle Paul, so I also say imitate me and reach out sincerely because you care. If you don’t have that desire, it is time to pray and examine your heart’s priority in serving God.

In an interesting PS, Shirley told me that when she went to her favorite Starbucks the next day, her Iraqi friend told her he was waiting for a Jewish rabbi who had asked him for help in learning Arabic! The Iraqi was feeling a bit nervous about meeting his new “student” and asked Shirley to sit with them to help bridge the gap. What an amazing world! Engage in The Mission!