On Saturday, our church was featured on the front page of the NY Times. About a month church a reporter named Warren St. John from the Times came to Clarkston with the sole purpose of covering the story of an International Southern Baptist Church. You can read the article here. They also covered it on a video for the NYTimes.com.
Check it out, its a great story.
We had an amazing opportunity today to meet with several Muslim men in the local mosque. A friend of mine had organized the meeting with the Imam but, unknown to us, he was sick this weekend. However, when we showed up unannounced and uninvited, the craziest thing happened – they invited us in and spoke to us of their religion for over 90 minutes. The men , both old and young, sat with us while we discussed the holiday of Ramadan.
I listened during the discussion, as they explained the pillars of Islam and how it is practiced. There were several questions from the group of us that attended. However the most important comment that was made by one of the elder men had to do with the violence and extremest topics. He made sure to state that Islamic Radicals are not followers of Allah. He also stated that the issues we see in the news have very little to do with religion. They are products of the global communities politics.
Most of what we see in the news is politically driven from one side or another. As I have mentioned before, the only way to understand people is to befriend them. Book knowledge and websites – this blog included, are incomplete. People are not to be merely read about, they are to be encountered.
Today marks the first day of the month long Islamic Holiday of Ramadan. The celebration is different than most Christian or Jewish Religious holidays. Ramadan centers around the Lunar cycle, and lasts about 30 days. The end marks the beginning of a 3 day feast, called Eid Al-Fittar. It is a celebration of the Night of Power where it is believed that Mohammed ascended into heaven from the mount on which the Dome of the Rock currently resides. Also, instead of eating continually, (as we do on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) they chose to fast everyday, from dawn till dusk. At dusk, the call to prayer is sung, and the feasting begins. Some of you may remember my blog post last year conserning Ramadan in Jordan. Near dusk, the restaurants in downtown Amman fill up with hungry, nicotene deprived Arabs. They stare as the food is laid out before them, anxiously awaiting the Call to Prayer from the local Mosque. When that signal finally arrives, all goes silent, and for 30 minutes everyone feasts. Here in Clarkston, we are expecting the Somali community to be especially devout in their fasting.
Ramadan is also a time of generosity towards one another. The Arabic greeting during this time is “Ramadan Kareem,” followed with a response of “Allah Akram.” The idea is that we are to be generous as God is generous.
Several of the believers here in Clarkston are choosing to observe Ramadan. This is a great time for you to invite your Muslim friends over for “Iftar,” or “the breaking of the fast. It is also a perfect excuse for you to do your own fasting and praying for the Islamic community of the world, as well as the community that lives close to you. The ideas of fasting and generosity are very close to the Islamic heart. Use this as a topic of conversation. Discuss why you, as a believer fast. And most importantly, listen and learn from their culture. Show some hospitality and respect for their holiday, and allow that friendship to grow.
When I came home from Jordan, over 3 months ago, I truly believed my life had taken a turn toward dullness. Surely nothing America had to offer could match that of the Middle East. I thought the issues I dealt with in Jordan would dwarf that of the issues found within the boundaries of the “Home of the Free.”
Today, I would like to recant those thoughts. I am currently living in the strangest city I have ever visited, much less inhabited. Although my heart longs to return to the work in Jordan, I know that God has placed me here, in Clarkston, Ga for a time and purpose.
Until 15 years ago, Clarkston was a quiet, white suburban town of Atlanta. Then the white southerners worst nightmare happened. Refugees from all regions of the globe became neighbors after government placement. Clarkston is ideal for refugee placement, since it has easy access to the city of Atlanta along with a vast amount of apartment complexes with-in its suburban radius. Since they initial refugee placement, the diversity has only grown. Clarkston High now boasts 47 different languages spoken by their students. You read correctly. 47. The people groups range from Laos to Bosnia to Somalia to Sudan. The Somali’s boast largest number in our little suburbia. Of the refugees, somewhere between 70-80% are of Islamic faith. The local mosque is Somali controlled, however a few other groups also attend.
My neighbors are from everywhere except America. The majority are a group of Russian Turks, which I will detail their extraordinary journey to America at a later date. The rest hail from Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone (to name a few). Walking outside every morning is a inter-cultural experience. The older Turk men are sitting, talking and smoking while the covered Somali mothers walk with their babies in the cool of the daybreak breeze.
There is so much to be done. In discussing the needs of the refugee population, it is hard to know where to begin. All have been placed here by the government, and have 90 days to start living independently before the Federal support runs out. Thats 90 days to find a job, learn the local bus system, learn how to cope with American appliances, learn how to save money, develop enough of the English language to apply for a job, and deal with being in a new, faster, and less friendly American culture.
Overwhelmed yet?
Well the beautiful thing is that God is not overwhelmed. He has brought the nations to Clarkston, and He has placed a remnant of His people with-in them. I have been amazed at the unity that He has developed in what I call the “Church of Clarkston.” Through my discussions with the local believers that have chosen to live among the people of Clarkston, a common goal and vision has been the topic. God is at work, and we are seeking His wisdom and guidance.
The harvest is ready, and the workers are here.
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