Christianity and Iraq

In the heart of this Muslim land you find a fine Christian undercurrent. Sgt.-Major Vimoto tells me about a local radio station manager who is Christian. This Christian man runs an orphanage at one of the local schools. A good, noble, and brave man, in my opinion. Conversely, can you imagine a Muslim running an orphanage for Christian children? Perhaps not as easily, as good of a people as they are.

And another time when Vimoto was invited with his soldiers to hear Iraqi children sing (more like shout) a Christmas song in their language for his crew.

And one of our “laundry ladies” that wears a cross. She is the one that can be trusted, who, knowing my firm belief in the same religion, carefully looks after my hooch and goes the extra mile for me.

And when a friend of mine who has been studying world religions started coming to our church meetings, his Muslim co-worker immediately noticed a change in his demeanor--he became so nice, she said, that she had to give him a hug! And she accepted an invitation to visit a religion that had this kind of effect for good on a person.

Conquering Muslims in history are known to have enforced the “convert or die” policy in areas like Iraq. It may well be that, as this land becomes a democracy, some families may return to their Christian roots. Iraq already has the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle-East and contains (at least the reputed) sites of many Biblical stories such as the Tower of Babel, the city of Nineveh, and Daniel’s Lions Den.

Add to that the excellent example of many American soldiers, which Iraqis (correctly) believe to be of a Christian nation and the converts that often follow in the path of the American soldier, and Christianity may have an interesting future indeed in the Middle East. I find that interesting, at the very least.