It’s not new to all Filipinos as well as to all people in the world who kept themselves updated from the news about the occurrences that happened in Jolo, Sulu and other islands found in the Sulu Archipelago, located primarily in the Southwest Philippines between Mindanao and Borneo” where ninety percent (90%) of the people are Muslims and only ten percent (10%) are Christians (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolo, Sulu, accessed January 28, 2013). Killings, bombings and kidnappings frequently happen in this area. Bandits (e.g. Abu Sayyaf) with their victims spend a month or even months in their hiding place. Torture and the art of paying a ransom go hand in hand. And, the story goes on and on. No wonder why many don’t want to be in that area. These unpleasant incidents have been happening for years already.
Until now, only a few missionaries commit to spend time with our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. Because of the war conflict in some major islands like Jolo, Christians are dispersed and transferred to a safer place like Zamboanga City. The pastors (though some died few years ago) I have known during my childhood years (for I have lived for 14 years in Tawi-Tawi) are still the current pastors today. One of them is my father who worked there for 25 years. Yet, they are growing older and there are still more islands in the Sulu Archipelago, waiting to be reached out.
A line from the song titled “We Speak to Nations” says, “Who will go for us? Who will shout to the corners of the earth that Christ is King?” (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/i/israel_houghton/we_speak_to_nations.html, January 28, 2013) Who will go for us? There are a lot of challenges in the mission field but when the Lord calls and puts you there, He will make it sure that you can do the mission, that is, to reach our Muslim brethren. One of the basic things to do in the field is to establish trust and create a meaningful relationship with them. You won’t go there in order to change them. You just spend time, laugh with them and live as a blessing. By doing these simple acts, you are conveying God's love to them. Majority of the people living in that area are actually good and pious people. Thus, it’s time to change our mindset and try not to generalize the way we see our Muslim brethren. As a matter of fact, they are the friendliest people I have been with. As I call them my ba’gay (friends), you can be a ba’gay to them if you wish to.
1. The dispersed Christians who were once Muslims can be effective in reaching out to them. What do you think are the contributing factors that deprived them from doing so?
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolo, Sulu, accessed January 28, 2013.
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/i/israel_houghton/we_speak_to_nations.html, January 28, 2013.
http://theislandsofpearls.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html, accessed January 29, 2013.
De Jesus, Benjamin & Deborah Cowles, A Man Sent from God. Manila: The Alliance Publishers, Inc., 1986.
