We should care about Egypt because God has called us to care about others beyond ourselves, families beyond our families, people beyond our churches and our faith, and nations beyond our nation. The Church the Body of Christ is made up of believers from every nation, tongue, and tribe of man. So our spiritual and eternal family is multi-national and multi-cultural and we need to embrace that with our care and concerns.
Egypt is one of the earliest places where the Gospel spread and Alexandria, Egypt became the center of a very strong early Christian community. Alexandria was the second largest city, next to Rome, in the Roman Empire and a place of evangelism in the early church. The Coptic Church in Egypt is one of the oldest Christian traditions.
We are told in I Timothy 2: 1-4 to pray for those in authority that we may live in peace. The purpose of this is so that all men may hear the gospel. God is the God of the whole world. God loves the world. We are called to reach the whole world. So our prayers extend beyond our concerns for our country to the needs of all people and Egypt needs our prayers now.
We should pray that this will become a freedom movement that spreads throughout the Middle East. All dictatorships are wrong because they have to oppress the people to maintain their hold. And that usually includes an oppressive stand toward Christianity because informed Christianity is the mother of political freedom. Hosni Mubarak has been a secular dictator in Egypt who has enriched himself on the $1.5 billion dollar annual aid he receives from the U.S.. He has played a shrewd game of accommodating U.S. interests in the region while raping his people of their political freedom and economic opportunities. In that way he has been similar to the last four dictators who have ruled and raped Haiti. What could take his place is the totalitarian dictatorial rule of an Islamic caliphate. That would be replacing one evil with another. In the past, one of our big concerns was the potential take over by Marxist dictators. That is still a potential threat. Oppression is oppression no matter who the oppressor is.
The freedom of speech that has been created by the cell phone, the internet, Facebook, and Twitter has allowed a new kind of revolution of the people in all places of the world where they are oppressed. There is a freedom movement that is trying to happen across the Middle East in Tunisia, Jordan, Yemen, and other places. This could become a tipping point where the everyday people of the Middle East throw off their oppressors and replace them with emerging democracies. The Islamic Brotherhood has shouted Allahi Akbar in the streets in Egypt and at times many in the streets have responded with "Muslim, Christian: We are all Egyptian!" This is the spirit of a true democracy. As Christians it is not our calling to establish "Christian nations". It is our calling to pray and work for freedom because when that happens the Gospel can be proclaimed and where it is proclaimed it can always compete against the other ideas in the market place and it does call people to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Not only does it provide them with a faith that saves their souls but with a world view to create a free and virtuous society that is inclusive of all people.
Pray for true freedom and democracy in Egypt and pray that it spreads throughout the Middle East. If that happens the message of Christ will have a new impact there that could change the world. Work for freedom by communicating the benefits of a Christian vision of true freedom which are freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom to vote leaders in and out of office and economic freedom to pursue prosperity without the shackles of an oppressive government.
If you know anyone in the Middle East or who is connected with the Middle East, share this blog with them and join the revolution.
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