And You Shall Be a Blessing - Naja Ben

God's basic calling on the Church as a whole and on each believer as an individual is to receive his blessing and to be a blessing to others. This basic calling was first given to Abraham, when God said to him: "I will bless you ... and all families on earth shall be blessed in you." Historically, the relationship between the Church and people of other cultures and religions has not always been a happy one. Often, there has been verbal and sometimes even physical conflict. In today's world, there are hardly any nations in which Christians do not live as immediate neighbors of people of other cultures and religions. The potential for conflict is there, and far too often, the Church has reacted with hatred or retreated in fear. This book takes us back to God's initial calling: To be a blessing. The authors have a combined experience of around thirty years of life and work in Christian-Muslim relations in various Muslim dominated nations. Their conclusion is that the best way to handle these challenges is not conflict or provocation, hatred or fear; but love, service, prayer and seeking to be a blessing in word and deed - in whatever way possible. This book is full of practical examples and approaches of how we can be a blessing. It is a treasure of insights that are applicable inWestern countries as well as in the Global South. Its focus is not on theories - rather it encourages the overcoming of hatred and fear and motivates the initiation of positive encounters and maintenance of healthy relationships with people of other cultures and religions such as immigrants.