Learning to look at the world through God's eyes

United Kingdom | OM International

I probably looked funny to people on the street: an obvious foreigner with an oversized backpack secured tightly and a stuffed bag slung over my shoulder, standing in front of what looked like a deserted building on a Saturday afternoon. I knocked timidly, knowing I was at the right place, but received no answer, so I rang the bell. A few moments later, the door opened and I was looking in to a large hallway full of people running around laughing, playing on a computer, and listening to music. Was I looking into a different world? Well, almost. It was a different world compared to its surroundings.

I entered the busy atmosphere and was greeted by two ladies with a sign on their table that said, “Check in.” They joked about me finally arriving, and sent me in to the main room to meet my team. As our team assembled, my smile got bigger and bigger with each hand I shook. I already felt the joy of the Lord pouring over us, and my anxieties washing away.

My team consisted of 10 people representing five countries: Germany, Pakistan, America, Korea, and The Netherlands. We ate our first meal together and introduced ourselves more thoroughly. After the meal we played a game to remember each other’s names, and every once in a while we’d burst into fits of laughter.  The other two teams were doing the same – this was already a place of fellowship.

We had a few minutes to meet the other teams and find a seat in the main room for orientation, including an overview of our two weeks. We also learned about Speaker’s Corner, a one-of-a-kind experience that takes place on Sunday nights – something we’d experience the next day! After the session, each team disbursed to a church where we’d sleep for the next two weeks.

My team’s church was about a 15-minute walk from the centre. The girls pushed the padded chairs in the sanctuary together and laid our sleeping bags and air mattresses on top to keep off the floor, while the guys set up in a small classroom. As much as we wanted to get to know each other more, we went to bed early because the next day would be the beginning of a busy two weeks (and half of us were suffering from jet lag).

Sundays were different from the rest of the week. In the morning, our team cleaned the church and participated in the service. The pastor and the congregation welcomed us warmly; we were blessed by their personal stories and interest in ours. After church, all the teams came together, and after some training, we set off to Speaker’s Corner.

Since Sunday was our first full day, Speaker’s Corner was both overwhelming and exactly what we needed. Hundreds of Muslims and Christians gathered to debate religion. Although Muslims and Christians were the majority, atheists, agnostics and other religions were represented in the crowd. People asked hard questions, which required us to dig into our Bibles and the history of our faith. During the week, we dealt with questions like these from people on the streets, but not all at once. Speaker’s Corner gave us a great overview of what kind of questions would be asked of us later. Feeling drained but excited, my group left Speaker’s Corner after two hours of debating. We visited one of the team’s church plants. Their Sunday evening English / Arabic service continues to reach Muslims from all around the world.  

Monday started our regular schedule. Every other day we went to the centre for talks on Islam or other issues dealing with the Christian faith. These helped us better understand and reach out to the Muslims we encountered during the week. On the days we weren’t in the centre, we were out on the streets. We distributed Christian literature or started conversations with people on the streets or in the park. The guys set up “Coffee Corner,” a place for Muslim men to sit and drink coffee and talk. Sometimes we played worship music in the park, or go door to door and invite people to church. One of the other groups set up a small carnival in the park for kids to come and play.

Tuesday nights were prayer nights. All the teams met at the centre and different people talked about or showed a video explaining different countries or people groups. After each talk or video we prayed for each specific need. Every prayer session was different. Sometimes we’d walk around the room and pray at different stations, pray in a group, or pray out loud at the same time in our native tongue.

Wednesday’s were our day off. The first Wednesday, we toured the British Museum where we saw artefacts that proved historic details in the Bible. The rest of the time was spent exploring London.

Every morning our team spent time praying and worshipping, and during the evenings, we returned to our churches to debrief and spend time together. Since our group was so diverse, we took turns cooking meals from our countries and fellowshipped over some great food! One night, when the guys went to bed, the girls shared music and dances from our different cultures and had a fun time dancing around the room to much laughter.

At the end of the two weeks, all three teams sat in a circle at the centre to share stories of their experiences. Some were disheartening, some encouraging, and some plain funny ones. Everyone had to say something, and everyone had something to say. God moved in each one of our hearts in different and similar ways. He answered our prayers, and reminded us of the importance of being in constant prayer. He showed us the importance and benefits of being saturated in His word daily. He showed us He is the God of the universe, the God of every tribe, tongue, and nation. Most of all, He showed us His love, and gave us a glimpse of what it’s like to look at the world through His eyes.

Credit: OM International
© 2009 OM International