How to Respond to Radical Islam

A week rarely passes without a headline of another horrific attack by Islamic radicals.

Boko Haram, ISIS, and Hamas are now household names… recognizable because of their terrorist activities in the Middle East and Europe.

So how do we—as believers—react to these terror-driven attacks and extreme persecution destroying our brothers and sisters around the world?

Muslim Misconceptions

We have to start by understanding Muslims—who they are and who they’re not.

One of the major misconceptions about Muslims is that they’re all extremists.

This cannot be further from the truth. Many Muslims have questions about Isa al Masih (Jesus the Messiah) and have no one in their communities who can answer them.

Daily thousands are perishing with unanswered questions and no opportunity to hear the saving message of the gospel… and that should break our hearts.

Instead of acting out of our flesh and lashing out in anger towards radical Islam, East-West is working to follow the words of Christ… love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44).

A Spirit of Boldness

This teaching from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount manifests itself in boldness because we trust that the light and momentary affliction of persecution pales in comparison to eternal glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

The role of Christ’s followers has never been—and never will be—shrinking back in the face of inexplicable evil.

Instead, we witness to the ones threatening to harm us, and we fervently pray for radical Saul-to-Paul heart transformations… all the while knowing that God’s grace extends to even the hardest hearts.

Because Jesus died for the martyrs and the murderers.

We’ve been given a spirit of power, not timidity (2 Timothy 1:7). If we die while testifying to the Good News of Jesus, our fate is eternal glory; for the unreached, their fate is eternal wrath.

In the words of Paul, “for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Muslim Ministry in Action

This bold spirit of action at East-West includes expanding our Muslim Initiative.

We’re sending long-term missionaries as teachers, coaches, business owners, and more to leverage their passions to reach unreached Muslims with the gospel.

Despite the terrors of radical Islam, the cause of Christ is moving forward.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims have fled their nations and are displaced throughout Europe.

Once living in lands impenetrable to western culture and Christianity, these people are now in places like France, Greece, and Spain where we can easily mobilize the Body of Christ to evangelize the lost on short-term mission trips.

This proves the gospel cannot and will not be hindered by the plots of the evil one.

Jesus will be proclaimed to all creation (Mark 16:15). Every knee will bow and tongue will confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).

So how do we react to Muslims in light of the horrors of radical Islam?

We love them, pray for them, and boldly step into darkness to proclaim His marvelous light.