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Churches field pressure inside and outside of congregations
By Kat Meyer
Community News Editor
Congregations that had prayed for peace between Iraq and the United States in the last few months continued their prayers since Operation Iraqi Freedom was unleashed.
Rev. Ayub Francis Nasar told his parishioners at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, “Before the war we all prayed very hard. Now that it has started, we have to pray even harder.”
Nasar asked parishioners to pray a special prayer for Iraqi citizens, “that God will keep them strong in their time of trial,” besides encouraging them to pray for leaders on both sides.
Whether local congregation members feel action against Iraq was necessary or are upset over the United States’ offensive, their pastors and leaders are put in a sometimes awkward position since community members look to them for insight.
That responsibility is something they don’t take lightly.
Rev. Mary Hulst, the pastor of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church, said. “Thankfully, my members are understanding of other perspectives and no one ever debates me over these things. We try to foster a community where all opinions are welcome to be expressed.”
“Truth is, I do use the war to illustrate truth, but I don’t preach about the war,” Hulst said.
“My congregation is full of thoughtful people who are arranged on the whole of the political spectrum,” Hulst said.
With the amount of constant news coverage by the media, it’s not far from most peoples’ minds, something Hulst keeps in mind.
“My goal is to present the gospel so that all can understand its relevance for their lives.
Sometimes this means making some folks uncomfortable, or challenging others, or inspiring even more, but my goal as a preacher is to preach the gospel, not to preach politics,” she said.
“I set out to present the biblical truth as a Reformed theologian. That’s my primary aim.”
She has had to adjust her sermons because of her own concerns with the war.
“I had an almost-finished sermon and then started over on Saturday morning when I realized that the war issues were weighing on me and I knew they would be weighing on my congregation,” she said.
“I used the war angst to point us to how much we all need a savior who suffers with us and for us (Is. 53 and Lord’s Day 15 of the Heidelberg Catechism).”
War has hit closer to home for some members of Hulst’s congregation than just the television.
“In our congregation we have a congressman, a captain in the Army who will be sent to Kuwait this week, a sailor in the Navy and an Air Force instructor who is presently based in Las Vegas, so we have people whose lives are dominated by the war,” she said.
Having members whose hearts and thoughts are always with loved ones can put pressure on their church leaders, whom they look to for assurance.
“We try to be supportive of them as they fight on our behalf while also praying and working for justice and peace,” Hulst said.
“I try to be as wise as I can as a spiritual leader, spending time praying, listening to others and discerning what the Spirit would have me say to this church.”
For another Grand Rapids congregation, the war also raises concerns.
The Islamic Center of Grand Rapids holds their weekly congregational meeting and service every Friday. Last weeks’ was attended by members of the media as well.
“It was not intrusive,” said Dr. Sharif Sahibzada, a leader of the local Muslim community.
“We’re a community under pressure, but the media is still welcome.”
“The issue becomes somewhat more complicated for the Muslim community,” he said.
“We have two concerns, one is that Muslims are also Americans, so on both sides there are casualties,” Sahibzada said.
“We pray that it is resolved peacefully with Allah’s mercy.”
He said although there are very few Iraqis in Grand Rapids, they do keep in touch with relatives in Iraq.
The circumstances for his community have totally changed since 9/11.
Because of the present circumstances they want to keep silent, for obvious safety and privacy concerns, something that Sahibzada feels is understandable.
“They want to remain silent, a reason that goes both ways,” Sahibzada said. Because they are living in America, they run the double risk of either being pinpointed by the FBI like Iraqis in Detroit, or, by speaking openly, risk consequences from Iraq authorities.
As a leader in the Grand Rapids Muslim community, Sahibzada feels the pressure. “It’s a very critical and sensitive position from the press and our own community,” he said. He is taking extra caution.
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