A recent visit by Deeper Christian Life Ministry General Superintendent, Pastor William F. Kumuyi, to Pakistan has sparked a call for Christians to cross cultural and religious boundaries in spreading the gospel.
In a message shared by Oshodi Friday, the writer highlighted Kumuyi’s visit to Pakistan for a crusade and his subsequent visit to the palace of Pakistan’s Chief Imam.
Describing the encounter as “a powerful picture of building bridges instead of walls,” Friday said Christians should be willing to engage people beyond familiar religious and social environments in order to share the message of Christ.
“Sometimes, reaching people for Christ means going beyond the places where we feel comfortable,” Friday wrote.
He referenced Mark 16:15 from the King James Version of the Bible, where Jesus instructed His followers to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
According to Friday, crossing cultural, social and religious boundaries should be done with “love, wisdom, humility, and courage,” while remaining faithful to Christian teachings.
He stressed that breaking religious barriers should not be interpreted as compromising one’s faith, but rather as creating opportunities for dialogue, relationships and the communication of the Christian message.
“Breaking barriers does not mean compromising our faith. It means opening doors for conversations, relationships, and opportunities to share the message of Christ,” he said.
Friday further described the world as the Christian community’s mission field and urged believers to demonstrate courage and wisdom in engaging people from different backgrounds.
He concluded with a prayer asking God to give Christians the courage to go into places where others may be reluctant to venture and the wisdom to represent Christ with grace.
“Lord, make us bold witnesses for You! Amen,” he wrote.
