Going through paperwork and old mail. Going to throw this away, but wanted to remember what it said.

Today I am going through our stacks of paper...receipts, mail (junk or otherwise), etc and trying to declutter.
Found this newsletter from New Wineskins Missionary Network, and thought I would like to remember what it said (though, I don't want to keep it in a stack of papers in the guest bedroom. Posting it here so I can throw it away).
Anyway. I know. I need to take some pictures and post them here - not just copy other people's words that I want to think about more.
But for now, in a letter written by Sharon Steinmiller, the Director of New Wineskins:

September 26, 2011

Dear Friend, 

Last month I was asked to speak on China at St. David's Vacation Bible School. I showed the children pictures of the Great Wall, panda bears, and two Buddhas. I told the kids, "This one is carved out of a cliff, and that one is covered in gold, but do you know what the Bible says?"
               They have mouths, but they cannot..."Eat!" said the kids. "That's true. What else can't they do?"
               They have eyes, but they cannot..."Blink!" said the kids. "That's true. What else can't they do?"
               They have ears, but they cannot..."Hear!" "That's right. They can't hear our prayers, but Jesus does!"
               They have noses, but they cannot..."Sniff!" said the kids. "That's true. What else can't they do?" 

Muslims, by contrast, do not believe in idols, but they believe Allah is so far removed that he is unknowable. They can't know if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, so they never know if they will go to heaven. 9/11 is a sad reminder that in Islam the only sure way to heaven is to die in holy war. 

You and I are surrounded by messages saying, "All religions are the same," and "There is no absolute truth." Sometimes we forget how blessed we are to have a God who hears and answers prayer, who sees our need and cares, and who has spoken to us in his Word and come to us in person in Jesus Christ. 

If it's easy for us to forget, what is it like for the millions of people -- according to Operation World 41% of this world -- who have not heard the message of God's love and salvation in Jesus Christ? Buddhists need to know that God loves them and Jesus came to rescue them from an endless cycle of suffering. Muslims need to know they don't have to die for God because Jesus died for them.