The picture on the top represents the kingdoms of this world. The picture on the bottom represents the kingdom of our God. The picture on the top illustrates the futile attempts of the kingdoms of this world to bring peace between factions that have been warring for generations. It is a picture of the walls erected in Baghdad to keep the Sunnis from attacking the Shiites and vice versa. And we all are witnessing how well that is working.

The picture on the bottom represents the kingdom of our God. The man in the middle is an American medical missionary who works in Nigeria. His name is Dr. Tracy Goen. He went to a mission hospital that was about to close its doors. At first, he primarily ministered to the Yoruba people. They had been Christian for several generations and welcomed him warmly. But through some very unusual (some would say supernatural events) he began to work with a predominantly Muslim nomadic people called the Fulani. He endeared himself to this group of people by healing their sick and vaccinating their cattle (he was studying veterinary medicine at Texas A&M before he decided to become an MD). He did not charge them for the vaccinations. He gained such trust with the Fulani, that they made him one of their kings, with all of the rights and privileges that go with the office.

His deep relationship of trust and friendship with both Yorubas and Fulanis was developed through selfless service to both. Because of these relationships, Goen was able to bring an end to decades of killing between the two tribes. The Yorubas are subsistence farmers. The Fulani are cattlemen. Fulani cattle would often devour Yoruba farms and the Yoruba would retaliate by killing Fulani cattle. The Fulani would retaliate by killing Yorubas. Yorubas would retaliate by killing Fulani, resulting in generations of cyclical violence.

The doctor was able to bring both sides together to work out an equitable solution. The Yoruba were told to not kill a Fulani cow if it invaded his farm. Instead, they were to come to the Council and they would be compensated. The Fulani were told not to retaliate if one of their cattle were killed by the Yoruba. Instead, they were come to the council and they would be compensated. For the past three years the killing has stopped between the two tribes.

When Tracy Goen told his story at our church, he showed a picture of himself standing between the local leader of the Yorubas and one of the kings of the Fulani (that is not the picture above, although I have included it as a representation.). The contrast in the kingdoms was indelibly etched into my mind and soul.

Maybe Jesus really knew what He was talking about when He said the we should seek the benefit of our enemies with the same energy that we seek our own (Matt. 5:43-44).