The Power of the Word; Iraqi Muslim Convert Visits Family of Fallen Marine in Iraq

By Hicham Chehab "Your Muslim brother was killed by Christians, and my Christian son was killed by Muslims, but both of us find forgiveness, solace, and hope in Jesus Christ," George Langhorst said to me. Langhorst's son Moy was killed in action while serving in the Marines in Iraq. He died, at the age of 19, in April 2004, while on patrol with his unit in Ramadi, near Fallujah. I met the Langhorsts at one of those “God moments,” in Baxter, Minnesota, in April, during the Becoming Northern Lights Mission Conference, where Rev. Dr. Bernie Lutz and I were giving a workshop on Islam and how to witness to Muslims. In the class, I mentioned how my brother, Toufic was killed by Lebanese Christian militias at the age of 22, in November, 1980, during Lebanon's civil war. Filled with anger, two of my brother's comrades and I vowed to kill all our enemies. I got a silencer and two pistols, and I started stalking my enemies in the streets at night Meanwhile, as a student at the American University of Beirut, I had to take a course in cultural studies, for which I had to read selections from the Bible. One of the assigned readings was the Sermon on the Mount, which I read at the climax of my hate and thirst for vengeance. Christ's exhortation: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:45) struck me with full force. I thought: "There is another way, a way of forgiveness." George Langhorst's son, Moy was killed in Ramadi, Iraq on a street the Marines had dubbed "Easy Street." During a running gun battle, Moy's patrol of 11 Marines was ambushed by 50 -150 insurgents. The attack was so intense, with gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades hurled at the Marines from every door, window and roof top, that they had to get off the street to save their lives. Moy had been with three other Marines. The three found refuge by breaking down a door and fighting off persistent attacks for about an hour; but they didn't know where Moy was. When reinforcements arrived and they were able to search for Moy, they found his bullet-ridden body around a corner. Judy Langhorst, Moy's mother, walked up to me after that class in Minnesota and said: "I heard a pastor preach on Romans 12:17-21 and knew that God meant those verses for me. I have to forgive the Iraqi Muslims who killed Moy." "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good." (Romans 12:20-21) The essence of the Christian faith can be summed up in one word — love. God loves us. We are called to love God with all of our mind, body, and spirit; and to love our neighbors as ourselves. According to Christ's own words in the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 22), "All of the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments."