A number of years ago, we were part of a Messianic congregation that has a faith-based drug rehab center. As the Messianic movement was growing, so were the ministries and outreaches to bring the heart of God to hurting people, and this was one such place.
The distinguishing thing about this rehab center was that from the beginning, their focus was to reach out to not just Jewish drug addicts, or Arab drug addicts, but to both people groups simultaneously. Many people told them it simply would not work, that the division between Jew and Arab was too great. But they held onto their vision, knowing that the same miracle-working power of God to deliver anyone from drug and alcohol addictions was big enough to heal ancient wounds between Jew and Arab as well.
There were 2 brand-new addicts that had come seeking healing, one a Jew, whom I will call Moshe, the other an Arab, whom I will call Mohammed. Despite their obvous differences, they had one thing in common for sure, both were hard-core drug addicts.
Moshe, the Jew, had a somewhat secular background, served in the IDF, and Mohammed, the Arab, was a Muslim and also had been a Fatah Hawk. Moshe had arrived and begun the process of settling in as a resident in the center. A short time later, Mohammed arrived. This in and of itself was a challenge, a Jew and an Arab in the same place. But when they heard they were to be each other’s roomates, they were in shock and disbelief. How could they, ancient enemies, sleep in the same room??
The first night, neither of them slept at all. The next day, Mohammed, was crying, and the rehab center staff asked him if he was experiencing a lot of pain since he was coming off of heroin. Mohammed told him no, that he was afraid to sleep in the room with a Jew. Moshe’s sentiments were pretty much the same.
Slowly as they began to get free from drugs, they also began to get free of hatred for each other and their respective people groups. They began to go to God to receive the power and ability to love in a difficult situations.
After some time, both were free from drugs, but another equally large miracle had happened . . . they now loved each other. Long-lost sons of Abraham had tapped into the heart of God and were reconciled. Today, they are friends, brothers, and both active in ministry, Moshe and his wife run a women’s home for abused women, and Mohammed is working with drug addicts.
