God Logged Off My IM

Why I Wrote This Book "I have loved you, my Countrymen, but My love for you is painful to me. "I have cried over your humiliation And submission; and my tears streamed Like crystalline, but could not sear Away your stagnant weakness; yet they Removed the veil from my eyes." -Khalil Gibran The contents of this book have been in my heart for well over 10 years now. They have been questions raised as part of my own journey and development as a Coptic Christian; from social questions such as “Why is dancing so bad?” and “Why are there no Coptic support groups?” to more ethereal questions such as “Why is knowledge confused with intimacy?” As I shared these thoughts with people, through personal discussion or during talks at youth meetings, I found that many others had the same questions and doubts that I did. This book is for all those who feel that their voices have been drowned by the noise and intertwining of Arab cultural norms with Christian faith. I was the model Coptic Christian. I was a deacon. I have the Liturgy and the Tasbeha (Midnight Prayers, all in Coptic) memorized. I can read and write Coptic. I was a Sunday School teacher. I was a youth meeting leader. I was a retreat organizer. I began several groups within the church. I am not telling you this to boast. I realized, after all my service, that I could not find healing, no matter how much I did for the church. Sin, anger abounded. I just did not understand. So I did more service. And it got worse. When I did not doubt my own faith, I was feeling guilty for doubting my own faith. I was told I had very weak faith. I was not good enough. I was told to do more. I was ashamed all the time. And over the years, I’ve seen so many of my older and younger brothers and sisters suffering under this oppression of guilt and shame. Fortunately, God brought people into my life who taught me, through their lives, that I have a God who is loving and full of grace; a Father who is for me and not against me. I realized that the questions and doubts I had were positive signs of growth in my journey towards a richer faith. Questions are required of any relationship. When I first met my wife, I didn’t retreat to a corner and read a book about her life, then claim that I am ready for marriage. I asked her questions: What’s your name? What’s your favorite color? What do you do for fun? What’s your phone number? Questions grow relationships. And so, I ask questions vigorously now. It is how I have become closer to my Father and my God. We must be comfortable with questions and provide an environment for our young people to feel safe enough to bring the questions to the church, with no threat of shame or guilt. This book is merely a reflection of my own experience in the Coptic churches of southern California. This work comes from a deeply-rooted belief that the Coptic faith really is a faith of the heart, not a legalistic faith. Somewhere in history, certain Egyptian cultural and religious wires were crossed. Beliefs of culture have become intermingled with faith, to the point that they have become synonymous. We need to address cultural values that contradict our faith. There are certain beliefs that are fixed, immutable. These beliefs include our faith around communion, marriage, baptism, etc. Much like the foundation of a house, these beliefs do not change and are the foundations of life. They are what we refer to when we worship, “…from generation to generation and unto the ages of all ages.” This book is not about those beliefs. It is, however, about our ability to adapt to how we serve God’s people. In Mark 3, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. He did this to show people how much culture has corrupted faith. While the Pharisees fixated on Sabbath rules and complained, Jesus adapted to show people that He loved them first. Much like a wise surgeon, Jesus extracted the cancer of legalism and brought people back to the spirit behind the beliefs, both literally and metaphorically. While theological and scholarly depths have been reached, we have barely scratched the surface on the way we serve and spread the Gospel in the Coptic faith. This deserves deeper exploration. I hope the journey through this book will enrich your faith and help you seek out the truth. For that is where God lives. He is a God of Truth; He is the way, the truth, and the life; He is the Spirit of Truth. I will not try to change the world as I used to think; I will only be myself and hopefully change a few of my friends on this journey to Emmaus. Maybe, somewhere down that path, our eyes will be opened. Maybe we will see that He is just as broken as we are. And then he will be gone. Because, by then, we'll know, He never left. Emad N. Georgy “1So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” 1 Corinthians 4