Operation Desert Light: Standing Up for Those Caught in the Middle East Crossfire by Brother Andrew

by Brother Andrew

Examines the explosive growth by a group at the fringe of the Pentecostal movement, showing how they differ from biblical truth about God.

Genres: Biography

Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Andrew van der Bijl (born 11 May 1928 in Sint Pancras, Netherlands), known in English-speaking countries as Brother Andrew, is a Christian missionary famous for his exploits smuggling Bibles to communist countries in the height of the Cold War, a feat that has earned him the nickname "God's smuggler". Brother Andrew studied at the WEC Missionary Training College in Glasgow, Scotland. Brother Andrew was born in Sint Pancras, the Netherlands, and was the fourth of seven children to a poor, near deaf blacksmith.

Reviews

[Chuck Cova · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS A MUST READ. Written shortly after Operation Desert Storm, some of the info is dated, but this is the story of Brother Andrew and his adventures in bringing Christ to the Muslim strongholds of the Middle East. He has a unique ability to see everyone as a child of God, regardless of gender or race or creed, and as such was largely welcomed to walk in many circles of the region (Jew, Muslim or Christian; Arab or Jew or Palestinian). It really helped me to understand better the challenges of the region and even revealed some inappropriate prejudices in my own head and heart.

[Andrea M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acting on a vision that peace in the Middle East starts in the hearts of individual people, Brother Andrew visits Christians trying to survive amidst the conflict. He branches out and visits the leaders of Hamas and opens up a dialogue. With each visit, he encourages and lifts up in prayer the local leaders of churches and colleges. Over a period of many years, the number of people who experience the love of Jesus grows. Brother Andrew doesn't claim any credit. He always shows how it is the personal experience people have with Christ that makes the difference.

Without taking sides, Brother Andrew supports the "Body of Christ" or believers no matter which side of the conflict they find themselves. At a conference at the Islamic University in Gaza where he was invited to speak he says, "You Muslims will never understand the real meaning of the cross until we Christians take the word of God seriously....Real changes in the world never come from the top downward. Real changes always grow from the grassroots upward. That's why there is hope. If we let Him, God can change things through you and me." (p.197)

I really liked how he introduces the reader to real people and stays away from theoretical questions of who is right and who is wrong. One of the amazing people I learned about in Israel is Wasim Nasser who leads the group Musalaha (https://musalaha.org). He is working to create opportunities for reconciliation one person at a time. I admire his efforts to promote peace.