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Tea with Hezbollah: Sitting at the Enemies' Table Our Journey Through the Middle East
Is it really possible to love one’s enemies?
That’s the question that sparked a fascinating and, at times, terrifying journey into the heart of the Middle East during the summer of 2008. It was a trip that began in Egypt, passed beneath the steel and glass high rises of Saudi Arabia, then wound through the bullet- pocked alleyways of Beirut and dusty streets of Damascus, before ending at the cradle of the world’s three major Jerusalem.
Tea with Hezbollah combines nail-biting narrative with the texture of rich historical background, as readers join novelist Ted Dekker and his co-author and Middle East expert, Carl Medearis, on a hair-raising journey. They are with them in every rocky cab ride, late-night border crossing, and back-room conversation as they sit down one-on-one with some of the most notorious leaders of the Arab world. These candid discussions with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, with muftis, sheikhs, and ayatollahs, with Osama bin Laden’s brothers, reveal these men to be real people with emotions, fears, and hopes of their own. Along the way, Dekker and Medearis discover surprising answers and even more surprising questions that they could not have anticipated—questions that lead straight to the heart of Middle Eastern conflict.
Through powerful narrative Tea With Hezbollah will draw the West into a completely fresh understanding of those we call our enemies and the teaching that dares us to love them. A must read for all who see the looming threat rising in the Middle East.
That’s the question that sparked a fascinating and, at times, terrifying journey into the heart of the Middle East during the summer of 2008. It was a trip that began in Egypt, passed beneath the steel and glass high rises of Saudi Arabia, then wound through the bullet- pocked alleyways of Beirut and dusty streets of Damascus, before ending at the cradle of the world’s three major Jerusalem.
Tea with Hezbollah combines nail-biting narrative with the texture of rich historical background, as readers join novelist Ted Dekker and his co-author and Middle East expert, Carl Medearis, on a hair-raising journey. They are with them in every rocky cab ride, late-night border crossing, and back-room conversation as they sit down one-on-one with some of the most notorious leaders of the Arab world. These candid discussions with leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, with muftis, sheikhs, and ayatollahs, with Osama bin Laden’s brothers, reveal these men to be real people with emotions, fears, and hopes of their own. Along the way, Dekker and Medearis discover surprising answers and even more surprising questions that they could not have anticipated—questions that lead straight to the heart of Middle Eastern conflict.
Through powerful narrative Tea With Hezbollah will draw the West into a completely fresh understanding of those we call our enemies and the teaching that dares us to love them. A must read for all who see the looming threat rising in the Middle East.
245 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
84 people are currently reading
1576 people want to read
About the author
Ted Dekker
192 books9,981 followersTed Dekker is known for novels that combine adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists, unforgettable characters, and incredible confrontations between good and evil. Ted lives in Austin with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
March 9, 2010
When I first heard the basic concept for this book, I was curious and excited to read it...
Take two American evangelicals and send them to visit the Middle East. Provide them access to a truly remarkable network of contacts and give them a simple set of questions to ask. Stand back and watch the worldviews shift and rearrange.
Which is apparently what happened, and I'm glad. There are a number of ways it could have gone much worse.
Maybe I should just stop there, but having just finished the book, some things are fresh in my mind:
- The amped-up, "high-energy" writing style is inappropriate to the subject matter. This is a complicated topic and an incredible opportunity. But instead of getting to the point, the author spends much too much time talking about himself and his fears. Here's a sample:
Maybe he's trying to get me to identify with his feelings, but I just wanted him to get out of the way so I could listen to the people he was talking to. I felt like I was reading all the outtakes and missing the real story.
- In chapter 4 and woven throughout the rest of the book, a side story about a woman named Nicole is introduced, which quickly becomes the most interesting part of the narrative. We are supplied with names, dates, places, and events, and given to believe that she is a real person with an extraordinary story. Her life becomes a powerful example of the story of the Good Samaritan. Except that it's not true. In fact, she's entirely made up. On the second to the last page of the book, Dekker writes, "Along the way I'd reached into my most reliable source, my own imagination, to relive the parable of the Samaritan...or as you've come to know it, Nicole's story."
At this point, I almost threw the book across the room. Wasn't there one, true story to be found among all the conversations that could have served the purpose? And if it is truly impossible to find a Good Samaritan in the real world, why didn't we spend some time talking about that, instead of making up a complicated fiction to fill the space?
- I had other disagreements with the structure and style, but maybe I should just make my point: I have traveled in some of the same parts of the world and have had similar conversations. I have seen the complexity of the problems and felt some of the frustration that comes from trying to find answers. But I have also seen grace at work in some of these same dark places. I believe there is hope, but it only comes with great sacrifice and great love. And I believe that Dekker actually stumbled into it again and again throughout his journey.
But instead of realizing this, the book ended with a shrug, "Love is the only solution, and nobody does it well. Not Christians, not Muslims, not Jews, not me." It made me sad because it seemed to me that the author had, in fact, found what he was looking for and then tossed it away. The fact that he sat down face to face with people that our government calls terrorists and was treated with respect and hospitality is astounding and beautiful. I just wish that, after all that, we could have really listened to what they had to say.
[Note: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.]
Take two American evangelicals and send them to visit the Middle East. Provide them access to a truly remarkable network of contacts and give them a simple set of questions to ask. Stand back and watch the worldviews shift and rearrange.
Which is apparently what happened, and I'm glad. There are a number of ways it could have gone much worse.
Maybe I should just stop there, but having just finished the book, some things are fresh in my mind:
- The amped-up, "high-energy" writing style is inappropriate to the subject matter. This is a complicated topic and an incredible opportunity. But instead of getting to the point, the author spends much too much time talking about himself and his fears. Here's a sample:
"I am a writer cursed with powers of observation and even greater powers of imagination, and by this point a hundred or so scenarios were now so real to me that our driver became the kidnapper, whisking us away to a compound where we would spend the next ten years until the United States finally broke down and sent Rambo to free us."
Maybe he's trying to get me to identify with his feelings, but I just wanted him to get out of the way so I could listen to the people he was talking to. I felt like I was reading all the outtakes and missing the real story.
- In chapter 4 and woven throughout the rest of the book, a side story about a woman named Nicole is introduced, which quickly becomes the most interesting part of the narrative. We are supplied with names, dates, places, and events, and given to believe that she is a real person with an extraordinary story. Her life becomes a powerful example of the story of the Good Samaritan. Except that it's not true. In fact, she's entirely made up. On the second to the last page of the book, Dekker writes, "Along the way I'd reached into my most reliable source, my own imagination, to relive the parable of the Samaritan...or as you've come to know it, Nicole's story."
At this point, I almost threw the book across the room. Wasn't there one, true story to be found among all the conversations that could have served the purpose? And if it is truly impossible to find a Good Samaritan in the real world, why didn't we spend some time talking about that, instead of making up a complicated fiction to fill the space?
- I had other disagreements with the structure and style, but maybe I should just make my point: I have traveled in some of the same parts of the world and have had similar conversations. I have seen the complexity of the problems and felt some of the frustration that comes from trying to find answers. But I have also seen grace at work in some of these same dark places. I believe there is hope, but it only comes with great sacrifice and great love. And I believe that Dekker actually stumbled into it again and again throughout his journey.
But instead of realizing this, the book ended with a shrug, "Love is the only solution, and nobody does it well. Not Christians, not Muslims, not Jews, not me." It made me sad because it seemed to me that the author had, in fact, found what he was looking for and then tossed it away. The fact that he sat down face to face with people that our government calls terrorists and was treated with respect and hospitality is astounding and beautiful. I just wish that, after all that, we could have really listened to what they had to say.
[Note: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.]
December 3, 2014
This book is a bit dated as it was written before the Arab Spring, Syrian Civil War and rise of ISIS, however the same principles hold and this is a great read for anyone wanting a little look into the Middle East and the thoughts of people living there. I love the concept of interviewing people that could be considered enemies (though he does do a good disclaimer of how that is often perceived). And it is so good to be reminded in how controversial and in your face the parable of the Good Samaritan really is that Jesus shared and we are supposed to follow today. Enemy love...its one of the things that got Jesus killed and is so overlooked and hard to live out today.
I have been to many of the places he had: Al Azhar in Cairo, Egypt; the corniche of Beirut, Lebanon; Church of the Nativity, West Bank. I haven't made it to Syria or Saudi (but I have been to their neighbors of Turkey and Oman) and I would say I heard every conversation he had, though my contacts were just ordinary people not the high ranking ones he interviewed. I guess its true that he going to the top he got the views that are espoused and handed down and held.
TD states this is a travelogue and not a sweeping history, though he does good job of giving just the right amount of context and history. And I love travelogues and spiritual memoirs, so one set in the Middle East is really my cup of tea (pun intended).
Down sides-while it is good to hear an American's inter dialog and progression of thoughts, he comes off as whiny and wordy at times. We get it, its scary, move on. And I am glad I didn't read the reviews first because I would have hated the spoiler that the best part of the book is actually a parable (TD couldn't write a book without adding some of his normal fare, I guess).
It feels good to mark a book off my list that has been there a long time. Highly recommended.
I have been to many of the places he had: Al Azhar in Cairo, Egypt; the corniche of Beirut, Lebanon; Church of the Nativity, West Bank. I haven't made it to Syria or Saudi (but I have been to their neighbors of Turkey and Oman) and I would say I heard every conversation he had, though my contacts were just ordinary people not the high ranking ones he interviewed. I guess its true that he going to the top he got the views that are espoused and handed down and held.
TD states this is a travelogue and not a sweeping history, though he does good job of giving just the right amount of context and history. And I love travelogues and spiritual memoirs, so one set in the Middle East is really my cup of tea (pun intended).
Down sides-while it is good to hear an American's inter dialog and progression of thoughts, he comes off as whiny and wordy at times. We get it, its scary, move on. And I am glad I didn't read the reviews first because I would have hated the spoiler that the best part of the book is actually a parable (TD couldn't write a book without adding some of his normal fare, I guess).
It feels good to mark a book off my list that has been there a long time. Highly recommended.
August 3, 2017
There's an interesting idea at the heart of this book: namely, the notion of two Americans traveling to the Middle East in order to have personal sit-down conversations with people Americans generally associate with "the enemy." Seems like a slam dunk, right? And yet, author Ted Dekker goes about this book entirely the wrong way, ensuring that readers will gain very few new insights from reading it.
The first problem is Dekker's writing style: it's all over the place. He doesn't seem to know what kind of book he's writing. Despite the book's focus being squarely on personal conversations had with Muslims, Dekker writes much of the book the way he would write a thriller--constantly emphasizing the potential danger he was putting himself in, and reminding us to the point of exhaustion how scared he generally felt throughout. We also get lots of background information on Dekker and his co-author, as well as a blow-by-blow account of how the idea for this book first originated. None of which gets us any closer to understanding our "enemies" in the Middle East. But, let's face it, this is a tour of the Middle East coming from a writer who spent his nights at The Hilton and The Mariotte and who bought (or at least seriously considered buying) a set of brand-new Tumi luggage for the trip. Wow, how adventurous!
Then there's the interviews themselves. In my opinion, they are something of a wasted opportunity. Many of the questions (What's your favorite joke? What's your favorite color?) are designed simply to "humanize" the supposed enemy. However, how many Americans really have trouble visualizing Arabs as human beings? And what real value do these questions have? In my opinion, virtually none.
The interviews (which should be the heart of the book) are generally very short, and most of the people Dekker interviews give the same general kinds of answers. Yes, most Muslims want peace. No, they don't generally hate all Americans and wish us dead. All well and good, but Dekker never seems to consider that his interviewees, who knew full well that Dekker was a best-selling author working on a book that could significantly affect people's perceptions of the Middle East, might sugarcoat their answers for him just a bit. Dekker doesn't address the bothersome fact that the Koran gives Muslims permission to lie to infidels if it serves to further Islam.
Personally, I'm very willing to believe that the people Dekker interviewed were being genuine, but that's still no excuse for what amounts to fundamentally sloppy journalism. In order to make this book of any real value, Dekker needed to ask some follow-up questions--as well as basic questions a bit more prying than "What's your favorite color?" or "What do you think of Jesus?" Yes, there are lots of misunderstandings and problems with communication between Muslims and Chistians. But that alone is not enough to explain why so many Christians are being killed for their faith in Muslim countries. And, when hearing all these Muslims talk about how much they despise Bin Laden for his actions on 9-11, I still can't help but wonder why the Muslim community isn't doing a lot more to dicourage terrorist acts.
But, thanks to this book, I at least know now which colors they like.
The first problem is Dekker's writing style: it's all over the place. He doesn't seem to know what kind of book he's writing. Despite the book's focus being squarely on personal conversations had with Muslims, Dekker writes much of the book the way he would write a thriller--constantly emphasizing the potential danger he was putting himself in, and reminding us to the point of exhaustion how scared he generally felt throughout. We also get lots of background information on Dekker and his co-author, as well as a blow-by-blow account of how the idea for this book first originated. None of which gets us any closer to understanding our "enemies" in the Middle East. But, let's face it, this is a tour of the Middle East coming from a writer who spent his nights at The Hilton and The Mariotte and who bought (or at least seriously considered buying) a set of brand-new Tumi luggage for the trip. Wow, how adventurous!
Then there's the interviews themselves. In my opinion, they are something of a wasted opportunity. Many of the questions (What's your favorite joke? What's your favorite color?) are designed simply to "humanize" the supposed enemy. However, how many Americans really have trouble visualizing Arabs as human beings? And what real value do these questions have? In my opinion, virtually none.
The interviews (which should be the heart of the book) are generally very short, and most of the people Dekker interviews give the same general kinds of answers. Yes, most Muslims want peace. No, they don't generally hate all Americans and wish us dead. All well and good, but Dekker never seems to consider that his interviewees, who knew full well that Dekker was a best-selling author working on a book that could significantly affect people's perceptions of the Middle East, might sugarcoat their answers for him just a bit. Dekker doesn't address the bothersome fact that the Koran gives Muslims permission to lie to infidels if it serves to further Islam.
Personally, I'm very willing to believe that the people Dekker interviewed were being genuine, but that's still no excuse for what amounts to fundamentally sloppy journalism. In order to make this book of any real value, Dekker needed to ask some follow-up questions--as well as basic questions a bit more prying than "What's your favorite color?" or "What do you think of Jesus?" Yes, there are lots of misunderstandings and problems with communication between Muslims and Chistians. But that alone is not enough to explain why so many Christians are being killed for their faith in Muslim countries. And, when hearing all these Muslims talk about how much they despise Bin Laden for his actions on 9-11, I still can't help but wonder why the Muslim community isn't doing a lot more to dicourage terrorist acts.
But, thanks to this book, I at least know now which colors they like.
January 26, 2010
Frankly, I think the authors missed the point of Jesus' teachings. It wasn't that, if we're failing to "love our enemies," we should look to the enemies for answers because they understand how to do it better than we do. But that's how they took the "good Samaritan" parable.
"Tea with Hezbollah" was a travelogue of the Middle East (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Israel) filled with mundane sight-seeing, historical information about the area, and interviews with influential Muslims and a few commoners. Americans who only know what the newspapers or TV news says about the area will learn new information, but I found most of it rather superficial. Dekker put his experience in writing fiction into making this book an easy and exciting read.
A short history was given for each area, but unfortunately I spotted a number of errors throughout these sections and some parts, like the first part of the tale of Baalbek, were highly speculative to the point of being unreliable. His conclusion in Saudi Arabia that women rule the country from behind the doors would probably make Qanta A. Ahmed (author of "In the Land of Invisible Women") laugh.
Most of the interviews were very short and superficial. Only one or two had any length or contained anything of importance--and I had a feeling that one of the ones with substance was kept mainly because it had all the exciting elements of a novel.
Since the authors felt that all war and conflict would disappear if we knew "the enemy" on a personal level, the following questions were the focus of the book's interview transcripts: "What kinds of things make you laugh? What is your favorite joke? What does your wife/children/grandchildren do that makes you laugh? Do you have any hobbies? What is your favorite movie? What about Britney Spears? What makes you sad? What would you say are American's greatest misconceptions of Muslims? And what are Muslims' greatest misconceptions of America? When asked what his most important teaching was, Jesus answered that it was to love the Lord your God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. And to love your enemies. Are you familiar with this teaching?"
So a reader learns a lot about their personal tastes, a sentence or two per interview about what Muslims think about Americans, and a sentence or two about how Muslims view Jesus and Mary. You only get a glimpse of what the Qur'an teaches about Isa (Jesus) from these interviews since the focus was mainly on the similarities between the teachings of Jesus in the Bible and the teachings of Isa and Mohammad in the Qur'an.
Ted Dekker made a number of "all/none" generalities in the book, which I found odd for a book trying to move people past stereotypes.
I thought the authors were Christian, and the book description seemed to imply it was a Christian book. This wasn't the case. The authors constantly criticized Christianity. The authors stated their faith in God but referred to Jesus as a man, a great teacher, and lumped him in with Martin Luther King and Gandhi. They also stated that they don't like being called Christians, and Dekker seemed to view organized religion (including Christianity) as the cause of all war and conflict.
Basically, I don't recommend this book if you're looking for a deeper understanding of what it means to love your enemy. They never find an answer. If you desire a better understanding of the conflict in the Middle East, then there are better books on the subject.
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
"Tea with Hezbollah" was a travelogue of the Middle East (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Israel) filled with mundane sight-seeing, historical information about the area, and interviews with influential Muslims and a few commoners. Americans who only know what the newspapers or TV news says about the area will learn new information, but I found most of it rather superficial. Dekker put his experience in writing fiction into making this book an easy and exciting read.
A short history was given for each area, but unfortunately I spotted a number of errors throughout these sections and some parts, like the first part of the tale of Baalbek, were highly speculative to the point of being unreliable. His conclusion in Saudi Arabia that women rule the country from behind the doors would probably make Qanta A. Ahmed (author of "In the Land of Invisible Women") laugh.
Most of the interviews were very short and superficial. Only one or two had any length or contained anything of importance--and I had a feeling that one of the ones with substance was kept mainly because it had all the exciting elements of a novel.
Since the authors felt that all war and conflict would disappear if we knew "the enemy" on a personal level, the following questions were the focus of the book's interview transcripts: "What kinds of things make you laugh? What is your favorite joke? What does your wife/children/grandchildren do that makes you laugh? Do you have any hobbies? What is your favorite movie? What about Britney Spears? What makes you sad? What would you say are American's greatest misconceptions of Muslims? And what are Muslims' greatest misconceptions of America? When asked what his most important teaching was, Jesus answered that it was to love the Lord your God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. And to love your enemies. Are you familiar with this teaching?"
So a reader learns a lot about their personal tastes, a sentence or two per interview about what Muslims think about Americans, and a sentence or two about how Muslims view Jesus and Mary. You only get a glimpse of what the Qur'an teaches about Isa (Jesus) from these interviews since the focus was mainly on the similarities between the teachings of Jesus in the Bible and the teachings of Isa and Mohammad in the Qur'an.
Ted Dekker made a number of "all/none" generalities in the book, which I found odd for a book trying to move people past stereotypes.
I thought the authors were Christian, and the book description seemed to imply it was a Christian book. This wasn't the case. The authors constantly criticized Christianity. The authors stated their faith in God but referred to Jesus as a man, a great teacher, and lumped him in with Martin Luther King and Gandhi. They also stated that they don't like being called Christians, and Dekker seemed to view organized religion (including Christianity) as the cause of all war and conflict.
Basically, I don't recommend this book if you're looking for a deeper understanding of what it means to love your enemy. They never find an answer. If you desire a better understanding of the conflict in the Middle East, then there are better books on the subject.
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
March 1, 2014
This is supposedly an attempt to live out or at least better understand Jesus' insane and probably impossible instruction to love your enemies as much as you love yourself, but it's really just a hokey Christian mystery writer travelling around being nervous about Muslims and asking scholars, cabdrivers, and clerics condescending questions like "Do you know any good jokes?" and "What's your favorite color?" Since he's doing these pointless interviews instead of having actual conversations with people, he can't find any examples of "enemies" who have learned to "love" each other, so he decides to invent a convoluted orientalist love story that he intersperses throughout the book but doesn't admit is fictional until the last few pages. By far the best part of this book is a brief appearance by Sami Awad, who is probably a little embarrassed to be in here.
December 24, 2014
I appreciated the original idea and liked some of the people who were interviewed. But there were many aspects that made me dislike the book. Ted Dekker spends a lot of the book talking about how terrified he is, and gutlessly tells everyone that he is a Canadian, "not an American." Despite how many time he claims he is about to go into the jaws of death, nothing scary or exciting ever happens. He claims Saudi women don't seem to be oppressed, but he never interviews one to find out, probably because he wouldn't be allowed to talk to them. He only really interviews men, and the fictional story about a woman does not make up for this. Mr. Dekker does not seriously consider the distinct possibility (more than possibility imo) that those he interviews are lying to him; considering the topic, this is an incredibly dangerous assumption to make. Mr. Dekker also ignorantly claims that Muslims, Christians, and Jews worship the same god, which is patently untrue. Christians worship Jesus as god, while Muslims consider him to be a prophet, which makes him only a man not a god. Jesus' divinity is THE central teaching to Christianity.
July 5, 2010
Author Ted Dekker goes with his friend Carl Mederias throught middle east hot spots talking to some very dangerous people trying to find common ground through the parable of the Good Samaritan. The book does show perceptions that are not commonly seen in the west. But it also shows through history how deep the wounds are in the Middle East and it leaves you wondering whether there really can be lasting peace. But the thing I found most interesting is how pretty much everyone agrees that love thy neighbor is great but it is always qualifed with a BUT. Thought provoking book.
August 20, 2012
Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis travel through the Middle East in the summer of 2008. The book on the surface seems to be simply conversational, but the more I read (well actually listened - this was an Audible book for me) it became more than just conversations with some unique people. The book made me feel introspective. It also made me contemplate how Americans view others from various countries and how they view us. Perhaps the biggest question from this book is from the Bible whether it is possible to love one's enemies, such as the parable of the Good Samaritan in the Bible.
A bit into the book a parallel story begins, the story of Nicole. She is traveling abroad seeking her familial roots. Nicole's story is a bit distracting. I'm not sure her story contributes any real value to the book for me.
Would it be true to say there are moments in your life in which you truly care about how you are perceived and other moments when you could care less? Would you agree that some moments of perception are critical?
Dekker and Medearis asked various people from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Beirut, Damascus and Jerusalem a variety of questions. Most of the questions were like something you might see on eHarmony. For instance:
What kind of music do you like?
What makes you laugh?
What movies do you like to watch?
What books do you read?
It was during each question and answer session with each interviewee that I had that moment of critical perception. I felt like I was trying to decipher every response in a psychological and sociological manner. I was intrigued by the responses and wondered how true to fact they were.
The book is a bit steeped in religion of various types. I'm not sure whether that would turn off some readers or not, but I enjoyed just listening to the conversations of this book. And I think for me that was the predominant tone and what I walked away with imprinted in my memory. The impression various people had of American and their answers to questions like, "what makes you laugh?"
Humanity has such similarities no matter where you live. I think that is the greatest lesson to pull from this novel. Maybe you are good Samaritan if you simply understand that?
At the very end of the novel, Dekker writes, "Along the way I'd reached into my most reliable source, my own imagination, to relive the parable of the Samaritan...or as you've come to know it, Nicole's story." Nicole wasn't real at all - just a fictional addition to the book to convey a story. I'm glad I didn't too caught up with her character and plot - after all it was reality I sought in this book, not fiction.
A bit into the book a parallel story begins, the story of Nicole. She is traveling abroad seeking her familial roots. Nicole's story is a bit distracting. I'm not sure her story contributes any real value to the book for me.
Would it be true to say there are moments in your life in which you truly care about how you are perceived and other moments when you could care less? Would you agree that some moments of perception are critical?
Dekker and Medearis asked various people from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Beirut, Damascus and Jerusalem a variety of questions. Most of the questions were like something you might see on eHarmony. For instance:
What kind of music do you like?
What makes you laugh?
What movies do you like to watch?
What books do you read?
It was during each question and answer session with each interviewee that I had that moment of critical perception. I felt like I was trying to decipher every response in a psychological and sociological manner. I was intrigued by the responses and wondered how true to fact they were.
The book is a bit steeped in religion of various types. I'm not sure whether that would turn off some readers or not, but I enjoyed just listening to the conversations of this book. And I think for me that was the predominant tone and what I walked away with imprinted in my memory. The impression various people had of American and their answers to questions like, "what makes you laugh?"
Humanity has such similarities no matter where you live. I think that is the greatest lesson to pull from this novel. Maybe you are good Samaritan if you simply understand that?
At the very end of the novel, Dekker writes, "Along the way I'd reached into my most reliable source, my own imagination, to relive the parable of the Samaritan...or as you've come to know it, Nicole's story." Nicole wasn't real at all - just a fictional addition to the book to convey a story. I'm glad I didn't too caught up with her character and plot - after all it was reality I sought in this book, not fiction.
May 7, 2017
I don't know why I took so long to read this considering that it was in the house for so long! We had it even before I knew who Ted Dekker was or how awesome his books are. But I finally have read the whole thing, and it was amazing!
First off, it's nonfiction. At least, I think most of it is. It tells about Ted Dekker and his friend Carl Medearis going to the Middle East. The book jacket asks this question, Is it really possible to love your enemies? and this is what they went to find out. I have always been a fan of real life adventure stories, especially missionary stories. So that is one point for this book.
I don't actually know all that much about the authors whose books I read, and that is another reason this was fantastic. I got to know Ted Dekker a bit more, and see how he himself was a "protagonist" (fascinating). And now I can see one reason why the theme about loving ones enemies is so prevalent in some of his books.
The whole journey was so interesting. I got to see another culture and world through his eyes, and the fabulous thing is that that other world is so real! It exists here on our earth. I learned a lot. I was inspired. I love seeing new places, meeting new people through books -- and these were real places and people.
There was a story in here too, besides the journey of Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis. I am not entirely clear if it's true, or fiction, or based on real life. But it was amazing! It's about a girl named Nicole who goes to the Middle East to find her father whom she knows nothing about. And it's like a retelling of the Good Samaritan story! That was so remarkable! I LOVED it! And I was thinking when I finished, why don't we do Biblical retellings more often!?
The only negative thing I have to say was that I wasn't that fond of how the book alternates between the Ted's and Carl's journey and Nicole's story. It's a bit confusing. I think it would have been better if there had been two parts to the book, one for each of these adventures. I first read the true journey, and then went back and read Nicole's story.
But it was fabulous, guys! Inspiring!Go read it! I recommend 100%. Five stars!
First off, it's nonfiction. At least, I think most of it is. It tells about Ted Dekker and his friend Carl Medearis going to the Middle East. The book jacket asks this question, Is it really possible to love your enemies? and this is what they went to find out. I have always been a fan of real life adventure stories, especially missionary stories. So that is one point for this book.
I don't actually know all that much about the authors whose books I read, and that is another reason this was fantastic. I got to know Ted Dekker a bit more, and see how he himself was a "protagonist" (fascinating). And now I can see one reason why the theme about loving ones enemies is so prevalent in some of his books.
The whole journey was so interesting. I got to see another culture and world through his eyes, and the fabulous thing is that that other world is so real! It exists here on our earth. I learned a lot. I was inspired. I love seeing new places, meeting new people through books -- and these were real places and people.
There was a story in here too, besides the journey of Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis. I am not entirely clear if it's true, or fiction, or based on real life. But it was amazing! It's about a girl named Nicole who goes to the Middle East to find her father whom she knows nothing about. And it's like a retelling of the Good Samaritan story! That was so remarkable! I LOVED it! And I was thinking when I finished, why don't we do Biblical retellings more often!?
The only negative thing I have to say was that I wasn't that fond of how the book alternates between the Ted's and Carl's journey and Nicole's story. It's a bit confusing. I think it would have been better if there had been two parts to the book, one for each of these adventures. I first read the true journey, and then went back and read Nicole's story.
But it was fabulous, guys! Inspiring!Go read it! I recommend 100%. Five stars!
January 19, 2012
Very interesting take on the Middle East. Traveling to the Middle East in response to an off-handed remark about the good Samaritan from the Bible story, 2 men travel to discover if any of the traits of the good Samaritan still exist. Meeting and speaking with some very interesting people, both high level terrorists and regular working class, the response to similarly posed questions leaves distinct impressions of most Muslims wanting to be a peace with the people of the world, just not their governments. This is very much in contrast to the printed statements concerning both Christians and Jews. Methinks there is a dissembling here on the part of some of the interviewed.
June 26, 2015
Great concept, but not a great book. The writing style is repetitive and circular. The most compelling part of the book is a side story that turns out to be fictional and very contrived. Most of the people the author interviewed are peace-loving, Mercedes-driving Arabs who enjoy American movies. The book succeeds in humanizing them, but often at the expense of other groups who then become the real bad guys (e.g. Zionists, Phalangists, George W. Bush). I did learn some things, and I agree with the spirit behind the book: seeing "the enemy" as real people who laugh and cry and love their children and may even love the same God, just using different traditions.
January 5, 2011
A grave dissapointment.
Very little enlightening information, many, many canned responses, and to boot a fictionalized account of a modern day "Good Samaritan" (not revealed until the last part of the book as fiction.)
Infuriating. To hear a Hamas spokesperson tell me what I already know, same for Hezbollah. No real Israeli coverage - fine in and of itself, but considering the topic, one would have assumed a more in-depth conversation.
Very little enlightening information, many, many canned responses, and to boot a fictionalized account of a modern day "Good Samaritan" (not revealed until the last part of the book as fiction.)
Infuriating. To hear a Hamas spokesperson tell me what I already know, same for Hezbollah. No real Israeli coverage - fine in and of itself, but considering the topic, one would have assumed a more in-depth conversation.
February 27, 2010
This book caused me to look beyond my preconceived ideas of the Arab/Muslim world to see them as real people with real joys, hurts, fears, and dreams just like anyone else. I was especially touched by the man from Bethlehem who seems to understand more than most people what it means to love your enemy in a very practical way. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants their thinking to be challenged.
January 19, 2013
I appreciated the very different view of a place that is our sc-called enemy. People are people no matter where you go and all are precious in God's eyes. We can't forget the people and just look at the government.
June 10, 2013
I really appreciated Dekker's quest – both to sit down with people frequently perceived as enemies and also to find out if anyone these days was taking seriously Jesus' commandment to love our enemies. But I was a little confused at the form that his preparation took -- he mentions over and over again the years of effort his friend made to set up interviews with key figures in the Islamic world. However he doesn't seem to have even done the most basic internet search on creative nonviolence. Since this is a subject that I myself googled for the first time a couple of months ago, I know that there is a whole movement of people actively taking seriously the loving, nonviolent strategies of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Which is the question he poses at least ten times in the book, “Is there anyone out there trying to follow the teachings of Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King?” Um, yes. (Not to mention that if you are looking for non-famous people loving their enemies, you can find this readily enough if you listen to people's stories.)
Dekker also seems to have his sights set very low – in the last half of the book he is looking for one man to be the next Gandhi. He thinks at one point that he has found that man, somehow not seeing in the midst of that same man's stories that he is part of a movement that has gone on for decades involving people from all over the world.
Interwoven throughout the book is a sappy, highly-detailed fictional story about a woman named Nicole. Puzzlingly, Dekker presents her story as real. At the end of the book he says that he gave us clues so that we could see it was a “parable.” Hmm – as Nicole's story got more and more stereotypical and cheesy I kept looking back at his intro to it to see if it was supposed to be fiction. But he really presents it as factual.
It is a little challenging to get through a book with sentences like, “. . . [Her] darker skin matched her volatile moods and highly verbal intelligence.” What? Then there's the classic, “Then one day the floodgates opened. Literally, you might say. The door to his room flew open all the way and she walked in. She wanted to talk.” Did I miss the actual, literal floodgates? Just like I missed the fact that half of the book was pure invention?
If his editor would have removed the fictional story and all of the times the author repeated himself – he reminds both himself and the reader over and over of his purpose in writing this book, as well as mentioning about one thousand times how scared he was – well, you would essentially be left with the interviews. Those interviews are interesting, though – and thankfully they are highlighted in gray so you can just flip to them.
Here is Dekker in an interview with a man affiliated with Hezbollah:
Ted: What would you say specifically to the mothers and fathers, to those in America who have lost sons and daughters in Iraq?
Ayatollah Fadlallah: I would tell them with all my love and condolences that you have lost your children in the wrong place. There is no reason or right for the Americans to occupy Iraq. The terrorists of bin Laden have killed thousands of American, but the Americans have killed tens of thousands of Arabs. In the 1940s the Arabs believed that America wanted to help their nations and they were peaceful. But that has changed. If an American asks, “Why do you hate us?” we would say, “Why should we love you with all your policies?” We love the American people but not the Administration.
And from a leader in Hamas: [W]e believe that America should free itself before freeing any other country. . . [T]he face of America is a bloody one.
So, if you know nothing at all about Middle East history, and/or you think that everyone that is Muslim is our enemy, this book might be a good read for you. If that's not the case for you, you might consider finding the book in your local library to read through the interviews.
Dekker also seems to have his sights set very low – in the last half of the book he is looking for one man to be the next Gandhi. He thinks at one point that he has found that man, somehow not seeing in the midst of that same man's stories that he is part of a movement that has gone on for decades involving people from all over the world.
Interwoven throughout the book is a sappy, highly-detailed fictional story about a woman named Nicole. Puzzlingly, Dekker presents her story as real. At the end of the book he says that he gave us clues so that we could see it was a “parable.” Hmm – as Nicole's story got more and more stereotypical and cheesy I kept looking back at his intro to it to see if it was supposed to be fiction. But he really presents it as factual.
It is a little challenging to get through a book with sentences like, “. . . [Her] darker skin matched her volatile moods and highly verbal intelligence.” What? Then there's the classic, “Then one day the floodgates opened. Literally, you might say. The door to his room flew open all the way and she walked in. She wanted to talk.” Did I miss the actual, literal floodgates? Just like I missed the fact that half of the book was pure invention?
If his editor would have removed the fictional story and all of the times the author repeated himself – he reminds both himself and the reader over and over of his purpose in writing this book, as well as mentioning about one thousand times how scared he was – well, you would essentially be left with the interviews. Those interviews are interesting, though – and thankfully they are highlighted in gray so you can just flip to them.
Here is Dekker in an interview with a man affiliated with Hezbollah:
Ted: What would you say specifically to the mothers and fathers, to those in America who have lost sons and daughters in Iraq?
Ayatollah Fadlallah: I would tell them with all my love and condolences that you have lost your children in the wrong place. There is no reason or right for the Americans to occupy Iraq. The terrorists of bin Laden have killed thousands of American, but the Americans have killed tens of thousands of Arabs. In the 1940s the Arabs believed that America wanted to help their nations and they were peaceful. But that has changed. If an American asks, “Why do you hate us?” we would say, “Why should we love you with all your policies?” We love the American people but not the Administration.
And from a leader in Hamas: [W]e believe that America should free itself before freeing any other country. . . [T]he face of America is a bloody one.
So, if you know nothing at all about Middle East history, and/or you think that everyone that is Muslim is our enemy, this book might be a good read for you. If that's not the case for you, you might consider finding the book in your local library to read through the interviews.
May 25, 2010
Two westerners decide to interview certain 'personalities' in the Middle East. They visit Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. They speak to members of Hamas and Hezbollah. And all they want to know is "How do you love your enemy?"
There are so many problems with this that I don't know where to start. Most of the people they interview dismiss Isa and his command of "love your enemy" as quickly as they can and go on to discuss what the Quran says or that they only attack in self-defence. The only people they interview are Muslim. Where is the interview with the IDF member? After all, all Israelis have to commit to 2 years in the Israeli armed forces, regardless of how they feel. And besides, aren't the Israelis considered the 'bad guys' these days anyway? We're given lectures on how we shouldn't generalise, but the lecturers do their own generalising. All Zionists are bad, etc., etc.
Ted Dekker has a reputation as a Christian writer, but he doesn't want to call himself Christian. Because Christians appear, in his eyes, to be the worst of the bunch. He ignores the definition of Christian as one who accepts Jesus Christ as his saviour, and believes that no one has a right to be called Christian because they don't follow all of Jesus' teachings all the time. Er, newsflash. Most Christians KNOW they're not perfect. That is where grace comes in.
In short, this book comes across as anti-Christian and anti-Jewish, without allowing the Christian and the Jewish to voice their opinions. Is Dekker trying to tell us that not all Muslims are evil? Most people, even Christians, already know that. It's common knowledge, for example, that the bin Laden family has disowned its most notorious member, Usama.
Finally, we have the story of Nicole. At the beginning, Dekker wrote that he couldn't interview her for reasons that would become apparent. The common thought is that she is either dead or in hiding. The truth is, that she is a figment of his imagination. He said her story is the only part of the book that is fiction. I guess he took the stories from everyone else at face value. Which, to me, smells of naivity. Everyone wants to put themselves in a positive light, including terrorists.
If you want to learn how to 'love your enemy' I suggest reading Scripture, or simply attempt to practice it.
There are so many problems with this that I don't know where to start. Most of the people they interview dismiss Isa and his command of "love your enemy" as quickly as they can and go on to discuss what the Quran says or that they only attack in self-defence. The only people they interview are Muslim. Where is the interview with the IDF member? After all, all Israelis have to commit to 2 years in the Israeli armed forces, regardless of how they feel. And besides, aren't the Israelis considered the 'bad guys' these days anyway? We're given lectures on how we shouldn't generalise, but the lecturers do their own generalising. All Zionists are bad, etc., etc.
Ted Dekker has a reputation as a Christian writer, but he doesn't want to call himself Christian. Because Christians appear, in his eyes, to be the worst of the bunch. He ignores the definition of Christian as one who accepts Jesus Christ as his saviour, and believes that no one has a right to be called Christian because they don't follow all of Jesus' teachings all the time. Er, newsflash. Most Christians KNOW they're not perfect. That is where grace comes in.
In short, this book comes across as anti-Christian and anti-Jewish, without allowing the Christian and the Jewish to voice their opinions. Is Dekker trying to tell us that not all Muslims are evil? Most people, even Christians, already know that. It's common knowledge, for example, that the bin Laden family has disowned its most notorious member, Usama.
Finally, we have the story of Nicole. At the beginning, Dekker wrote that he couldn't interview her for reasons that would become apparent. The common thought is that she is either dead or in hiding. The truth is, that she is a figment of his imagination. He said her story is the only part of the book that is fiction. I guess he took the stories from everyone else at face value. Which, to me, smells of naivity. Everyone wants to put themselves in a positive light, including terrorists.
If you want to learn how to 'love your enemy' I suggest reading Scripture, or simply attempt to practice it.
September 12, 2020
Good book which made me think. Several people complained Ted was trying to make Muslims (some very bad ones) look good, which was not his point. Ted focuses on God's commandment to love your neighbor as you love yourself - something insanely difficult to do. The purpose is to see how our enemies view their world, America, and Americans.
As I've gotten older, my views of people have changed. Every little baby born is a clean slate, life's imprint determines that persons' path. Even the most brutal person loves their children and is passionate about life. What I found interesting is how every Muslim interviewed said they loved Jesus and revered his teachings. While they do not believe he is God, they have tremendous honor for him. They also know the Bible and Koran insanely well. Virtually every person quoted the importance of loving your neighbor as yourself being important, but a few had problems with this. Several were honest to admit this was difficult due to what they've seen. That's the other thing. A lot of terrible things have happened to Muslims shaping their views.
Ted allows us to peer into a world rarely seen by Western eyes. The pace is Meh which is why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. It was eye-opening to see people considered 'monsters' as human beings who love, laugh, and are desperate for God's blessing. These men truly are monsters, such as sending women and children into civilian crowds to blow themselves up to make a point. While their actions are evil, they are also human. Loving them is God's commandment. It's understandable to hate their actions, but they are still to be loved - wow. As I mentioned, this book makes you think.
Lastly, I also found their justifications, thought-provoking. This is the other aspect of the book - you leave thinking differently. While my views have not changed, I now am starting to see the person behind these atrocities. I'm rambling, once you read the book it will make sense.
As I've gotten older, my views of people have changed. Every little baby born is a clean slate, life's imprint determines that persons' path. Even the most brutal person loves their children and is passionate about life. What I found interesting is how every Muslim interviewed said they loved Jesus and revered his teachings. While they do not believe he is God, they have tremendous honor for him. They also know the Bible and Koran insanely well. Virtually every person quoted the importance of loving your neighbor as yourself being important, but a few had problems with this. Several were honest to admit this was difficult due to what they've seen. That's the other thing. A lot of terrible things have happened to Muslims shaping their views.
Ted allows us to peer into a world rarely seen by Western eyes. The pace is Meh which is why I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. It was eye-opening to see people considered 'monsters' as human beings who love, laugh, and are desperate for God's blessing. These men truly are monsters, such as sending women and children into civilian crowds to blow themselves up to make a point. While their actions are evil, they are also human. Loving them is God's commandment. It's understandable to hate their actions, but they are still to be loved - wow. As I mentioned, this book makes you think.
Lastly, I also found their justifications, thought-provoking. This is the other aspect of the book - you leave thinking differently. While my views have not changed, I now am starting to see the person behind these atrocities. I'm rambling, once you read the book it will make sense.
August 20, 2020
Dekker hits your heart or steps on your "toes" once again
I'm a huge Ted Dekker- reader. How I never knew about this title was suprising to me. However, God's timing is always perfect. Once again, Dekker takes the reader on a meaningful journey, this time non-financial. Dekker weaves a story with in the story that at times bring literal goosbumps to the reader. The truths found as two men travel through the dangerous Middle East are strikingly suprising. As always Dekker allows the reader to glean the lesson that this reader needs or wants to see/feel. The last meeting of this trip ends not as expected but brings the reader to the awareness of the books intention. This readers western thinking has definitely been challenged to change in the way I think of my "enemy." Not a light read but I recommend every follower of Jesus read and be challenged.
I'm a huge Ted Dekker- reader. How I never knew about this title was suprising to me. However, God's timing is always perfect. Once again, Dekker takes the reader on a meaningful journey, this time non-financial. Dekker weaves a story with in the story that at times bring literal goosbumps to the reader. The truths found as two men travel through the dangerous Middle East are strikingly suprising. As always Dekker allows the reader to glean the lesson that this reader needs or wants to see/feel. The last meeting of this trip ends not as expected but brings the reader to the awareness of the books intention. This readers western thinking has definitely been challenged to change in the way I think of my "enemy." Not a light read but I recommend every follower of Jesus read and be challenged.
June 21, 2021
Interesting story, and heart penetrating ideas
An interesting story as the two men Travel to people's who are often misunderstood by Westerners, and who tell that story through Middle Westerners words. Their quest to understand the command of Jesus through the Good Samaritan parable paints a heart penetrating reality of all human hearts, religious, or non-religious, and mankind's only hope being to live as Jesus illustrates through His parable, and with His life, death, and resurrection. Well worth the read for those familiar and not-familiar with the people of the Middle East.
An interesting story as the two men Travel to people's who are often misunderstood by Westerners, and who tell that story through Middle Westerners words. Their quest to understand the command of Jesus through the Good Samaritan parable paints a heart penetrating reality of all human hearts, religious, or non-religious, and mankind's only hope being to live as Jesus illustrates through His parable, and with His life, death, and resurrection. Well worth the read for those familiar and not-familiar with the people of the Middle East.
March 23, 2018
I loved it, I grew up reading Dekker’s fiction and it was nice reading some of his actual life for a change. If you’re looking for a book on Theology or politics or even just opinions on Muslims/Christians, then you’ll be disappointed but if you take the book for what it is: a travel log to find out what various people think of Jesus’ teaching “Love your neighbor as yourself” then you’ll have one fine story to read.
August 20, 2017
The authors, at significant peril, met with the major Islamic leaders in the Arab world. The leaders all said they "believed in Jesus." They were asked if they believed they should love their enemies as Christ taught.
This is a surprising & fascinating story of the outcome. I would put it in a must read category.
This is a surprising & fascinating story of the outcome. I would put it in a must read category.
April 4, 2018
This book really made me think. They humanized the people that I’ve been lead to distrust, fear, and hate. I loved getting the different perspectives from those raised and living in the Middle East. Things and people are not necessarily what I thought they were. This book had changed my perspective on so many things as well as the parable of the Good Samaritan.
May 8, 2019
I picked up this book for a research paper I was writing. Overall, it was pretty good and enlightened me on the landscape and day-to-day life in the Middle East. It also, in an odd way, softened my heart toward what American media deems as terrorists. I appreciate the book mostly for providing an alternate view of what we're told here in America.
March 24, 2018
If you ever want to understand the complexities of the Middle East, read this book! Carl and Ted go into the Lion's Den and sit with the "enemies" and expose the humanity of this region. I couldn't put it down! It brings the parable of the Good Samaritan to life!
December 20, 2020
It was an interesting read. Ted Dekker appeared to be open to those he met listening to their responses. He asked pretty much the same questions to everyone. I doubt I would be brave enough to have done what he did.
March 3, 2023
Amazing journey and thought provoking dive into a place that is so often associated with terror and destruction. Ted takes a sensible and exciting approach with each page in this very real adventure he took.
February 9, 2012
The idea behind this book had a lot of potential, but it wasn't realised in this telling. I wished for more commentary and insight that just didn't materialise.
February 2, 2016
Two men traveled to the middle East and asked questions about jokes that the people know and cars that they drive. So many missed opportunities!
May 16, 2017
My personal interest in the Muslim world piqued my interest in the book. Ted Dekker made the book an intriguing story, Carl Medearis made it so informative.
August 15, 2017
Must read for any followers of the Way who are avid readers.
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