“LIVING IT”
Too often, the life of a missionary seems personally unattainable, and the thought of interacting with Muslims feels overwhelming. Where Shadows Hide the Sun demythologizes both those viewpoints and demonstrates God’s ability to lead believers in loving others to Himself.
Delgado’s present-tense approach as a novice missionary keeps us engaged at ground level. Together, we answer the Father’s call and press forward despite obstacles. Together, we live as members of a missions team, developing friendships with Muslims and sharing the love of Christ. Together, we prayerfully intercede with our children for those spiritually and literally imprisoned. And together, we stand against fear and take steps into the darkness, following Jesus.
TRUSTING GOD
Delgado does not sermonize but lets us wrestle for answers as he leads us on a journey of trust that comes full circle. We hear the tense dialogue between characters and God as they trust Him to leave their culture when He says “Go,” as they seek Him to affirm their call when trials arise, wait on Him to speak during dangerous times, trust the words He has whispered when everything else shouts the contrary, and place themselves in His hands when He asks them to return. Where Shadows Hide the Sun, though raw at times, demonstrates that God can be trusted throughout the journey.
FACING FEAR
In Where Shadows Hide the Sun, Delgado combats fear head-on. As a husband and a father, he declares his trust in God and commits his family’s physical and spiritual security to Jesus. Yet fear does not give up easily. Delgado and the mission team must fight the fear of arrest and interrogation by Islamic secret police and the fear that comes with the haunting darkness of spiritual home invasions. Where Shadows Hide the Sun does not cause us to embrace fear but to face fear as a foe that must be overcome.
BATTLING SPIRITS
Delgado’s tale demonstrates that “ordinary” followers of Jesus participate in spiritual battles without inherent ability but under the authority of Christ, being led by the Holy Spirit. Delgado does not present a paranoid, hunting-for-demons approach but does allow us to engage in the spirit realm.
PRAYING THROUGH
Integral to Where Shadows Hide the Sun is a call Christians can answer no matter where they live: the call to intercessory prayer.
Delgado invites us to answer that call by interceding for Muslims to have encounters with God and by participating in prayers and petitions for safety, healing, unity, for open doors for gospel declaration, for others to have a revelation of Christ as Savior and Lord, and for liberty from imprisonment.
LOVING MUSLIMS
Where Shadows Hide the Sun allows the love of Christ to dethrone the fear of people who bear the title Muslim as the mission team shares laughter, caring, sorrow, and joy with the Muslim community.
With Delgado, we are amazed as Spirit-led interactions with his students and his female teaching assistant show us what is critical for dialogue between Christians and Muslims: a strong relationship. In Where Shadows Hide the Sun, we, the Christians, get to become the Muslims’ friends.
For more, see Overview.
