This morning I was pleasantly surprised to find a package in my mailbox at work. I hadn't ordered a book from Amazon and pondered it must be some sort of textbook from a professor as I brewed my coffee. When I sat down in my office, I opened the package to find Warriors of God by James Reston, Jr. This was perplexing as no professor would mail me such a book unrelated to my research. It was then I read the enclosed note.

Mike- congrats on passing the [comps] exam! Please accept this gift as a token of our friendship. It's a very enjoyable read! Best, Irfan

Irfan and I have grown quite close during our stay at A&M. I doubt many could even understand why an orthodox Protestant and a conservative Muslim would have so much in common. My heart was warmed by this kind and thoughtful gesture.

I am excited to read this book. It's about the Third Crusade and narrates the lives of Saladin, a Muslim warrior who united Egypt and Syria and re-conquered Jerusalem, and Richard the Lionheart, King of England. I hope this book will help me understand the corrupt history of the Roman "Church" as well as gain insight into why Muslims across the globe hate the West.

I am very frightened by the modern Dispensationalists (Baptist and their less literate Pentecostal brethren) giving Israel carte blanche in the Middle East. The Dispie-Baptists seem hell-bent on creating God's Kingdom on Earth by military and economic might. Don't get me wrong, Israel is a free nation who has a right to defend herself. My concern is when this right to self-determination and self-defense is motivated by a belief God supports one side over the other. Either way, I am excited to begin this new book.