Brutal tyrant or youthful reformer? A throwback to the past or a fresh face for the future? Seems everyone has an opinion on H.R.H. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. Before the terrible murder of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi embassy in Turkey, most people in America had never heard of the man who is next in line to the royal throne. Now, depending on what news sources you follow, he is either the best hope for peace in the Middle East or the devil himself. As I sat next to him in the royal palace in Riyadh and felt the charisma radiating from this man dressed in his full robes and red-checkered kaffiyeh, I put both opinions out of my mind. I wanted to observe this powerful figure and listen to his words, so I could form an opinion of my own.

The job of an ambassador is a unique one. He or she is charged to represent the attitude, mindset, and character of the one by whom they are sent. The ambassador’s role is to personify the person who is not there, to embody the one whose body is elsewhere. When the U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Huntsman, visits the Kremlin, he is speaking not on behalf of John Huntsman but on behalf of the U.S. government. It is not his job to express his personal feelings or determine his own course of action. He is there to say what the American president would say and do what the American president would do.

When I took my position on that very comfortable chair (careful not to lean too far back lest I find myself struggling to get out of it) alongside the man media have dubbed MBS, I did it as a representative of an authority higher than myself. And this was true of all those in the delegation of Christian leaders who came with me. It was hard not to feel awed at the opulence of our surroundings and a little intimidated at the enormity of the event. Still, we boldly entered that meeting with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia knowing that we were secure in our role as ambassadors of Christ.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). We went to Riyadh as ambassadors—not of the United States or Israel or any other country, but representing Christ. When we discussed religious liberty and human rights, we did so on behalf of our God. When we asked about the utter lack of Christian churches in the nation, it was not as Americans or Israelis, but as followers of Christ. There were moments when I wondered if our questions went too far, when I internally mused what the consequences would be if we offended the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. However, I was amazed and heartened by the crown prince’s openness and warmth during the two hours of our visit.

There is nothing special about those of us who were in the Christian delegation. We just happen to be the ambassadors God chose for that particular assignment at that particular time. While we were fulfilling our assignment in the royal palace, there were many other ambassadors in Riyadh and throughout Saudi Arabia fulfilling their missions. Most of these wonderful brothers and sisters claim a Saudi nationality, but their citizenship belongs to a higher kingdom. To those who live around them, they represent not their Saudi king but their heavenly one.

That’s the wonderful reality about Christian ambassadorship. It doesn’t belong just to a special diplomatic contingent. It doesn’t require traveling to some faraway land. As believers, we are all ambassadors of Christ, called to represent him in our jobs, in our neighborhoods, in our homes. Determine that you will take time to learn God’s Word, so you can speak for him accurately. Commit to praying for the Holy Spirit to give you opportunities to represent him. Then boldly step forward, knowing that when he sends you on a mission—whether it’s to another continent or to another cubicle—he will empower you fully to be his righteous representative here on this earth.

Joel C.