Heart & Mind
"When I entered the store and saw a group of men with beards who looked like Muslims, I knew I wasn't safe. So I turned and walked out…"
The speaker was a college student on assignment to explore an urban neighborhood. When her professor shared her story with me, my first thought was about how dramatically different my response would have been in her shoes. Were I to step inside a store and spot a group of bearded men who appeared to be Muslims, I would feel at home, consider it a safe and friendly environment, and walk right in.
How very diverse our reactions can be, based on our unique experiences. An Arab proverb says, "He who is ignorant of something is its enemy." For 24 years my family has lived among Arab Muslims in four different countries. During that time, we have enjoyed acceptance and friendship and have acquired a sense of belonging. Again and again people who did not know us have taken us in off the street and provided us with meals and overnight accommodations. Many of our Arab friends have emphatically told us, "You are our brother and sister (or son and daughter) – you are part of our family." Some of the most basic values and principles of the Bible are consistently demonstrated in the lives of our Muslim neighbors – like warm and generous hospitality to strangers.
Admittedly, these are difficult times in Western/Middle Eastern, Christian/Muslim relations, with people on both sides feeling apprehension, fear, anger, suspicion, and a growing sense of cultural division. In all our years in the Arab world, tensions have never been higher.
How should we then relate?
In light of the current state of affairs, what should be our attitude and response toward Muslims? As followers of Jesus, how should we think about Muslims and behave toward them?
It is important to realize that we have thoughts and feelings about Muslims that are rooted in sources other than biblical teaching. As Americans, for example, we may be angry at Muslims for acts of terrorism toward our country. But as Christians, or "Christ-people," it is imperative that we seek to anchor our attitudes, affections, and actions in Jesus Himself, who desires to conform us to His image and to be our example in all things.
When I think of how I should relate to Muslims, I find it helpful to imagine where Jesus might be and what He might do if He were walking the earth today. I picture Him mingling with the crowds of Baghdad, Cairo, or Damascus, perhaps walking the roads of Pakistan, Malaysia, or Indonesia. I see Him teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, healing and casting out demons, touching people daily with the love of God. I believe that among Muslims today, as among Jews in His own day, Jesus would come as the Word of God dwelling among people as the "fullness of deity in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). He would be here "not to be served, but to serve," to "seek and to save that which is lost," and to "give His life a ransom for many" (Luke 19:10; Matthew 20:28). I envision Muslims perceiving Him not as a foreigner, but as a friend, blessing them with the life-giving presence of God.
Jesus was quite clear about the connection between His ministry and ours. He sends us as the Father sent Him (John 20:21). He commands us to go and make disciples of all people (Matthew 28:18-20). He makes us His ambassadors and gives us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19-20). And above all, He puts His Spirit in us so that people can be transformed by His presence (John 17:21-23; 1 John 4:9, 12-13).
What does this mean for us in practical terms? As my family and I have wrestled with this question over the course of our years among Arab Muslims, we have come to see how the life and teachings of Jesus instruct us in the way we should interact with Muslim people in the world today.
We are called to love them…
I believe that among Muslims today, as among Jews in His own day, Jesus would come as the Word of God dwelling among people as the "fullness of deity in bodily form."
The essence of Jesus' teaching is love – love for God and love for others, including our enemies (Matthew 22:37-39; 5:43-44). I imagine that if Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan today, it could be an Iraqi Shi'ite or Sunni Muslim coming to the aid of an American soldier who was hurt by the side of the road.
There may be people in this world we dislike, fear, or want to avoid. But what about Jesus? Are there any people, anywhere, He would view that way? I don't think so. He has given His followers "all that we need for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3), and blessing upon blessing from the fullness of His grace (John 1:16), including the qualities of compassion, mercy, patience, and love – all the fruits of the Spirit, and more. Can we then learn, by His enabling, to relate to those who may be strange to us? Can we learn to reach out to our Muslim neighbors or co-workers?
… go to them
Jesus' love is active, and He bids us to pursue those who are distant from God (Luke 19:10; Matthew 28:18), whether that takes us as far away as Bangladesh or as near as our next-door neighbor. The fact that there are now more than six million Muslims in the United States represents a great opportunity for us to fulfill our mandate to make disciples of all people! If there are no Muslims across the street or at your workplace, you might look for mosques or Islamic centers in your area, and go meet them there. In this post-9/11 setting, Muslims in America are eager for positive public relations, and welcome opportunities to inform people about Islam. You might be pleasantly surprised by the warmth of Muslim hospitality and friendship as you make contact with them.
… learn from and try to understand them
It's not easy to introduce Jesus to those with whom we've never established a connection. Jesus, our model, "became flesh and dwelt among" the Jewish people of first-century Palestine, speaking their language and living by their customs (John 1:14). Paul, perhaps our greatest example of what it means to be an ambassador for Christ, became "all things to all men" to win as many as possible (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). For us, following the example of Jesus and Paul has meant adjusting how we live, dress, or speak in order to draw close enough to people to earn a hearing for our message.
American-born Queen Noor of Jordan provides insight into the motivation that can see us through this sometimes challenging process of adjusting to what seems foreign. She was once asked in an interview if it was difficult for her to live with the scrutiny and lack of freedom that characterized her life as queen – not being able to dress as she pleased or go wherever she wanted. She replied that it was a privilege to represent the king and kingdom of Jordan. The analogy is that it is our privilege to do whatever is necessary to serve a greater king, Jesus. Do we count ourselves blessed to represent Him, even though for His sake we may need to adjust how we live in order to reach people for whom He died?
… befriend them
Jesus was known as a friend of those who were despised by the religious leaders of His day (Matthew 11:19). Though not intended as a compliment from those who referred to Him as such, it was perhaps the highest praise from God's perspective. What does it mean that He was their "friend"? He visited their homes, ate with them (in the Middle East, "sharing bread and salt" creates a sacred bond between people), and shared His life with them. He got close enough so that they could see and touch God Himself, and hear His voice (1 John 1:1-2). Befriending Muslims might begin with inviting them to tea or coffee, having them in your home for a meal, or accepting such an invitation should the opportunity arise. For many people around the world, friendships often evolve over food and drink!
… introduce Jesus to them
To share Jesus with Muslims, we do not have to know Islamics or be experts in the Qur'an. We do not have to defend Jesus, or have all the answers to every question that may arise.
E. Stanley Jones spent decades sharing Jesus with Hindus in India. In his book Christ of the Indian Road, he describes our mission in a wonderful way:
"To know him, to introduce him – this is my task. There is a beautiful Indian marriage custom that dimly illustrates our task and where it ends. At the wedding ceremony the women friends of the bride accompany her with music to the home of the bridegroom. They usher her into the presence of the bridegroom – that is as far as they can go – then they retire and leave her with her husband. That is our joyous task…to know him, to introduce him, to retire..."
To share Jesus with Muslims, we do not have to know Islamics or be experts in the Qur'an. We do not have to defend Jesus, or have all the answers to every question that may arise. We can go with Jesus, in love, sharing honestly, ready to learn, and bearing witness to all of who He is and what He has done for us. Testimony, we have found, is the strongest witness. Muslims will argue with the "facts" that you present (like whether or not the Bible is trustworthy, Jesus is the Son of God, or that He died on the cross, for example), but we have found that they do not argue with personal experience of the living Christ. On the contrary, they can be deeply touched and drawn to such testimony.
… lay down our lives for them
There are many ways to die, the hardest of which involves dying to our own desires, emptying and humbling ourselves (as Jesus did, Philippians 2:5-8), turning the other cheek, and yes, even giving our lives – so that Muslims might live.
I believe that we are called in Jesus to have a positive approach to the Muslim people – sharing Jesus and the Bible and seeking to win them to Christ. We are not called to argue with them, to prove them wrong, or to defeat them. Putting people on the defensive causes them to see us as their enemy, makes them wary of us, and closes their hearts toward us. One can win an argument but lose his opponent, succeeding only in building barriers and pushing people farther away from Jesus. I believe we are called to build bridges, and motivated by love, do everything possible to bring Muslims closer to Christ. Are we up to the challenge?
Ask God to help you locate the Muslims who are near you, to give you opportunities to reach out and initiate relationships with an individual or family. As I teach on Islam at Bethel, I require my students to spend several hours of their course time in relationship with Muslim people. I have been encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive feedback I have received in response to this requirement. Students often are apprehensive, never having spoken to a Muslim before, and feel shy about initiating contact with strangers. As they meet people, experience warm hospitality, and have opportunity to share their faith experiences, they become increasingly excited about seeing God work in these new relationships. These steps may seem like small beginnings, but they are what Muslim-Christian relations desperately need in these days of tension and conflict.
May we remain utterly true to Jesus as we interact with the world's Muslims. Through us, may they have the opportunity to meet Him and experience the depth of His care for them, as we, like the merciful father in the parable, open our arms to embrace them with a love that sacrifices, draws near, and overcomes all obstacles (Luke 15). And through us, may Muslim people be transformed by knowing someone who is so much more than just a prophet – the living Jesus Christ.
For further reading
- Kenneth Cragg, The Call of the Minaret
- Christine Mallouhi, Waging Peace on Islam
- E. Stanley Jones, Christ of the Indian Road
- Bill Musk, Touching the Soul of Islam