Shane Bennett

Have you ever made a really good trade? Something you had that wasn’t serving you for something that made your life better or more effective? A classic worship song says, “I’m trading my sorrow. I’m trading my shame. I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord.” That’s a sweet exchange.

If I could wave a wand over Christians in America and beyond to bring about a trade, it would be this: We’d trade our apathy, angst and anger toward Muslims for love and engagement.

Apathy
Most Christians don’t care about Muslims. Of course, God’s not asking everyone to care the way we do. (I write a weekly email about Muslims and you read it! How bizarre!) But what if 100 times as many began to care. There’s room for that multiple among those who follow Jesus.

Angst
A super-sized truckload of money and effort has recently gone into making the likes of us worry about the likes of them. Money and effort on the part of Muslims, as well as non-Muslims angling for a sweet political seat. Since God seems never to tire of telling believers not to fear, I think he’d extend that “have a peaceful, easy feeling” toward Muslims.

Anger
If a Muslim shot you, shot at you, shot or shot at someone you loved or took your job away and that made you mad, I get it. Of course it did. And I want us to empathize heartily with people in those situations. I suspect the anger, when present, is often more ethereal than that.

Of course there is no magic wand that trades these for love and engagement. But there is prayer and hard work. Let’s diligently pray Luke 10.2, asking God to raise up and send out laborers into this white harvest. And let’s work to dispel apathy, dampen angst and diffuse anger.

I plan to share more about each of these in upcoming Muslim Connects.
A hearty thank you to those who’ve sent gifts recently to keep Muslim Connect going and growing. I’m deeply grateful to you. I’ll soon stop asking, but if you were thinking about sending a gift, now would be a great time. Click here and choose me from the staff drop down. Thank you.

(For the slightly less nerdy, check out the Key Findings, an abridgment of the full report.)

As you may have guessed, I read the whole thing! (But to be fair, there were several pictures, graphs and what not!) Three issues seemed particularly worth sharing with you.

1. Younger Imams
   Although not exactly a Muslim version of a pastor, imams usually oversee the spiritual life of a mosque. The report says the average age of an imam in the US is 48, compared to the average age of a Christian pastor at 54. Perhaps more telling, nearly 40% of imams are 40 or younger, compared to 15% of Christian pastors! This younger age might contribute to the reality that though mosques are also losing Millennials and Generation Z, they’re doing so at a slower rate than churches.
2. More Mosques in the Suburbs
   This is good news for the many of us who don’t live in the inner city: Muslims are moving into our suburban neighborhoods. Seems many are following the well worn pattern of immigrating to the U.S., landing in the city, making some money then moving out for the sake of kids, costs and crime.
3. Increasing Resistance to New Mosques
   However, trouble often awaits when they relocate. The report states, “. . .35% of mosques encountered significant resistance from their neighborhood or city when they tried to obtain permission to move, expand, or build.” I imagine this coming from areas with pretentious names like “The Preserve at Hawk Creek Garden” or “The Estates at Shadow Lake Pointe.”Even so I wonder if I’d take the trouble to attend a planning meeting and stand in favor of Muslims. I don’t know. Would you?

It is also prime calendar real estate in which to invite over Muslim friends, or those you’d like to become your friends. (I still owe a fireworks related debt to an Afghan family in England who years ago graciously invited my family to join their Bonfire Night celebration.)

Imagine that you invited a Muslim family to your 4th of July BBQ and they showed up! Happily, you’re grilling halal chicken instead of some tasty, but haram pork product and it’s Pepsi not PBR in the cooler.

Having nailed the food, a fresh panic arises in your mind, “What do we talk about?!” Blake Glosson’s article, “The Neglected Ministry of Asking Questions”gives us a memorable and super helpful rubric: FORKS. Ask your guests about their:

Family: Most people feel comfortable talking about kids and siblings. If you venture deeper to share about a deceased parent, some real bonds form.

Occupation: It’s the classic, “What do you do?” Shallow? Maybe. But imminently answerable and pregnant with follow up question possibilities.

Recreation: What do you and your family/friends do for fun?

Knowledge: Everyone is at least a little bit of an expert on something. “Can you tell me about that?” “Can you show me?” Or the best, “Can you teach us about that?” Tons of honor rolls across the table with these questions.

Spirituality: If you’re going to talk, you might as well talk for real. If you’re at all like me, spiritual conversations might be a little scary, but worth it.

The next time you have a chance, pick up the FORKS and take a stab at this. I’d love to hear how it goes.

As you probably already considered, this rubric works great on most people, from Hindus to father-in-laws.

Born into a wealthy Egyptian family in 1873, Huda’s 142nd birthday is next Wednesday. At thirteen years old, she was married against her will. Feisty, even at that age, she insisted on a monogamy clause in her marriage contract. When her husband, 40 years her senior, continued to consort with his first wife, Huda walked. Their seven year separation gave her opportunity to feed her appetite for education while growing an appetite for independence.

Huda began her work by organizing the first secular, female led philanthropy organization in Egypt. They helped poor women and children with medicine and education.

Bowing to family pressure, she rejoined her husband in 1900. Together they spent two decades advocating for Britain to leave Egypt. Shortly after winning independence, he died and Huda began to focus on women’s rights.

She established the Egyptian Feminist Union in 1923. Serving as its president until her death from cholera in 1947, Huda advocated for women’s suffrage, a minimum marriage age of 16 and education for women and girls.

She and her colleagues made solid strides for women, but much of their progress has been rolled back in recent decades.

Three quick observations on Huda Sha’arawi’s life:

It often helps to be born into prosperity. (Like most of the Muslim Connect tribe, if we’re honest.)

Too few Muslim women today enjoy the freedom Huda worked for. Many, perhaps most, live in oppressed domestic, political and spiritual situations.

At the same time, I welcome the helpful reminder that Muslims are not “all poor and powerless.” There are Sha’arawi-esque rock stars in the mix!

Read more about Huda at insidearabia.com and wikipedia.org. Watch a short and sweet BBC video. There’s even a pretty fun rock song about her!

If you are European, perhaps you see dynamics similar to those Herr de Ruiter describes. If you are American or from somewhere else, you may wonder if similar dynamics are emerging in your country. (Even if your country is Muslim majority!)

I was directed to Bert’s insightful essay by a pleasingly long and balanced article recently published by Christianity Today. In it, Jayson Caspar, writer, pray-er and my new favorite author explores how Europe is reacting to its growing numbers of Muslims and whether or not the U.S. should try a different approach.

Being a pragmatist at heart, I Ioved Caspar’s recounting of de Ruiter’s closing advice for European Christians, and presumably the rest of us, in light of the growth and changes afoot with Islam.

Research: Matthew 10.11 speaks of finding the worthy person in a village you come to. Likewise, Christians must learn the real situation of actual Muslims, not media-driven images.

Reflect: Psalm 139.23,24 invites God to search our hearts. Anti-Muslim prejudice is often unconsciously ingrained, and with humility Christians can repent and develop attitudes of compassion.

Relate: In 1 Thessalonians 2.8 Paul describes how he shared his life with those he was trying to reach. Christians must develop relationships with Muslims, in hope of also sharing the gospel.

Relax: In Psalm 46.10 the Lord reminds believers to “be still, and know that I am God.” Whatever changes happen in Europe [and elsewhere] are according to God’s sovereignty, and he will be exalted among the nations.

That’s the alliteration I’m inviting you to steal (Please credit Caspar and de Ruiter.) for your Facebook status, your Twitter feed, your church bulletin or bulletin board or as the ready made outline for your next sermon. I just might do that!

We were unloading the moving truck at our newly rented home in England when Khalid, my Pakistani neighbor came out to meet me. I felt small, white, but very happy.

Sarah Lanier helps us understand a fascinating social reality in her book Foreign to Familiar. She says some cultures, usually those from warmer climates, tend to be warmer in relationships, prioritizing them over time. (This includes most Muslim cultures.) Other peoples, often from chillier regions, value good planning and keeping appointments over hearing the rest of a long story.

Of course there’s much more to it. I think you’d love the book. My experience moving from Holland, the poster child for “Cold-Climate Culture,” to a mostly Pakistani neighborhood in another cold culture, England, was like a case study from the book.

Coming from a cold culture myself, life in Holland felt mostly normal. Direct communication. Punctuality. “You’ve got your bubble. I’ve got mine!”

But I’ve grown to love the blessings of warm climate cultures. Hugs and hummus. Three cups of tea and talks that aren’t time limited. Heaven will be richer for the inclusion of many from such people groups.

For an Indiana boy there are challenges though: Sometimes I just want to yell, “Would it kill you to just say what you mean? To show up when you said you would? To stop bringing me baklava before I’m as big as a battleship.” TBH: I would never say that last one!

Got a great, “dizzy in the opposite culture” story? I’d love to hear it. Thank you.