| Imagine we were going through this pandemic at Christmas time. What would that be like? No office party? Maybe a good thing. No candlelight service at church, the light growing and glowing as the flame passes person to person. Maybe finances so low and uncertainty so high, the presents are meager at best and the usual baking, feasts and drinks are reduced to one simple celebration.
Jesus would still be born, of course, but the festivities would suffer. For many Muslims, Ramadan, their annual month of fasting which begins today, is a time of celebration similar to Christmas for Christians. Sure they don’t eat during the day (or drink/smoke/chew or kiss on girls who do. . . or don’t!), but the month is also a rich time of family gathering, eating after dark, and extra efforts to connect with and please God. Most of Ramadan is worked out in the context of close, celebrated community. But not this year. I’d like you to join me in prayer for Muslims as they fast this month under the cloud of Corona. (Tweet this.) Many Muslims are spiritually sensitive during Ramadan and earnestly seeking God. This year, that dynamic might be even increased due to the necessarily more private nature of the fast. I’m concerned for kids this Ramadan. Can you imagine spending all day with your parents who’ve sworn off food, cigarettes and sex? I feel for the kids who will bear the wrath of their parents’ discomfort and deprivation. I know I’m guilty of venting personal frustration on my kids and. And that’s when I’m eating normal meals! Please download this simple, crazy beautiful, one-page prayer guide for Ramadan. You are encouraged to freely print, share and distribute it as you wish. |
