| We’re building a set of mantras in our house, aphorisms that bundle up the ideas and values we want to guide our interactions as a family and how we follow Jesus. “Mess up? Fess up,” for instance and “be grateful, not greedy.”
I’m trying to add this one to the canon: “Questions trump answers.” It’s a little dicey from a truth angle, plus the word “trump” can pull the mind away from the main point. We could go with “questions are better than answers,” but that immediately makes me sing “reindeers are better than people” in my head. Some of this might be tied to personality and individual bent (Enneagram 9here!), but I’d prefer asking a Muslim four really good questions to sharing with him the four spiritual laws. If you’re inclined that way as well, here’s a question you may want to try: “Can you tell me about the God you believe in?” I read that question recently on a Facebook forum for people who connect with Muslims online. It resonates with me at a deep, deep level. How would you respond if a non-belligerent atheist at work asked you that question? Or if your adult child did? How do you suppose a Muslim friend might respond? I intend to find out! Of course, answers will vary considerably based on belief, depth of relationship and the winsome work of the Holy Spirit! One thing is likely, the question will be reciprocated and you’ll have an opportunity to share about a God who the Bible reveals to be good beyond imagination, loving beyond reason, transcendent, yet closer than our breath.
This email marks the 200th edition of Muslim Connect. To celebrate my delirious happiness at reaching this unlikely milestone, I’m giving a $100 Amazon gift card to one person who reads this email. I’ll wait four days, then choose from the list of people Mailchimp says opened the email. You can double your chances in two ways: 1. Tell me you’ve read since the very first issue back in January of 2017. 2. Share this with a friend or two and let me know you have. |