Around where I live, when a Muslim makes the news, it’s usually bad news. To be fair, almost all of the news is bad news, so maybe it’s not a specifically Muslim deal.
At any rate, two news stories involving Muslims popped onto my radar this week. One troubled me and the other made me cry.
The first involved a Byzantine Catholic priest who converted to Islam. The details as shared here bring two questions to mind: Is it wise for Muslims to celebrate, as they are, given the last station on his peace train might not be Islam? I’ve seen this happen with people who embrace Christianity, then move along to other spiritual tracks.
It also makes me question celebrations around conversion. Jesus says in Luke 15.7 that there will be rejoicing in Heaven over sinners who repent, so there’s precedent, and I certainly want to celebrate what Heaven does. But as much as I want all people to find life in Jesus, I think maybe humility is called for and touchdown celebrations, at least publicly, should be muted.
In happier news, although there is no silver lining to the continuing devastation in Turkey and Syria, a recent outpouring of love and empathy warmed my heart. Several years ago while spending the summer in Turkey, I somewhat randomly chose Besiktas as my Turkish soccer team. At a February 26th home game, they collected teddy bears for children suffering as a result of the earthquakes. Seeing a waterfall of stuffies flowing onto the pitch brought tears to my eyes. (This drone footage is stunning, but might give you motion sickness!)
We know too well, don’t we, that teddy bears won’t solve much. But by God’s grace may they give a bit of comfort when all the foundations have crumbled, and may they be harbingers of God’s further relief, hope and life.
Please check out my short, new video, sharing a story of when my self-esteem took a shot. I’m new to Youtube and welcome your creative input and critique.