Monthly Archives: January 2026

Ramadan, the annual month of fasting for Muslims, begins on (or around!) February 18th. 

You could recognize this time in any number of ways:

1. Move to a Muslim country for the rest of your life. No time like Ramadan to start that!
2. Take a group of friends to pray on site in a Muslim city! Choosing to go pray among the Muslims of Norilsk, Russia would be advantageous if you plan to fast with them. Since the sun rises at 9:18 AM and sets at 5:25 PM there this February and Muslims only fast during daylight hours, your task would be less arduous than for most.
3. Fast for a day or two or 28! You probably know more than me about fasting, but I know this much: A grumbly tummy serves as a good reminder to pray!
4. Speaking of prayer: Praying for Muslims, and inviting others to join you, are two of the best things you can do to mark Ramadan. Check out #5 on the list, then I’ll share some ways to pray.
5. If it’s possible, hang out with Muslims! Invite other non-Muslims to do so with you. Ramadan is a time of great hospitality and unusual spiritual openness. Ask God to connect you to Muslims with whom you can walk through Ramadan.

Prayer Ideas
Grab a pdf version of the excellent, perennial 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World or get one (hundred!) in print from faithful Muslim Connect reader John at Bibles for the World. 

I’m planning to make these available at my church and around. This might create a bit of a ruckus there and at your church. Maybe you could ask for some space in the bulletin or on the website to put a weekly prayer request. This could be low key provocative, but I think it’s a righteous ruckus! 

Finally, give a listen to Jeannie Marie’s just uploaded podcast about Ramadan. She’s way smarter than me! Great info, winsomely presented. 

Now go make a righteous ruckus! 

I felt some regret Monday when my current favorite devotional, Lectio 365, featured a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. This reminded me I’d said nothing to acknowledge the holiday at church on Sunday. It doesn’t help that Lectio 365 is from Britain! (Well, it does help me be humble!)

The devotional quoted a speech King gave in Memphis the night before he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Have you heard of it? It’s come to be known as “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” and it rocks. I’m aware that MLK’s record is not roundly viewed as without blemish. I’m no expert on that. As an aging career mobilizer however, I feel a little expertise in the realm of mobilization: This speech is fantastic. 

Moving toward his conclusion, King referenced Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan, “And so the first question that the priest asked — the first question that the Levite asked was, ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’”

As you may have experienced, there’s real, though for most of us mild, risk in advocating for Muslims. What will happen if we do? People may squawk, misunderstand and disparage.

King goes on, “But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’”

Paraphrasing King’s call for fair pay for Black sanitation workers in Memphis, I would ask, “If we don’t stop to help Muslims learn of the love of God in Christ, what will become of them?” 

King wrapped his sermon with this, “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. . . .I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”

We too have been to a mountaintop. It’s called Revelation 7.9 and we’ve seen some from every Muslim tribe, tongue, people and nation standing before the throne and before the Lamb. God will accomplish his purposes, and by some gorgeous grace, he’s invited us to join him. Praise God and thank you, Dr. King for the encouragement.

PS: Fun news: Get this, I had a chance this afternoon, at a memorial service, no less, to use the three words of Farsi that you and I learned last week in Muslim Connect. (Check it out, if you’ve not seen it yet!) It was super fun and kind of silly, but an elderly Bahai Persian dude asked me to pray for him afterward, so I’m saying a win. If you want, join me in asking Jesus to meet him before his journey on earth comes to an end.

The list of things I cannot control is long, diverse and seemingly multiplying! And now, outside of the mysterious and powerful tool of prayer and the part of my taxes that go to pay for the US military machine, I am powerless to control the outcome of the current street strife in Iran. You, too, I’m guessing.

But here is what we can do: We can say hi. While this admittedly solves nothing, it is, and I have absolutely no doubt about this, a step in the right direction. Connecting with an Iranian is good for the souls of both the connector and the connected. 

My off and on efforts to grab hold of a tiny bit of Farsi haven’t been successful. On the off chance you’ve shared that experience, here are the first three phrases we need to say “hi” to the next Persian person God causes to cross our path. (And I’m praying right now that happens soon for many of us!)

1. Salaam (sah-LAHM) is your go-to Persian greeting that works everywhere! Dorood (doh-ROOD) adds a touch of elegance to your greeting. This more poetic alternative to salaam carries a hint of traditional Persian charm. (Short video on salaam, dorood and chetori here.)
2. Chetori (che-TO-ri) is a short, sweet “how are you” question that works perfectly in relaxed settings. Stretch-out chetoori (che-TOO-ri) to sound extra friendly to Persian ears. Reply with “Khoobam, merci, to chetori?” (I’m good, thank you, and how are you?)
3. Khodahafez (kho-da-HA-fez) is your everyday “goodbye” superstar! This friendly phrase literally means “may God be your guardian” and fits perfectly in any situation. (Pronunciation)

I borrowed the words and most of the descriptions for those three words from a helpful page on the Preply site. 

It feels weird to me to be an American these days and it must be at least a little angsty to be a Persian American (or a Persian in America), as well. May God open some kingdom doors for us this week. If he does, let me know how it goes! 

You’d be forgiven if you missed what’s unfolding in Iran over the past twelve days. Goodness knows there’ve been some other headlines. This unfolding wave of protests may hold more potential for lasting change than any in the past. 

Since Iran is home to more than 90 million Muslims, here are five things I think you should know.

1. Protests are growing.
   They started off in response to an economy in free fall, but now have expanded into the political realm with calls for regime change. The Iranian currency has lost 60% of its value since mid-2025!

   Between my writing this email and your reading it, protests will have likely expanded to new cities and the rial dropped to new lows. 

2. Leaders are trying to respond.
   The Iranian government is dangling a carrot while wielding a stick: Several dozen protesters have been killed, even though the policy is to not harm peaceful marchers, but resist those deemed violent. At the same time, an cash-equivalent payment of $7/month is being given to almost all Iranians. This will be helpful to the poorest, but seems unlikely to buy peace. 
3. Iranian leaders are facing a two-front war.
   In a change from previous times of vast protest, the Ayatollahs are currently facing trial both internal and external. In addition to economic woes and spreading protests, Israel continues to threaten further attacks and President Trump is on record saying he’s ready to come to the aid of the protesters. His colleague and supporter, Senator Lindsey Graham said on Jan. 6th, “And to the Ayatollah: You need to understand, if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J. Trump is gonna kill you.”
4. Christians are being scapegoated.
   As often happens to minorities, Christians in Iran find themselves the focal point for police response.
5. The Iranian Church has grown like crazy.
   While I long for times of peace for all Iranians, and particularly those following Jesus, praise to God and kudos to Iranian Christians who have valiantly endured and grown through struggles I cannot even imagine. 

May a fresh time of peace in Persia result in Kingdom advance such that all that has gone before seems small.