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Now That’s a Good Question

This afternoon I took four sharp people to visit a mosque for the first time in their lives. We’re in Catania, Sicily and my friend Hassan said, “If you’re wearing pants, not shorts, feel free to go in.” He also tossed me a couple loaner head coverings for the two women.

It was cool to watch their brains crunch the contrast between what we see in the media about Muslims and the peaceful atmosphere inside the mosque. They shared some of their honest deliberation: “I’m a little apprehensive being in here, but I’m not totally sure why.” “I see so much bad stuff. Is that really what goes down in here?” Basically, “How much of what I think, believe and feel about Muslims is true and real? And how do I know?”

The effect was further heightened when we visited the mosque attic where the imam allows some down and out asylum seekers to sleep.

My friends asked insightful questions as we chatted afterwards: “What makes the difference between nice Muslims like these and the ones who blow stuff up?” “Is there really a difference?” “What do I tell my friend who thinks all ‘real’ Muslims want to kill Christians?”

These are great questions and I’m curious about how many Christians are asking them. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And I’d really love to hear your questions. What do you wonder about Muslims, about Islam? What bugs you, puzzles you, makes you scream at the TV. What, if you were shooting straight, makes you a little nervous? What would you like to know.

I’m sure you’re busy, but can you give me 30 seconds to fire off a question? Send it in an email or post it in comments here. I’d love to know what you’re thinking. Thank you.

Ever wonder why Muslims fast during Ramadan? An effort to earn points with God? A way to get amped up to kill infidels? True devotion? Because it’s really easy to apply really wrong motives to people, I asked my friend Safwan about the “why’s” behind Ramadan. Safwan is a Fulbright scholar, an academic working in Indiana, and a native of Mosul, Iraq. He’s also the nice Iraqi I’ve ever met. You’d love to have coffee with him.

The following are Safwan’s words, edited for brevity.

I love how family and friends get together during Ramadan, inviting each other to their homes, celebrating together at the end of the month. People also get overly generous: Charity work is doubled, if not tripled, during Ramadan.

I enjoy the special midnight prayer when, despite all engagements and commitments, Muslims go to the mosque and pray together, standing in one line, shoulder to shoulder before Allah.

Ramadan is my yearly boot camp. I enjoy exploring my inner strength. Can I survive sixteen hours without food or water, while helping my family, friends and community, attending to work and daily responsibilities, all while doing my best to keep my temper in check? Ramadan teaches me to give food when I’m hungry, do good when I’m exhausted. Further, if I can survive a month refraining from pleasures that Allah has told us not to approach, maybe I can abstain from the worldly gains throughout my short life on earth.

Righteousness is the key here, we are sent down to earth to do good. One of the most striking lessons that I have from fasting is remembering the hungry and the poor and doing something to end it.

If you’d like to pray for Safwan and other Muslims during Ramadan, shoot me an email for a free, super-brief prayer outline.

Is it a good idea for Christians to fast during Ramadan? I have friends living among Muslims for the sake of God’s kingdom who do so as a way of empathizing with their neighbors and co-workers and opening doors of conversation.

If ever I was going to fast during Ramadan, the fall of 2003 was the time. We were living in northern England that year when the fasting month ran from late October to late November. The daylight hours, during which observant Muslims are required to abstain from food, water and many other pleasures, were few and treasured. Sunrise around 8.30am. Sunset about 4.30pm. It would have been the easiest Ramadan ever! We felt for Muslims fasting in Australia!

Given the crazy tension currently characterizing Christian-Muslim interaction, I propose we fast a bit this Ramadan, which goes from to May 27th until June 24th. I plan to skip one meal each Friday (I know, really swinging for the fence, eh?). I’ll use that fast to focus prayer on Muslims near me and far away. I’ll also pray against the violence that sometimes raises it’s ugly head during Ramadan. If you’ll join me in that, fire off an email and I’ll send you a very brief prayer outline to fuel your efforts. Please forward this to your tribe and let’s ask God for a crowd of faster/pray-ers!

If you want to take it a step further, check this out: My friends Jessey and Jeff are promoting an effort in which Muslims invite Christians to share a fast breaking meal (iftar) with them during Ramadan. Check here to see what events are happening near you.

Next week we’ll hear from a Muslim what Ramadan means to him.

Next Friday is a significant day. Mostly because our next to youngest child graduates from high school! (Congratulate Alia here!) It also marks the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month. From the evening of May 26th until the evening of June 25th, faithful Muslims will avoid eating during daylight hours. They will also refrain from smoking and sex, while emphasizing generosity and good deeds.

I used to think this was a dopey way to fast. Just don’t eat during the day, then feast at night! Three things have lightened my judgement: It’s more fasting than I do. It’s got to be hard to stop smoking every day when you start again every night. And three, it’s not my religion, so maybe I should be a little hesitant to judge their fasting!

Why should you care that it’s Ramadan? Two reasons. For the food! The family oriented feasting and fun at night is a big deal. Ramadan is sort of like Black Friday for Muslim grocers! The evening fast-breaking meal is called iftar and I encourage you to try to get invited to one!

Secondly, Ramadan is a good time to pray both for your Muslim friends and Muslims generally. It’s a spiritual-seeking time for many. Pray that God would speak, guide and enlighten. If it would be helpful, quickly grab a copy of 30 DAYS Muslim Prayer Guide: 2017. This is a high quality guide that will inform and energize your prayers. They also have pdf versions for both adults and kids.

Do you ever feel like I do, that there’s no way little you can make a difference against the massive issues the world faces? Like maybe the only rational thing to do is eat Fritos and watch Jimmy Fallon cuddle animals with the Crocodile Hunter’s son?

I’ve got good news: Little people like you and me can make a difference because we’re kids of a big God who hears and responds when we pray. [tweet this]

Granted, prayer doesn’t often work the way I want. Basically because it’s tough for me to think more than 18 secs and 30 feet down the road! But here’s some solid “Piper on prayer” that never fails to give me perspective.  Piper talks of God, “beckoning us into our share in the running of the universe!” Whoa! Serious? I think so.

And if it is so, you and me praying for Muslims specifically and some of our broader issues with Muslims corporately (Perceived or real, I’m not judging here.), can make a difference.

If you’re with me so far, can I suggest you pray for yourself, for Muslims and the rest of the world the words many faithful Muslims pray many times each day, “Guide us to the straight path.” Sura 1.6 That’s what we want, right? Wisdom to follow God, for ourselves and everyone else.

My strong conviction is that Jesus spoke truthfully when he said, “I am the way.” I want you and me and Muslims everywhere to find and walk the straight path, to experience every bit of the abundant life Jesus has in mind for us.

Join me and Muslims everywhere in praying that God would help us walk that straight path.

If your church is a little edgy and you’re more than a little brave, you may want to try this.

A friend asked me to talk to some rowdy, smelly, lovely church kids recently. It didn’t take long to discover I’m not very good at that. Luckily I also found that if I posed a couple of questions, the crazy kids actually preferred their talking to mine!

I asked them if they had any Muslim friends and what they know about Muslims. Some answers were startling. A sweet little hand shot up, “Muslims worship a false god,” then amended, “Muslims worship the devil.”

This has made me think two things: One, I hope no one is asking my kids these questions! And two, what should we teach our kids about Muslims?

It’s tricky. You want to be honest, but calming. Accurate, but sensitive to minds that can’t appreciate the complexities of political will conflated with religious rhetoric. (Like we even understand that!)

I think we can agree: We bear responsibility to train our kids to think and act like Jesus relative to Muslims. [Tweet this]

Here are three things we can tell them:

1. Some Muslims have done some terrible things, but almost all of them don’t do things like that.
2. God loves little Muslims kids just like he loves little Christian kids: Big time! Deep and long and wide and he wants them to have great lives now and forever. [Tweet this]
3. You don’t have to be afraid of Muslims. Almost every Muslim you’ll ever meet would rather be your friend than your enemy. And if you bump into someone who wants to be your enemy, Muslim, Christian or Martian, God’s got your back.

By God’s grace, may our kids do better than us. May they love deeper, with action and authority, courage and kindness. May they share the life of Jesus you’ve shared with them with many people everywhere.

Yesterday was my birthday. I was reminiscing and recalled a dinner years ago in India at the home of a lovely Muslim family our group had befriended.

As soon as we sat, drinks appeared, followed by bowls, plates, platters and baskets, filled with yummy delicacies. I was hungry and partook freely! We laughed, talked, asked questions, learned and ate more, until we were stuffed, both mind and body.

At this point, our host, Uncle Fahrid, boomed, “Clear away the snacks! Bring dinner!” Had there been room, my heart would have sunk! “Dinner? What have we been having? Ack! Unless ‘dinner’ is kale chips, I’m in trouble.” It wasn’t: Rice, yogurt, vegetables, bread, all surrounding a huge mutton curry.

Plates were piled high. I timidly tucked in, immediately spreading food out to look like I’d eaten more than I had. Sitting next to me and seeing my slowness, Uncle Fahrid questioned, “What? Is the food not good?”

“It’s wonderful,” I honestly replied, poking more in. He beamed and deposited another huge chunk of mutton on my plate!

As I contemplated my inability to even begin to eat this, he stepped away to the kitchen. Opportunity! I drove my fork deep into the mutton and with ninja-deftness, plopped it onto his plate! He returned and continued eating unaware!

I won the battle, but lost the war. Staggering home that evening, my tummy hurt more than it ever has in India!

“Vigilante Hospitality” we called it. It’s one of the things I love in most Muslim cultures. I don’t understand all that’s behind it, but know I could learn a thing or two. [Tweet this] 

Tummy aches aside, vigilante hospitality is a hidden benefit of befriending Muslims. Better plan to run extra miles or buy bigger pants!

Know someone who’d like some good news about Muslims? Please forward this to them.