Shane Bennett

Jesus endorsed prayer when he said, “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.” He modeled action when he touched a leper, dined with baddies, and exorcised a demon from a foreigner’s kid.

Both praying and doing are part of our normal life with Jesus.

Sometimes it’s easier to pray. At a distance. On a comfortable couch. In his fascinating and often overlooked book on prayer, Letters to Malcom, C.S. Lewis asserts, “It is much easier to pray for a bore than to go visit him.” Isn’t that the truth?

I just finished the challenging book, “Same Kind of Different As Me.” I can’t vouch for the movie yet, but the book pushed me to complement prayer with actually doing something for homeless people in my town.

Maybe you want to add action to your prayers for Muslims, particularly so during Ramadan, particularly for upwards of a hundred thousand Afghans spending their first Ramadan in the U.S. I know I do.

Here’s a simple, beautiful idea that landed in my email box this morning from Fouad Masri at Crescent Project: Ramadan Blessing Kits. You put a simple list of Ramadan related items, including a Gospel of John you can get for free from Crescent Project, in a bag or box and deliver it to your Muslim friend.

They also provide a winsome, printable note you can sign and include. I love this!

If you’re pretty sure you don’t have anyone to give something like that to, you can join me in sending some money to Crescent Project to help them send the Gospel of John free of charge.

Either way, may God bless and multiply this effort in such a way that leads to more abundant life for many Afghans, other Muslims and you and me.

Muslim Dad: Hey Kids, good news, this year we’re going to do all the fun things that go with Ramadan like get together with family, eat special food at night and give presents at the end, but we’re not going to fast!
Kids: Are you serious? Yay! That’s so great! You’re the best.
Muslim Dad: April fools!
Kids: Grrrrr

Pray Large and Small
Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, begins the evening of April 1st and runs through April 30th. As you probably know, this is a time of heightened spiritual sensitivity for Muslims. If you’ve ever fasted, quit smoking or drinking coffee you probably understand it’s also a time of strained emotions.

With that in mind, please join me in praying against violence on both a large and small stage. Specifically, let’s ask God to help men be kind to their wives and kids during this time. Let’s also pray for Israel. They’ve suffered three terrorist attacks in just over a week. Ask God for protection for Jewish citizens, but also wisdom and discretion for the Israeli government as they respond.

Join In
While Ramadan is mainly about going without, it’s also about celebrating. Once the sun sets, many Muslims take time to enjoy family and special foods. My friend Jeannie has written a winsome challenge to get yourself invited over for one these meals. (Be careful, it also involves fasting!)

Cook Up Some Connection
One way my family is planning to remember Muslims during this Ramadan is by cooking and enjoying a meal together once a week that will remind us of a particular Muslim people or place. Please grab our food plan and let me know if you give it a go.

Let’s ask God to incline our hearts toward Muslims as they seek him this special month. Let’s also keep our eyes open for ways to share this perspective with other believers.

There’s a new Greg Livingstone conversation video up. Please check out Greg’s gracious thoughts on church planting teams.

I learned to love shawarma served by a kind, long-suffering Egyptian immigrant in Jordan. I’m grateful for the time he stood under the summer sun in front of his piping hot grill.

Later my dad learned to love mie goreng cooked up by a road side restauranteur in southern Malaysia. After our whirlwind trip to meet Muslims and enjoy their food, he thought it would it would be nice if my mom would make mie goreng back in Indiana! Being several years before the world wide web was a thing, she was the long-suffering one, trying to match real ingredients to Dad’s culinary memory.

Food links us to people and places, doesn’t it? As Ramadan begins on April 2nd, I want to invite you to link your heart, mind and tummy with Muslims locally and around the world.

Although Ramadan is a fasting month for Muslims, as you may know, they only abstain during the day. Night time is for family, fun and often feasting.

So here’s the idea: Once each week through April, enjoy a meal with family and friends that reminds you of a particular Muslim nation or people group. Take time around the meal to pray for that people.

Here are the ones I envision for our house:

Week One:  Doner Iskender, originating in Turkey

Week Two:  Domada, from Gambia

Week Three:  Balti Curry (Made famous in Bradford, England, originating in Pakistan and North India)

Week Four:  Mie Goreng (Originating in Malaysia, and reminding us of my dad!)

To identify with the self-denial of Ramadan, maybe fast the meal prior to the special reminder one.

Let me know if you plan to do this and what food you’ll serve. My mouth is watering already!

How does it make you feel to read that Saudi Arabia executed 81 people last Saturday?

Sick to your stomach?
Sad for the state of humanity?
Desperate for the kingdom of God?
Concerned for their eternal destiny?

Do you wonder who they were and what they’d done?
Whether or not their trials were fair? If their confessions only came from torture?
Maybe you shake your head and think, “Those Muslim barbarians!”
Or, “They probably got what they deserved.”

Maybe you wonder like me, “Why kill them all on the same day?” I suppose the answer to that is to make a point. “See this? See what we can do? Don’t cross us.”

I question if this situation differs only in quantity, but not in principle, from the eleven people executed in the US last year or the 17 the year before?

I also wonder how many Christians will use this mass execution as an additional data point in their decision to despise Muslims. And what might we do to help them think otherwise?

Finally, in this situation, as often happens, innocent people will pay a great price for the policies of the powerful: Since many of the men executed were Shia Muslims, Iran (Team Shia) canceled ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia (Team Sunni) regarding maybe easing up their proxy battle in Yemen (still the soccer ball).

God have mercy on these countries and their people, the good, the bad and the desperate. And you and me, too.

Have you ever had a hero crash and burn, ditch their wife, kick the dog? It’s a gut punch, isn’t it? Many years ago, Bobby Clinton seared this onto my psyche: “Very few leaders finish well.” They either plateau or flame out in pursuit of power, cash or sex. Although at 28 years old there was no way I could imagine personally “finishing” well, I knew I wanted to.

While that’s still to be determined, God has kindly allowed me to connect with one of my heroes who is finishing well.

I met Greg Livingstone, the founder of Frontiers, when I was fresh out of college, reconnected with him during the most trying time in my life and just recently began a fascinating project with him.

We’re recording a series of brief conversations in which I ask Greg things I’d like to know about his life, work, thinking and walk with Jesus.

This project is powered by sheer fun, as well as this two fold purpose: 1. To preserve some of the cool things Greg thinks and has done in his life. 2. Give him a chance at 82 years old to unleash his recruiting chops on a new generation of people.

I would flat out love for you to give these a look. You can find them here. Greg and I are clearly not amazing YouTubers! (even with my friend Jeremy’s great editing help) But with GK Chesterton whispering in our ear, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly,” we’re giving it a go. Any advice or help you’d like to offer in terms of content, production and distribution would be met with gratitude. And we’ll put it into action.  We plan to release new videos every week or so.

Please check them out and, if you don’t mind, pass them on to others who might appreciate seeing Greg’s face and hearing a little Livingstone wisdom. 

The 50-60,000 Afghan refugees currently spreading out across the U.S. will face a new issue in a couple of weeks: How to celebrate Nowruz, the wildly popular Persian New Year, in a new land. It happens on Sunday, March 20th this year.

Since I’m often on the hunt for a celebration, this challenge resonates with me. If it does you as well, join me in one or more of these three things I’m planning to do:

Get a Goldfish
Having secured permission from my long-suffering wife, I plan to grab a couple goldfish this week along with a suitable bowl and food. Goldfish are part of the traditional Nowruz display called haft-seen. For Nowruz, they symbolize life. For us they’ll serve as reminders to pray for Muslims. You’re welcome to share our fishies’ names too: Farsi and Dari! (Plastic goldfish work too!)

Gift a Goldfish
As part of a broader effort to host a Nowruz party for some local Afghan refugees, I’m going to offer to buy goldfish for some families. This gets into potential cultural quagmire: Maybe they don’t want a goldfish! But maybe they think it would be offensive to say no. Maybe it would feel bad if they got a goldfish, but others didn’t. I’m going to ask people closer to the situation to scout this out.

GIF a Goldfish
OK, not actually a gif, but on Sunday I plan to show this slide to encourage my church to pray for Afghans around Nowruz. This is a golden opportunity to provide a timely and hopeful prayer invitation. I’ll also include a link to this prayer guide. (If you have a better one, please let me know.)

A long time ago I lived in England for a short, but glorious, time. The beauty of the West Yorkshire moors combined with a high percentage of residents of Pakistani descent and the smell of curry wafting down the street made my little bit of Bradford feel like on overlooked corner of Heaven.

So when Ira Glass told me to check out a new podcast called The Trojan Horse Affair about a scandal in Birmingham, England involving Muslims, I told him yes, I’ll listen. He said the fall out of a mysterious letter to the City Council has adversely effected thousands of school kids, mostly Muslims, in England and beyond.

Three episodes in, I’m really glad I did. And I want to invite you to check it out as well. Here’s why:

1. A local journalist student named Hamza Syed convinces a New York Times veteran, Brian Reed, to help him get to the bottom of the scandal. Their interactions and developing friendship shed light on how life is different for brown and white people. At one point, Brian winces at the accusing tone of a man they’d hoped to interview, “He made me feel like a criminal and we’re trying to do what’s right!” Hamza replies, “That’s my *****ing life, mate.” To his credit, Brian accepts the mirror Hamza holds up to his life.
2. Another reason to listen is that The Trojan Horse Affair points out differences among different groups of Muslims in Birmingham. It’s easy for me to slide into thinking in terms of “those Muslims,” “the Muslim world,” etc. I’m helped by a reminder that different groups of Muslims face challenges in getting along, similar to the way Christians do.

I’m only half way through, so no guarantees on how it ends! (And note: there is some explicit language.)

To benefit the rest of the Muslim Connect tribe, please share your thoughts on The Trojan Horse Affair. Even better, post some other podcasts that will help us think about Muslims the way God does and love them like Jesus does.

The first beer I ever drank in my life was not at a sneaky high school party or a 21st birthday bash. It was given to me by a kind and quirky old guy in central Turkey while I was coaching a short term team there.

When the team leader and I showed up to have lunch with him, he asked, “You boys drink beer?”

“No,” we answered honestly.

“OK, I’ll get you each two,” he replied, loading empties into a bucket on his bike handle bars and pedaling away.

As I recall, the kebabs he grilled were much better than the warmish Efes Pilsen!

Today, Turkey has tightened its grip on alcohol as part of teetotaling President Erdogan’s efforts to move the country toward Islamic purity. My imbibing cycling buddy would not be happy!

The Quran does make a case against consuming alcohol:

2.219: They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: “In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit.”

5.90: O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, Al-Ansab , and Al-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitan‘s (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.

Muhammad reportedly said, “Allah’s curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distills it; The one for whom it has been distilled; The one who drinks it; The one who transports it; The one for whom it has been brought; The one who serves it; The one who sells it; The one who utilizes the money from it; The one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else.” Whew! Inclusive.

There are questions, of course: How many Muslims avoid alcohol in order to feel self righteous, how many out of obedience and a desire for a clear mind and how many don’t avoid it much at all?

And this: Is the Muslim stance on alcohol generally better than the Christian stance?

Joy reigned in our house last week when the kiddos got two consecutive snow days! Something not joy probably characterizes the thousands of Indian students whose schools are closed this week in Karnataka due to controversysurrounding whether or not Muslim students can wear hijabs to class.

As you’d guess, it’s challenging to discern where the controversy began. Each side would like to take the moral high ground and say, “We’re only righteously responding to the problem ‘those guys’ instigated!”

As you might also guess, I’m sympathetic to the Muslim side of this argument. I’ve seen first hand how Muslims are oppressed and marginalized in India. There’s also the reality that roughly 80% of India is Hindu compared to 15% Muslim. And the BJP (the Hindu nationalist party to which current Prime Minister Modi belongs) has seized this polarizing issue to enflame passions for their party.

I’m so glad we never see anything like this in the U.S. (wink, wink)

So what, if anything, can a thoughtful Christian do given that most of us are so far away?

You may have better ideas, but here are two things to pray and two to do:

1. Pray for Christians who make up less than 2% of Karnataka. May they shine like stars of love and hope in the midst of these current challenges.
2. Pray Matt. 6.10 that God’s kingdom would come in Karnataka. Jesus told us to pray this. May he also give us faith that his answer will be yes!

Two to do:

1. Let’s examine our hearts and ask the Holy Spirit to point out where we harbor similar hatred and lust for power.
2. Let’s keep our eyes open for fresh ways to reach out to oppressed and marginalized people in our own lives and work.

I have a friend who’s obsessively careful about where his food comes from. Avoiding what he calls, “foreign kitchens,” he’s cool with what his wife cooks, but only a couple other friends and family. Well, and McDonalds and whoever makes Twinkies. He had a church friend on the ok list for awhile and enjoyed her contributions at Sunday potlucks. Then he happened to help her move to a different house. Turns out she was a hoarder with super sketchy kitchen hygiene!  He’s tightened down the list!

The trouble with understanding Muslims is there are so many and they’re so diverse. You think you’re safe with some info source (like my friend above), only to find out they have an evil agenda, other Muslims think they’re a dope or they just never wipe their stove.

One thing I do when I want to learn something about Muslims (Like today I’m curious whether or not Allah will be with those in Paradise.), is go beyond reading what Christians say, a good place to start, to reading Muslim voices.

Again, a particular Muslim’s site might represent most of the community or only 18 people and he’s just good at websites and SEO!

Here’s what might help:

1. I’d love to serve as a clearing house for you (I can hear you say, “That’s why I signed up, you goof! I sure don’t have time to survey the universe of Muslim thought! I have a life.) Yes, you do. Let me know what you’re curious about. I’ll do my best to curate helpful info. When I fail, I’ll refer you to number two:

2. I’m pretty sure that what your Muslim friends think is way more important than what is objectively true or generally thought among the global ummah. You’re not dealing with “Muslims,” you’re dealing with Fatima and Siddiq, your friends. It matters less whether or not “Islam is a religion of peace” than it does if they are people of peace.

Like Jesus usually did, we want to meet them where they are. 

The winners of the Fifth Anniversary Giveaway have been chosen (by my seven year old son asking Siri for random numbers!):
Loving Your Muslim Neighbor books: Peggy Y., Melissa C., Nate S., Wesley P., and Jonathan L.
Apple AirPods: Travis W., Amy G.
Kindle Paperwhite: Ric H.