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My wife’s amazing with big projects. She dives in, does the next thing and bit by bit gets it done. Jesus was like that with people: Chat with the next Samaritan, engage the next outsider, raise the next dead guy to life! We have a problem with Muslims and part of the solution is to meet some. You and me, chatting with the next Muslim, then more of us with the next few. It won’t solve the whole problem, but it counts. You might want to do this, but just don’t know how to break the ice. Whether you see Muslims at work, Walmart or waiting for kids at soccer practice, here’s how you can start a conversation with a Muslim.
Practice this. You will get better. It will feel awkward, but it gets easier. Remember, it will likely be odd for the Muslim you want to talk to. This doesn’t happen often. They may understandably be a little nervous. But Jesus loves it! Please share this with your buds who might also like to try. |
Five Surefire Ways to Start a Conversation with a Muslim
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I Bet My Friend Can Beat Up Your Fact
It had been a long weekend of speaking and I was wiped. So when the guy caught me in the aisle on Sunday evening to say, “I’m praying for you guys,” I was genuinely grateful. But he went on to say, “I’m praying for you because what you’re doing is really dangerous, you know, because the Muslims want to take over the world, destroy America and kill all the Christians. And even when they’re nice, it’s because they’re allowed to deceive infidels, so that’s what they’re doing. . .”
He talked so long my half-righteous anger swelled and then had time to subside. When he drew a breath, I was ready, “This stuff you’ve been telling me, do you find it to be true of your Muslim friends?”
“I, uh, don’t have any Muslim friends.” I would have bet the rent.
A single friend neither proves nor disproves a statistic, a trend, or a political narrative. But it does provide a living, breathing data point. It puts a face on facts, both real and presumed.
If you don’t have a Muslim friend, now’s the time to get one. Jon Huckins, in Relevant Magazine says making Muslim friends will, among other things, help cure our fear, expand our worldview, and build relational understanding. I might add, there may also be baklava!
Next week I’ll give you five sure fire ways to start a conversation with a Muslim. Want to jump in right away? Here’s the one I used this morning, “How old’s your baby?” Killer, eh? You never would have thought of that, would you? Of course you would! You ask it all the time, just maybe not of Muslims. It works. She’s 18 months old. They’re from the Congo. Possibly the first people I’ve ever spoken to from the Congo.
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What’s Wrong with the Muslims?
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OK, first off, I apologize for the misleading headline. I’m not going to list what’s wrong with Muslims. You can find a bucketload of sites that will do that! Rather, I want to suggest it just doesn’t suit to say, “the Muslims.” I’m guilty, but this over-generalization hobbles our effort to understand, engage and love Muslims. Check me if I’m wrong on this, but there’s not a single thing we can truthfully say about Muslims that is not also untrue about some of them. Muslims tend to place a high value on global community and unity, but they are no monolith. We find almost as much diversity within the 1.5 billon people called “Muslim” as we would within a random collection of that many people. For instance:
Muslims are every bit as diverse as are Christians, more so since culture and ethnicity play a greater role for many Muslims than they do for most Christians. We have progressives and fundamentals, liberals and conservatives, orthodox and heretics. . . and denominations out the wazoo! Muslims do too! You know Christians you wish would never come out in public. So do Muslims. Will you join me in thinking about Muslims in a more sophisticated way? I’m not saying get a PhD in Islamics or punch anyone who overgeneralizes. But as thoughtful followers of Jesus, let’s be mindful of at least some of the beautiful (and not so beautiful) diversity within “the Muslims!” If this caused you to smile or say, “hmmmm,” please forward it to a friend, pastor or your Facebook buds. Thanks. |
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She’s Not Gonna Blow Up the Walmart.
A long time ago I lived in a town where almost everyone was white. They were really nice, just all white. One day we heard that students from Saudi Arabia were coming to our local university. “How cool,” I thought. Some of the guys at church, not so much.
To their credit, they came by their thinking naturally and for the most part weren’t malicious. But they were nervous. “Weren’t Saudis flying the planes that wreaked 911 havoc?” (Objectively true.) “Aren’t they Muslims who want to take over the world?” (Debatable.) “Won’t they try to blow us up?” (Astronomically unlikely.)
Here’s what I told our church, “Saudi students are coming here. One day soon you’ll round an end cap at Walmart and see a covered Muslim woman in the aisle ahead of you. Your eyes will get big. You’ll want to run. Don’t panic. She’s not going to blow up the Walmart. She’s probably just trying to buy diapers for her baby. Maybe she could use your help choosing among options she’s never seen before.”
This is true: In America we’re in very little danger from Muslims. Almost every Muslim here, including, most likely, every single one you personally cross paths with, is simply trying to make the best of life. No global domination aspirations. No devious plan to make us live under sharia law. Just a hope, sometimes dim, that their family will prosper and their kids do ok.
As a followers of Jesus then, we’re good to go. We can say “hi,” “welcome,” “do you need help?” Sometimes they’ll be nice. (Like a family was to me today.) Sometimes they’ll be dopes. (Like a guy was to me today.) Either way, can I invite you to trade fear for adventure. . .and maybe love? Give it a try.
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