Islam : Muslim :: Christianity : Christian
I knew I would learn new things this year on the race, but it’s been a surprise what subjects The Lord has brought up. I was blessed at the beginning of the month of April to attend a training that gave a broad overview of Islam and some possibilities of what to expect when interacting with Muslim people in South Asia. One of the things that stood out to me the most, is what Coach Matt said…something to the effect of: Muslims would make really good Christians.
*disclaimer: my knowledge on Islam is limited, so please read with grace!*
Islam has many similarities to Christianity, but the main difference is that they believe that there was another prophet that came after Jesus Christ, his name was Muhammed. They believe in the same God, and many of their traditions are supportive of what Christians believe. For example, the hijab, the head covering that Muslim women usually wear. The explanation that I received was from 2 friends I made while we were waiting at the bus station in Kuala Lumpur… One of the commandments is to not covet your neighbor’s wife, and the hijab is worn in public so that only a woman’s husband can see her beauty. When you see a woman who is fully covered, that usually means that the woman is very beautiful and her face is covered because just seeing her face could cause another man to covet her…or she is just a shy woman.
In my processing, God has brought up many different trains of thought. One is the current global situation with ISIS attacks and the “why” behind them. It’s difficult to want to create relationships and share the love of Jesus Christ with people of the same faith as those who are creating chaos on our world. However, understanding their beliefs and their point of view can create a more empathetic heart, and I know this is one way that The Lord has called me to love. There are 5 pillars of Islam, they are faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage to mecca. Some Muslims believe in a 6th pillar of Islam, which is the duty to “enjoin the good, and forbid the evil.” In their understanding, some Islam extremist are doing what they are called to do…get the attention of the evil world and make them turn back to good.
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So now, let me share a convo that The Good Lord and I had:
Me: So why do Muslims choose to be Muslim?
Him: Why did you choose to be Christian?
Me: Well, I was raised in the Christian faith.
Him: As are many Muslims raised to believe in Islam faith.
Me: So they just believe because their parents raise them to believe?
Him: Isn’t that the only reason you believe in Me? Because your parents did?
Me: Well, no…that’s not the only reason WHY I believe what I believe…
Him: So what’s your WHY?
I’ll admit that for the majority of my life, I have believed in God because my parents raised me to believe in Him. I trust my parents, because they never gave me a reason not to and they never gave me a reason to question them. However, life and God has a way of bringing challenges and circumstances that cause a person to question Him and His existence. Although I can’t pinpoint a very first time I felt God talk to me or a life-changing moment when He showed Himself to me, I can tell you a million little ways that He has spoken to me or sent me little love notes to show that He is alive and interested in my life. He knows me better than I know myself, and when I see Him come through in only ways that HE could…I know without a doubt that He is the creator of the universe and THE GOD that I want in control of my life. And that’s my WHY…why I believe in God and why I choose to live my life following His calling.
So…what’s your WHY? Why do you do the things you do? Why do you believe the things you believe?
On a side note…I admire the way that the Muslim people wear their belief. I hope and pray that one day people will be able to see Christ living in me as obvious as if I were wearing a hijab.
