This post is inspired by some thoughts from our last lecturer, a missionary in Jordan for the past 14 years.
You see, he has been working with Muslims pretty much exclusively, and so has got a pretty good insight on how they tick, and what they believe. What he discovered however, was how much we really have in common.
Check this out;
In the name of God,
the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful.
Praise be to God, Lord of all the worlds.
The Compassionate, the Merciful.
Ruler on the day of reckoning.
You alone do we worship,
and You alone do we ask for help.
Guide us on the straight path,
the path of those who have received your grace;
not the path of those who have brought down wrath,
nor of those who wonder astray.
Amen.
Al-Fatiha 1, tr. Helminski.
In all honesty, would any of you have any problem praying this prayer? Does this not sound exactly like our God? Sure we might change the wording a little, but in terms of how it describes God, it sounds awfully like the One we worship...
Now of course there are some big gaping holes between Christianity and Islam, but what surprised me the most, is that if we take a look at the world, at those who call themselves Christians, and those who call themselves, Muslim. We see that the way they live theirr life is almost exactly the same.
That's a bit challenging to say the least, now i'm sure that you want some context and proof of all this right?
Well, I would say that most of those who call themselves Christians are those who follow the religion, and not actually understand the relationship nature of God. We get so caught up in rituals, religiosity and habits, that we end up following a doctrine and not a Person. Which is exactly what those who follow Islam do.
We are not called to live lives of tradition, though it's not wrong to like tradition and appreciate it for what it is. We are called to a relationship with the Father, with the Son and with the Holy Spirit. Love, respect, communciation, relationship is what God desires.
I don't want to keep going on, and there is so much more that I can write on this, but I will leave it here and ask you to consider this on your own. In doctrine and practices, Islam is much the same as 'Christianity'. What makes us different? Can we learn anything from them, as they can learn from us? Do you agree or disagree with anything that I have said, and if so, pease let me know! I have deliberately kept things a little vague, but what I want us to consider here, is that they are really not so foreign to us, and that we actually have an amazing opportunity to minister to them through the understanding of God that we have. Not to throw away all of their lifestyle, but to instead draw them to the truth. Much as we would a brother so caught up in religions that he ahs forgotten his true call. Relationship with God.
Peace,
Daniel