So this week I was sitting in a cafeteria in the University of the capital city of a fundamentalist Islamic nation, surrounded by Muslims who couldn't speak a lick of English. There were about 10 guys around me, playing charades with me in Arabic trying to communicate (I guess I was rather interesting). Then the guy on my left tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Allah - Mohamed - Islam - good! (big smile, thumbs up)." I smiled because I recognized that with essentially ONE English word, this man was witnessing to me about his faith. I was secretly cheering for him in my heart, "go, man! You may be cheering for the wrong prophet, but your conviction is admirable, and I hear your concern for my soul. Thank you." Of course, I didn't say it cuz he couldn't understand a word I said. We could use some of that fervor, huh?
Later, a student came by that could speak English, so he translated for my conversation with the others. They asked me about my faith, about the differences between Mohamed and Jesus, about violence in both our religions, about the cartoon fiasco around the world and about how Muslims who behaved like Muslims would likely get along rather well with Christians who behaved like Jesus. We agreed that our faiths are closer to each other than most give them credit for, and that understanding each other is important. I told them I wanted to move there with my family, and they welcomed us openly. All this in a country where the price for both conversion and proselytizing is death. Good times.
Indeed. Sometimes I find it interesting to muse that there will very likely be many muslims in heaven... and with all the "christians".
If God truly judges the heart, and a "muslim" does not know "jesus", then this divine judgement must use another scale. A concept many "christians" have difficulty to accept.
No?
Posted by: Henri The Great | March 29, 2006 at 04:21 AM