During the convention, we welcome an AG (Assemblies of God) missionary to speak to us of how God is moving and working through them. This morning we heard from a gentleman whose family will be traveling to Spain in January to reach Muslims. One of his speaking points this morning is that the Muslims communities have strong relationships. They most often do not move far from where they were born and that when they do, they hunger to have the sense of relationship that they experienced before their move (in the case of moving to a non-Islamic community).
At one point, after a shared meal (delicious paella, gazpacho, salad, etc) the floor was opened for a question and answer segment. I don't often think of questions (that is until after the opportunity is passed, instead trying to soak up everything else), but I do have thoughts and sometimes I wish I could stop the whole proceeding to talk about the topic more on a personal level. I can learn some from the speech, but would learn more I think from a real discussion. Anyway...the question that grabbed me today was this, "What can we do as Christians to begin to talk with and convert Muslims?" The answer was relationship. A sea of blank faces as if the question was not answered. A red herring thrown into the room.
Our family has been sharing the thought that we were still in Belize this time last year and all of the things that we missed being gone. The cooler weather. The homeschool play. Apple picking. We sometimes feel it's been "forever" since we were in Belize--the longing to be there again. Another feeling that it was only yesterday. The longings that we have are to feel the relationships. (Ask yourself when the last time was that you lingered over a meal just to talk and spend time with one another.)
Pastor mentioned today that he'd taken a course this summer centered on Islam. He was able to speak with an imam who grew up in a Baptist church, but converted to Islam because of the hypocrisy and lack of relationship. Whoa! Wake up call!
Back to the question about what Christians can do to convert Muslims...we Americans want the Drive-Thru solution. We want the magic pill. We don't want to take time. We SAY we want relationship, but what do we do that shows that fruit? Do we make ourselves available? Do we start conversations with people who look different than us? Do we do anything that doesn't involve the Henry Ford assembly line of having a rigid set of actions to put together something that "works"? Do we pray about how God wants us to approach others?
Our missionary this morning pointed out that we as individuals need to begin with our own relationship with Christ. It is that we, as Christians, have a relationship with Christ and not a regimented set of things to do daily to make us good, that set us apart from Muslims. (Not the only thing, I know.) It is that which we have that others do not, and if we, as humans notice what is different then His Light will be seen through us and it will not be anything we DO, but what we HAVE that will be seen. But it takes time. It takes time with others. It takes relationship. It takes more than a minute to win...them.
