Keeping Muslims on Our Minds

from Shane's Muslim Connect

Today is the last day of school! Summer’s here. The days are long and maybe you don’t want to spend so much time on email. Here are seven quick thoughts to keep Muslims on our minds this week. 

1. Jesus was closer culturally to many Muslims than to most of us. The way Jesus thought, taught, and lived followed the cultural paths many Muslims still walk today. 

2. While the minority must find a way to thrive in a majority culture, the challenge of the Christian is to reach out to, care for, and when necessary sacrifice for the minority, including Muslims. 

3. Muslims have insights into God and attitudes toward God that many of us (at least me!) could learn from, including a healthy sense of God’s transcendence and holiness. 

4. Muslims, like Jews and Christians, are monotheists. The question of whether we’re referring to the same entity when Muslims say “Allah” and Christians say “God” is still a live debate.

5. In my experience, almost 100% of the Muslims I’ve asked to pray for have been cool with it. Of course, you don’t know about those you don’t ask. In my case, that’s been most of them, sadly. 

6. The set of humans who call themselves Muslims are as diverse as fish. They have variety among themselves in regards to looks and language, beliefs and practices. And like fish (and Christians!), they've been known to attack each other! 

7. Of this I’m as sure as anything in my life: God made the ~2 billion Muslims on the planet for the same general reasons he made you and me: To glorify him, to enjoy life with him, and to partner with him to bring his kingdom to bear on the Earth.

He also made some for specific purposes like discovering coffee and baklava, scouting asteroids near Jupiter, and helping people like me learn how to be hospitable.

Next week I'll list some hurdles that keep us from connecting with Muslims. Shoot me a couple of yours?