Our Muslim Neighbors

At my mother’s graveside almost 40 years ago, a cousin came up to me and said, “You know the Bible says that you can’t be a pastor.” This seriously happened. How deeply did she believe she had to correct my theology that she would offer it at my mother’s graveside?

Years later at the wedding of one of our children with quite a few Muslim relatives and friends present, someone pulled me aside and asked, “How can you be sure the bride’s (relative) is not a terrorist?” This seriously happened. How deeply did he believe that he had to ask that he would do so at a wedding?

There is serious ignorance in our country especially about what Muslims believe. For what it’s worth, there is also serious ignorance in our country about what Christians believe.

Over 25 years ago, I was at the first graduation of Computer CORE – the hugely successful nonprofit started by Fairlington Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, Virginia that trains adults in computer skills towards certification equipping them to find good jobs with medical benefits. Most of the graduates were (and still are) immigrants.

There was a young graduate who was following me around surreptitiously taking photos of me all night. I finally asked him – a young man from Morocco – why he was taking my picture and he was embarrassed. But he said that he was taking pictures of me to send to his family in Morocco.

“When I told my family that I was taking classes in a Christian Church, my parents were terrified. They told me I needed to get out of there because Christians want to kill Muslims. But I wanted to send them a picture of the pastor of the church that didn’t want to kill me; those Christians were trying to save my life.”

Thanks be to God. Computer CORE remains the most impactful ministry I have ever been connected to, changing the lives of thousands of people since 1999.

Many Muslims do not understand what Christians believe according to what the Bible says. Many Christians do not understand what Muslims believe according to what the Quran says. If you saw those “on the street” interviews with regular Americans before the elections, you heard some of the misinformation being shared about Muslims:

• They want to impose sharia law. Actually Sharia is the word for a Muslim’s daily spiritual habits like how to pray, what to eat (halal), how to share with neighbors (zakat.) It’s comparable to a Jew’s spiritual practices (eating kosher) or a Christian’s spiritual practices (daily prayer).
• I will never wear a burka! Great. Don’t wear one. Nobody is pursuing that practice even for Muslim women in the United States because it’s unconstitutional. Wearing a burka is an expression of faith that reflects a desire for modesty and piety. My favorite way to explain why some women wear a burka or an hijab or a khimar is from Diana Butler Bass who – when her young daughter asked why someone was dressed like that after 9-11 – explained that it was that woman’s way to love God. (Source.) It’s similar to the headwear worn by Amish women and men or the habit worn by nuns.
• They are taking over! Not even close. And frankly, while Christianity is the majority faith in the United States, we Christians could stand to practice our faith more faithfully.

A wise person recently told me that people only know what they know. The best way to know is to do the research, observe in close personal proximity, be curious, connect with people who do not look or live or pray like we do. We don’t learn by making assumptions, devouring biased media, or listening to people who don’t know what they are talking about.

I don’t believe that “all religions are the same.” They aren’t. Islam and Christianity are not the same. But I believe that Muslims and Christians and all people of every faith and no faith are created in God’s Image (whether they believe that or not.) We are called to love each other and love involves knowing our Muslim neighbors. If we don’t think we have Muslim neighbors, do some research. Women: join a book group. Or read on our own.

The global neighborhood is changing and maybe our local neighborhoods are changing. Instead of complaining about this, maybe God is offering us an opportunity.

Image Source: Photo from The Grove Church in Charlotte (2017)