Building Bridges

I signed up for a training course to learn how to reach Muslims. I really wasn't sure what to expect, I've studied apologetic and polemic arguments against Islam so I was thinking this might be a part of the strategy we would learn. What I learned required a paradigm shift in my thinking regarding who these people are and what they believe.

Instead of learning another technique to argue or convince someone into the kingdom, I learned about Muslims. How Islam became a religion, what the Qur'an says about Jesus, what the Qur'an says about the Bible, I learned about the Muslim culture and some of their mindsets that defy western reasoning. I also learned some things from the Bible that were very eye opening. What I learned about most of all was how to bridge the gap between Muslims and believers by focusing on the common ground we share in our faiths and unravelling the many false perceptions (on both sides) that keep us from sharing Jesus with them effectively.

I'm planning to use the next few posts to help me digest the volumes of information that I was exposed to this weekend.

I want to share some writings in the Qur'an that might pique some interest for you...it did for me.

In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy! Praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy, Master of the Day of Judgement. It is you we worship; it is You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path: the path of those You have blessed, those who incure no anger and who have not gone astray.

A devout Muslim will pray this 17 times per day. As believers, we know where the straight path is, and we are the blessed ones who incur no anger and have not gone astray. I'll expand on this in the next few posts.