If All Christians Acted Like Isa, Would Muslims 'Hate' Us Still?

If We Acted Like Isa, Would Muslims Love Us More?

This #MOnoLogUE

challenges the slow infection

of Christian superiority,

of judgment dressed as doctrine,

of hypocrisy wrapped in Scripture

especially in modern Evangelicalism.

It walks through ordinary encounters

a Sikh in Montreal,

a Muslim taxi driver in the UK

and finds, to our shame,

that those outside the Church

often understand the heart of Jesus

better than those who shout His name.

It reminds us

that true Christianity is not recognized

by volume,

by certainty,

by political allegiance,

or by religious arrogance.

It is recognized

by mercy,

by humility,

by restraint,

by the quiet sweetness of Christ.

And it asks one simple question,

one that refuses to go away:

When people meet us

do they feel

that Jesus

has spoken to them?

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Dear Eustace

Take a look in the mirror. Every religion has its apostates.

A Thought Experiment

Imagine if our faith were judged by the antics of Indaboski, or even by some of the better-known aBOASTates, sorry, apostates, the ones who never stop bragging about the “wealth” delivered to them through carefully crafted Ponzi schemes, wealth they brazenly claim comes from God Himself.

Misplaced Anger

Now imagine a Muslim saturated with hate toward Christianity because of our aBOASTates. Wouldn’t you consider their anger completely misplaced?

Obedience and Reality

If you obeyed Jesus, you wouldn’t feel this way. I’m not living in a fantasy world.

A Story, So It Isn’t Lost

About ten years ago, while visiting Montreal, I went to a laundry on Sherbrooke Road to drop off my clothes. The gentleman attending to me was named Singh. He was Sikh, still practicing, but clean-shaven. Naturally, we spoke about religion. He told me he had cut off his beard and stopped wearing his turban because he was tired of constantly being mistaken for a Muslim. People couldn’t tell the difference, and the pressure was getting to him.

“God Visited Me Today”

We spoke for about thirty minutes. As I was leaving, he said, “I feel like God visited me today.” I still get emotional remembering those words. That was a man searching for affirmation, and the Lord ordained my steps. I had found him on the internet.

What I Did Not Do

That Christmas, 2015, I asked my son to mail him a Bible. I have no doubt the Lord will send the Paraclete to meet him at the point of his spiritual need. What I remember most clearly is that I deliberately avoided preaching. I simply spoke about the compelling sweetness of Christ, and why Christianity works for me.

A Resolution

Let us resolve in our hearts to make everyone we speak to think, in their own hearts, “I feel like Jesus spoke to me today.”

Isa, Son of Mary

Imagine if we all acted or spoke like Isa, the prophet of Islam. Why would any Muslim not hold us in the highest esteem and want to be like us?

Another Story

A few weeks ago, a Muslim taxi driver, born in the UK, took me on a long ride to Heathrow airport. Once again, the conversation drifted toward religion. I told him the same things I’ve just told you. I explained that Trump is not a Christian, and that many Evangelicals are not Christians in any meaningful sense of the word.

The Sigh

He sighed loudly. I asked what was wrong. He replied, “Finally, I understand. I always wondered how people who claim to follow Jesus could support so much injustice.”

The Real Problem

And the fact is, Eustace, you are like most Evangelicals. You think you are superior, or that God has called you to be superior. It is that feeling of superiority that makes people reject mercy or empathy for those they consider inferior, always demanding justice.

Mercy and Justice

Think about it for a moment. Immigrants. The plight of young Black men in America. On and on. Mercy for us. Justice for them. That’s the real problem.

Closing

OK, gotta go. I think this makes for another good #DearEustace monologue. I rest.

Don Kenobi
#MyFrancisEssays
#MercyNotJudgement
#OldManInTheMolue
#LoveThyNeighbour

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