It isn’t that Muslims aren’t responsive to the Gospel, International Mission Board strategist Sam McAlister* says. The issue, he says, is that most Muslims have never heard it or seen a committed Christian live it out. via Baptist Press.
The challenge here is: due largely to fear and anger, many if not most Western Christians shy away from any contact with Muslims. Which means that Muslims rarely ever have a chance to see a Christian truly living out his or her faith. All they know is what they see on the news or on television programs: and that, unfortunately, is a very bad stereotype (especially if one were to equate the behavior of Americans or Europeans illustrated on TV for the sake of ratings with Christianity). Christians who do reach out to Muslims must do so with love, patience, kindness and self-control, knowing that it will take quite a long time to get past what the regular Muslim is going to think of Christians based on what their limited experience is.
Love, patience, kindness, self-control: oh, yes, that’s what we’re supposed to have if we’re bearing Fruit, right? It’s a little frightening to remember what happens to trees that do not bear fruit…
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It grieves me to hear many believers parroting the worst stories they have ever heard as a justification for their fear of Muslims. These accounts heighten prejudices and result in us being disobedient to Jesus’ command to make disciples of all people groups. Some of these folks make me think of Jonah–the prophet who wanted to fail because of his hatred for the people God sent him to reach. I pray we have a change of heart!
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