Sharing the Reason for the Season
Christmas and Easter are great opportunities for us to be sharing the meaning behind our celebrations and to point our Muslim friends to consider Jesus. Far from shying away from this we can be encouraged to prayerfully consider how best to do this – knowing that our Muslim friends would expect us to be sharing if our faith is of any consequence to us.
Whether you are holding an English conversation group leading an ESOL class, a sewing, craft or cooking group with Muslim women as participants, make time to have 15 minutes of the session talking about the Christmas festival and being willing to answer questions or objections. Sometimes I have done this using a simple worksheet with pictures – as a reading exercise. Another year I bought in a nativity scene, with each character to be unwrapped from its Christmas paper and as we set it up, the story was told. If cooking together why not make Christmas treats and use them as a way to explain the reason for the joy we experience through the Good news of Jesus’ coming to us. If you do this remember to buy halal mincemeat for the mince pies so that all can enjoy the results of the baking!
Some friends I know welcome a Muslim family to their home for Christmas tree decorating every year. Others invite friends for tea and cake where the nativity scene can be handled by the children and explained by the hosts. In past times we have had window displays of either a Christmas scene or a simple, 1 sentence message of Hope/Joy/Peace facing the street and lit up so that passers-by can see.
Christmas is a time for gift – giving and so, again, an opportunity to give a well thought out gift for your Muslim friend or family. Calendars are always popular and we pray that the words printed on them will give spiritual life to those who receive them. ‘Hope’ calendars are available here in many languages. The new translation of Luke’s gospel by Duncan Peters might be suitable for some friends.
Some pointers to get you started on how you share
· We are not celebrating Jesus’ birthday but that God has come to us, in Jesus.
· Explain the importance of Jesus, God with us, to you in daily life
· Share an experience of knowing the truth of “God with us” in time of trouble
· There is a lot in the Qur’an about being moved from darkness to light. Talk about the Christmas lights, candles and glitter as echoing the light which came into the world – through the person of Jesus. Explain that through Jesus, we can we moved from darkness to light.
· Be prepared for objections about seeing Jesus as God’s son. Explaining that Jesus is known as this because he did god-like things whilst on earth such as healing, raising the dead, having power over nature, casting out evil spirits
· The ‘I am’ sayings speak volumes about Jesus’ identity and should anyone show real interest you might suggest that they study these with you - showing how Jesus fulfils the Old T prophecies.
Muslim women have thanked me for explaining the meaning of the Christmas celebration. For years they had attended their children’s nativity scenes at primary school but never before had heard the story explained. Could you help to bring understanding this year?
Miriam Williams Dec 2021
Click here for more about Christmas with Muslim friends