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Shi’a Joy!
It was just an experiment. I wanted to stretch my ‘faith muscles’. Stepping off the bus I quietly prayed: “Lord, here I am in a big city. I don’t know the area. I have never been here before - and I don’t know anyone here. Lead me to someone who will invite me to their house, and be like a ‘bunch of keys’ opening up the Muslim community to me.”
My prayer was answered in minutes! I called out to a Muslim man I saw across the street. I simply said: “Asalamu aleikum!” He asked me if I was a Muslim. “Oh no, I’m not a Muslim......but I love Muslims very much. I am a follower of Isa-al-Masih......Jesus the Messiah.” I went on to say: “I don’t bow down to idols. I worship the one true God, the God of Abraham.” At that, he took my phone number and invited me to his home. I was given a bowl of delicious lamb curry and chapatis, sweet milky tea, and a massive assortment of biscuits. He said he was a Shia Muslim, and his mosque had often been vandalised by Sunni Muslims. “They hate us!” he said, “and they tell lies about us. We don’t feel safe!” “You are safe with me!” I replied. “Jesus has taught us to love all people.”
He began to pour out his heart to me about family worries, financial worries, and lack of purpose and self-worth. I shared some encouraging verses of the Bible with him, and then he asked me to pray for him. How wonderful! What started as a bus journey into an unknown city opened up an amazing friendship for me. We keep in touch regularly - and I have even attended his daughter’s wedding as a V.I.P. guest! He invited me to his mosque, and I am now regularly in contact with others in his congregation - who also ask me for prayer! I was even given a guided tour of the mosque, and given a gift of a ‘Turbah’- the small flat stone that Shias place their foreheads upon when they prostrate in prayer. My mosque guide said: “Sometimes during the Muslim month of Muharram when we remember the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, it has been known for Turbahs to spontaneously ooze out blood.” She went on to say: “When you see the blood, your life will never be the same!”
“When you see the blood, your life will never be the same!”
That sounds like a theme for a gospel conversation! I will save that for another time.
Run to Muslims, don’t run away from them. Talk to Muslims - not merely about them. When you do this, you will find mission work brings you sheer joy. Or even better - Shia joy!
A member of the Mahabba Network
Although Shi’ite Muslims are in the minority there are some communities here in the Uk. The book ‘Heart Broken Open’ is a moving and insightful reflection from the experience of Ray Gaston, a vicar who spent 12 years in Leeds getting to know, work and dialogue with his local Shi’ite community. It offers moving and insightful reflections on what it means to walk in humility and vulnerability with people of other faith whilst at the same time having one’s words and actions shaped by scriptural reflection and Christian worship. It can be found here
For further information about Shias and Muharram see the resource My Muslim Friends at Muharram here