Building bridges not barriers

Why do we talk about engaging with Muslims? What makes them different from the average person on the street? How does that affect how we should seek to share the gospel?

In many ways, there may not be many differences at all: it depends on the person! A westernised, nominal Muslim who has a vague cultural identity may not be very different from a nominal Christian or a vaguely agnostic person. However, for those Muslims more serious about their faith, or who are less westernised, there are a number of important distinctives to consider:

• Similar language, similar starting points
  Muslims are monotheists, they believe in the supernatural, in holy books and prophets. They share many of the same theological presuppositions that we do and have an awareness of many biblical characters.

• Opposed to key biblical foundations
  Islam is set up in many ways as an active rejection of Christian ideas. The Qur’an contains doctrines specifically aimed at Christians, such as the rejection of the Trinity and Christ’s divinity. There’s a long history of apologetics and scholarship aimed at Christianity, in a way that many other world religions haven’t had.

• Historical baggage
  There has been a huge amount of historic engagement with the Muslim world which still affects how Muslims view Christianity. In the Islamic mindset, there can be a perception that western Christianity was responsible for the crusades, for colonialism, for the establishment of Israel and for wars in the Middle East. These are all sensitive subjects. The Islamic world is seen as having once been the pinnacle of scientific and cultural advancement, but was subjugated by the Christian West.
• Cultural identity
  Many Muslims have a strong cultural identity that is tied to Islam and often to the Arab world. Many Muslims you meet will be from different cultures that make them distinctive: ideas of honour and shame, gender roles and hospitality may be very different from most people you meet.
• Why are Christians so immoral?
  For many Muslims, particularly non-western Muslims, the objections are primarily not theological ones, but moral ones. For many across the world, the West is seen as the representative of Christianity. Western media is seen as Christian media; western actions are Christian actions. Therefore, “Christianity” advocates forbidden customs like eating pork, drinking alcohol and sexual immorality. Christians rarely pray, because they are never seen to pray in public. They don’t fast, because they never say they do. Most of them don’t even go to church!

Where to start?

Around 3.5 million Muslims live in the UK, with over 44 million living in Europe. That’s a lot of people who believe in God, but who don’t know the truth about Jesus.

If there are Muslims in your community, you’ve got a great opportunity. Asking what they believe could be a good starting point. Don’t be afraid to be corrected on your misconceptions about Islam and, likewise, gently correct theirs about Christianity. In short, start a friendly conversation! Get to know them, enjoy the food, pray for them, encourage them to read the Bible with you, and let your life and words witness to the difference Jesus makes.

Since there may be preconceptions about you, one of the most powerful things you can do as a Christian is show that you are a moral person in your actions and speech. Explain that there is a difference between nominal Christians and those who have a living faith in Jesus. Show that Christianity is not inherently western, but good news to every culture.

Anything to be aware of?

Remember that Muslims are individuals and may hold a range of views — doing some research about these could be helpful. If you’re talking to people from other nationalities than your own, then there may also be some cultural issues to watch out for. It varies, but as a general rule try to dress sensitively, be mindful how you act around members of the opposite sex and follow their cultural cues. If in doubt, ask the person what is appropriate in their culture and family.

Prioritise friendship and prayer

Muslims are people with everyday challenges, concerns and hopes. Invest in their lives. The most important things to do is to show love and to pray! Build genuine friendship with someone, show them the love of Jesus and be hospitable. The Bible teaches that coming to faith in Jesus is a supernatural work and it is through God’s Spirit that people are changed – so pray that this will happen in the lives of people you know.