Today I went to Chico with a couple friends. We went to go to a Jazz concert at Laxon Auditorium and decided to go a few hours early to hang out. On the agenda was falafel wraps at Petra Mediterranean Restaurant. (so incredibly amazing!!)
So we're at this little place and the owner, Mohammad, is making our falafels, talking to us about our lives and his life. He is such a nice guy. It came up that we go to a christian college and then he asked, "you are Christians?" After we answered yes he began to ask all sorts of questions. Very good, but very hard questions.
I go to a bible school and I'm studying Theology, but I feel like I'll never be well enough prepared for things like this. Some of the questions were easy enough, (what is the difference between Catholic and Protestant? You mean Christians do not all believe the same?) but some of his questions were hard (How is it that you can believe Jesus is the Son of God and God himself, yet you only believe in one God...)
Sometimes I feel so ignorant...
Sometimes I wonder if Redding is too isolated...
Sometimes I think I'm too comfortable here...
Sometimes I think I'll never have these answers...
So, here is what I questioned throughout the remainder of the night, "What do I say? What could I have done differently? What can I store away in my memory bank for next time?? God, How do I reach this man, and his family... and an entire planet... who will all die and go to hell if I don't do something???!!!"
Two things came to mind:
-"it is customary for me, as a Christian, to pray to God for_________ (fill in the blank: lunch, friends, sickness, etc.) May I pray for you?"
- live a life people will be intrigued by and attracted to.
In one of my text books there is a paragraph about Australia. Apparently, ranchers in Australia don't use fences. The territories are too big to keep a fence repaired and in working order. Instead, they build wells in the areas they want their livestock to stay. If life giving water is readily available, there will be no need for the livestock to leave and the animals will stay close.
I'm sure you can make the connection...
...This all leaves me with one more thought: I am ignorant!!! ...and I've got so incredibly far to go.....
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of an imperfect journey
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Good Books
- Wounded Continent (Tom Griner)
- Whatever Happened to Worship? (A.W. Tozer)
- Tozer On The Holy Spirit : A Daily Devotional (Compiled by Marilynne E. Foster)
- Tortured For Christ (Richard Wurmbrand)
- The Shack (William P. Young)
- The Sacrament of the Present Moment (Jean-Pierre De Caussade)
- The Pursuit of God (A.W. Towzer)
- The Practice of the Presence of God (Brother Lawrence)
- The Messege (Eugene Peterson)
- The Kingdom of God Is a Party (Tony Campolo)
- The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical (Shane Claiborne)
- The Heavenly Man (Paul Hattaway & Brother Yun)
- The Great Divorce (C.S. Lewis)
- The Forgotten Ways (Alan Hirsch)
- The Final Quest (Rick Joyner)
- The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis)
- Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis)
- No Compromise. The Life Story of Keith Green (Melody Green)
- Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta (Edited and With Commentary by Brian Kolodiejchuk)
- Life Of The Beloved (Henri J.M. Nouwen)
- Imitation of Christ (Thomas A'Kempis)
- I Dared to Call Him Father (Bilquis Sheikh)
- How To Read The Bible For All It's Worth (G. Fee & D. Stuart)
- Hind's Feet on High Places (Hannah Hurnard)
- From Brokenness To Community (Jean Vanier)
- Courageous Leadership (Bill Hybels)
- Captivating (John & Staci Eldredge)
4 comments:
great analogy! (don't worry I'll steal it without giving you credit!)
How would that have played out in your conversation? How did it?
WELL Steve... It would have been a perfect opportunity for very intentional relationship, however, Chico is an hour and a half away and we very rarely make it down there. He introduced us to his entire family and invited us back to smoke Hooka at the Hooka shop he's opening. The other two gals I was with and I talked about coming down once a month to get a falafel and talk about God (and Allah) with Mohammed.
He is very curious about other religions, and he is a very intelligent man. I trust that God is working in his heart and that Mohammed will one day know Jesus as more than the greatest prophet.
Overall our conversation went well. He was very gracious and he is studying other religions on his own.
I hope that, if nothing else, we were a well of fresh water to him and his family...
...Living water rain down on us...
Sadly there aren't enough Christians who ask these questions. Let's start making them & asking our friends why they, as Christians, aren't asking these questions.
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