3 Things I Learned From A Muslim Girl

Yesterday, a local high school student interviewed me. She was fulfilling a requirement for her class in world religions by interviewing a leader from a faith other than her own (she is a Muslim).  Our brief conversation reminded me of a few of simple truths vital to sharing faith:

1. Know what makes your faith unique. One question she asked me was, “How is Christianity different from other world religions?”  There were about a thousand things I wanted to say about this, but since she clearly was not looking for that many, I gave her a couple of them that I thought might stand in contrast to her own beliefs.  The question got me to thinking – if you’re unable to speak of what makes your faith uniquely important, you’re not likely to hold onto it.

This is crucial for parents!

We’re raising successive generations of kids who are walking away from their faith, largely because they do not fully understand what their faith is because we (parents) either do not really know ourselves, or have not invested adequately in passing that knowledge on to them.

2. Lose the Christianese - Throughout our conversation I had to remind myself to do this.  Explaining tenets of Christian faith without using distinctly Christiany words is a challenge, but it’s a very healthy practice.  We must speak a language that people can understand.  Again, parents, this is a MUST.  To pass on a lasting faith to your children, they have to understand.  If you find words like “salvation”, “eternity”, “righteousness”, etc. coming out of your mouth while talking to your children, stop!  Try explaining whatever you’re talking about using simpler words.  If you can’t fully define them yourself, go find the answer, then come back and explain it later.  This will take time.  It is somewhat humbling.  Remember, this is the faith of your child on the line – don’t let pride stop you.

3. Be Open To Talking (not debating) – I showed up to our interview a little tense – wondering if she might be hostile toward my faith.  She and her mother were incredibly warm and thankful for my time.  We had a very enjoyable conversation.

Recently, God has been reminding me that faith is inherently an act of questioning.

Truth is truth and if someone is seeking it, God is where it will be found regardless of the questions they have to ask on the journey.  Do not lose patience or slip into judgement mode when someone is coming at things from a very different direction.  The conversation itself, the act of processing ideas, your explaining the vital parts of your faith, these are the spaces where God can do great work.  Remember, you are not equipped to convert anyone.  Conversion happens in a person’s heart – only God can do that.  Our job is to lovingly share what we know, to invite others into conversation about it, and exude the very love that drew us to Christ in the first place.