Journey 5: Islamic London (Eat, Pray, Love)

I’ve been thinking a lot about life recently. This is a busy time in my life (though to me, it seems like it should be the most relaxing), but it is also very conducive to changing my perspective on life. Having Dan McVey as a professor is quite an experience all on its own, but having him while abroad is like having your cake AND eating it too. Not only are we learning about Christianity in light of Islam (and vice versa), we are meeting people who are giving us firsthand experience with this issue. So far I’ve met a moderate Muslim, a progressive Muslim, an ex-Jihadist, and an archbishop. We’ve had guests come speak to us in class, but this past Monday, our Cross and Crescent class (which is all but one person in our group) took a field trip to London for the day to visit two mosques.

The first was the London Central Mosque, which houses a fairly conservative group of Muslims. All of us females had to bring scarves with which to cover our hair before we could go in. They were very nice and we got a good tour of the building. But all the information we received was basically everything we had talked about before in class, so we didn’t learn anything new. However, we only spent an hour there before moving on to our next stop.

Mosque number two was a great experience. The Muslims there are part of the Ahmadiyya branch. They are a small, but growing, group of Islam. They are also one of the most persecuted groups in the Middle East. This is due to some key differences in their beliefs that make them controversial (such as the belief in a prophet after Muhammad). Unlike the other mosque, in terms of the hijab, they are more progressive. We did not have to cover our hair, even when we walked into the men’s part of the mosque.

The best part of our trip there was most definitely the food. They served us “a light Indian lunch” that consisted of salad, rice, curry (both chicken and vegetarian), naan bread, and ice cream for dessert. It was some of the most delicious food (though some of the members were worried it would be too spicy for us). Then just a couple hours later, we had a tea break where there was a whole panoply of all sorts of biscuits, chocolate, candy, crisps, and nuts for us. And then, because “we had a long drive ahead of us,” they said, we each received a packed dinner to take on the road. They were so sweet!

In my interactions with Muslims so far, I have noticed two key similarities: the love of food and of people. Food really is such a great way for people to have community with each other. Everybody has to eat. I’ve noticed this during several of my trips since I’ve been here. I’ve gotten to know people in the house through meals together. Most of the strangers that I end up conversing with I met while out at a pub or someplace similar. It’s usually some activity that involves food in some way. I’m not really sure why, I just know that it’s true.

They also have such a heart for people. One of the biggest themes in Islam is to do good in the world, to do good to others. This belief is not so different from our Christian beliefs (though the emphasis they place on it is not quite the same as ours). Jesus says you will know people by their fruit. It’s hard to condemn a group of people that seem so morally righteous, to say that they have it all wrong, when a lot of them seem to be better people than I am.

Some big questions have been raised over these past six weeks: How is Islam connected to Christianity? Do we worship the same God? Where does Jesus fit in? Is conversion our main goal in life? I’m still struggling with all of these because I don’t think Islam is complete. I really believe that there is a lot left to chance in their faith because, without the salvation of Jesus, it really is just a hope that the good outweighs the bad in the end. I don’t even want to think about what would be in store for me if that were the case…

But is conversion, then, what we should strive for? No one can convince anyone of any biblical truth. No amount of beating someone over the head with Scripture is going to do the job. You just can’t prove anything in the Bible. Which I understand is the beauty of faith. It wouldn’t be faith if you could prove it.

So then, how do we reconcile this in our own lives? As someone who wants to go into Christian Ministry (in some capacity), what does this mean for my future and how I interact with others? I can’t prove my own beliefs, which also means I can’t disprove other people’s beliefs.

What I’m gathering through various conversations with people is that there are a lot of things that people focus on that don’t really matter in the long run. As cliché as it sounds, I think it really does all boil down to love. When you remove all the stuff that people get hung up on, what’s left is the need to love and take care of others. And, honestly, that’s the only way I’ve been able to have any sort of witness. It reminds me of the For King & Country song, “Proof of Your Love”:

           

“Let my life be the proof,

            The proof of Your love

            Let my love like You, and what You’re made of

            How You lived, how You died

            Love is sacrifice

            So let my life be the proof,

            The proof of Your love”

Love is sacrifice. What a powerful statement. God is love. He sacrificed for us and has called us to love others. I know I’ve said this before, but living in such close community with over 30 other people is really testing this. What do you do when a large group of people has a dinner together, but leaves a sink full of dishes to clean in your kitchen? Do you grouse about it to anyone who’ll listen? Do you clean just what you need for your next meal and leave the rest? Or do you take time out of your day to clean up a mess that had nothing to do with you? (That’s kind of a petty example, but it is very relevant.)

So then what about when you meet someone of a different faith, or someone who doesn’t have a faith?  How do we respond? How should we respond? I have friends who aren’t Christians, so it’s not like this is a new situation for me. But before, I would just avoid the discussion of religion, like it didn’t really matter or wasn’t important to our friendship whether or not we shared the same faith.

I think it is an important topic, though, because how much of what I do in life is because of my faith? How can that be seen as irrelevant if it’s so pervasive in my life? I’m glad I’m finally learning how to have those conversations. It’s ok to disagree (and I’m learning how to disagree), but I’m moving away from the idea that conversion is what we’re striving for. I think that’s the height of hubris. I can’t convert anyone anyway. We have so many conflicts within Christianity as well, so it’s not like these conversations end as soon as someone converts. Instead of striving to tell people about Jesus, I think it’s more important to show Jesus. You can never go wrong with love. It may cost you time or money, but that’s why it’s a sacrifice.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope what I was trying to say made it through, and if not, well it’s because I’m still working through it myself! I’d love to hear what some of your thoughts are, if you’re willing to share!