(Luke 10:25-29 ESV)

 

Anyone who knows his Bible knows what comes next - Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. The true neighbor to the man robbed by thieves and left for dead was the one who showed him mercy, despite their respective peoples hatred of one another.

 

Another time Jesus had this to say about our enemies:

 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?"

(Matthew 5:43-46 ESV)

 

Having that in mind, let me ask you: when was the last time you loved the Muslim people? Right now they are in the midst of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims; a time of fasting, prayer, and celebration (according to Muslim tradition, this is time of year when the Qur'an was received). It is also a time when we see an increase in violence against Christians in some radical Muslim nations. Last year in Egypt a church was burned down and over 150 Egyptian Christians (most of them converts) were arrested for not observing Ramadan.

 

What better time to love our Muslim neighbors both here and around the world?

 

There are many ways that we can do this, but first let me give you an example of how not to do it. I won't go into all the reasons this is a bad idea -- search your Bible -- but I want to warn those who would emulate the example of Brian McLaren (among others). Last year, he joined with Muslims in celebrating Ramadan - observing the same rules of fasting and prayer. McLaren went so far as to call these Muslims his brothers. This is not what we are called to do. This is not a biblical view of unbelievers.

 

So how can we love our Muslim neighbors? First, fast -- not with them, but for them. For guidance on this, read John Piper's A Hunger for God where he lays out very clear, good guidelines for biblical fasting. Second, pray for Muslims you may know, that they would seek God during this time and that He would deliver them from the darkness they are in. Pray also for missionaries who are serving in Muslim nations, that they would be faithful and for their safety. Third, if you are blessed enough to know Muslims, talk to them and share the gospel. Just like the man in the ditch, our Muslim neighbors are dying and it is our duty to do what we can to rescue them. Trust in God and know that He can use your words -- inadequate as they may be -- to draw these people to Himself.

 

Jesus commands us to love our neighbors and our enemies alike - how much more so when they are one and the same?