Jesus Loves You

Dear Muslim Friends,

I am a Caucasian mother and grandmother and a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. I was born in Aden, Yemen, grew up in Somalia, went to college in United States, married a Canadian and lived in Pakistan for a decade. A brief time was spent in Tunisia. There is a special place in my heart for Muslims. 

At Christmas followers of Jesus Christ celebrate God coming into the world by taking on flesh. He was born from a virgin. He came into the world to become the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He was sinless. He saves us from our sins, our guilt, our shame, our punishment, and from judgment and offers us forgiveness right now. All of this is a gift; not something you have to work for. What an amazing Savior we have. Thank you, God!  At Easter He broke the power of death and defeated Satan. He did not escape suffering. We do not have a fantasy Jesus. No, rather we have a strong victorious Savior who walked right through suffering and understands our suffering.  This is all according to what is written in the Injeel.  Maybe in your country you only know what has been passed on to you from your family and religious clerics. You are afraid to ask questions. Maybe you feel you are not allowed to ask questions.  One of my Muslim friends got the courage up and asked, “Joy, where is Jesus?”  I know you have been raised to believe that Jesus Christ did not die on the cross, was not buried in a grave, and did not come back to life. You have been told he was just an honored prophet and healer and that God would not let him suffer shame on the cross. You have been told the Injeel has been changed or corrupted. My friend, the Jesus in the Qur'an and the Jesus in the Injeel are not the same Jesus. They are quite different although there are some similarities.  You deserve to know the truth. 

My friend, Aida, forlornly said to me, “Joy, this life is all about punishment, punishment, punishment – in this life and the next.”   Fawziah told me recently that she always wants to stay busy because if everything is quiet she would remember all the shame of her childhood. Her mother used to take her in a room as a little girl, close the doors and windows to muffle screaming, and then beat her with a big rock all over her body and yell horrible shameful words to her that she can’t forget to this day. Shazia shared how she is so distressed by a Qur’an study which takes place in peoples' homes. Lately they have had discussions about whether it is according to the Qur’an or Hadith that a thief should have his hand cut off for stealing.  Punishment. Shame. These are burdens too heavy for us to carry. We collapse under them. Oh, that someone would take away our punishment and shame. That is exactly what Jesus Christ did on the cross. He was punished for our sins. He took our shame upon himself. He does not inflict punishment and shame to correct us and keep us afraid.  Rather he takes it away from us and carries it himself. Why?  Because he loves us and wants to free us from punishment and shame. Free. Cleansed. Forgiven. Deeply loved. He loves good people and bad people. We are changed and corrected by his love – not by receiving punishment and shame and being ruled by fear. I would encourage you to read the full story of Jesus Christ in the Injeel. Do not be afraid to do so. If you can not get hold of a paper Bible you can read it on the internet in your language. God will not punish you for reading it. And do not forget – God LOVES you! 

Your Friend,

Joy        

My Head Covering

“Put on salvation as your helmet…” Ephesians 6:17a

After I was born in Yemen a local woman sewed a bonnet and gave it to my mom for me to wear. Her belief was that jinn enter the soft spot of the head and must be protected. Well, it is true that our minds need to be protected from the strategies and tricks of Satan and evil spirits but the bonnet was helpless in that regard.

We hear a lot from our Muslim friends about the importance of the hijab, their head covering. The belief is that the head should be covered. They might not voice it but many believe that piece of cloth brings protection - maybe even have some effect or influence to help save them from hell and punishment or even help divert bad luck. Wearing it makes them feel like they are “good Muslim women”. When I lived in Somalia and Pakistan I covered my head with a scarf, duputta or chadar. They gave a measure of protection from the lustful eyes of men but they didn’t protect me from Satan or evil spirits. Nor did they save me from my sinful self. No, the scarf or chadar did not even touch selfish sinful desires in me. The cloth head covering did not have the power to transform me into a “good” person. Nor did the chadar assure me of receiving forgiveness or salvation or grant me a better chance to enter heaven. We need something else to save our soul.

There is something much greater and stronger and holier than some cloth. God has provided a helmet of salvation. Of course it is not a real tangible visible helmet but a spiritual provision which is found in a Person - not a piece of cloth. That Person is our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my salvation from the penalty of sin and judgment and also protection from the attacks of the devil. Our minds and souls are vulnerable! Satan is intent on attacking our minds because if our minds can be injured or damaged he will have won a major victory, and we a defeat. I’m so aware I need a spiritual head covering. I need Jesus to protect my mind. He is my head covering.

 I need a dependable helmet of salvation. When I visited Fatima her 5 year old daughter yelled incessantly “GO HOME!” It was like bullets of hate were aimed at me. Once when I was visiting a Muslim lady her uncle was present and he spewed out cursive vile words at me the whole time. Then there have been the trying times I have come under suspicion and interrogation. Believe me, we need to wear the helmet of salvation at all times; both for initial salvation of our souls and for salvation from the on-going attacks from Satan which send forth their fiery arrows of discouragement, shock, confusion, fear and doubt.

Jesus Christ is my helmet of salvation, my head covering. Frequently we describe a Muslim woman who wears a hijab as “being covered”. We must be covered, too, but our covering is a Person, not a piece of cloth.

Dear heavenly Father, thank You we are saved, safe, and covered by Jesus our Savior. Amen.