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.

Burnt by Religion

Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.  James 4:8a

When I read James 4:8a to Nazanin she shuddered. She had no desire to come close to God. She had been burnt by religion and was afraid of God.

“What is your goal in life?” I asked Shahnaz. “To make money,” she answered. As we discussed further it was apparent there was no room for any religion. She had been burnt by Islam and the control of Muslim clerics. She did not trust holy books, God, clerics, or any religion. In her mind everything was just a fairy tale and fear driven.

“What is your purpose in life?” I asked Mojgan. “I don’t know what you mean,” she answered. “Do you know why you were created?” I asked. “No,” she replied. “Do you know why, Joy?” she inquired in curiosity. “Yes, I do,” I replied. “Please tell me then. I never thought about it before,” she said. Mojgan believed in a distant Power but nothing more than that.  There was no evident spiritual hunger or thirst. She wanted freedom but was empty inside. No peace. No rest.  

When I asked Azita if she knew why she was created she said, “I have wondered why and asked many mullahs to tell me why but not one could tell me the answer.” Even though she, too, had been deeply burnt by religion and government control over her personal life she did evidence a spiritual capacity but had given up finding the answer to her burning question. No one could give her a satisfying answer. We had Bible studies together and she loved to hear about God and how Jesus came to show us the way to Him. But when it came to the moment of decision she disconnected from me entirely. No more phoning, visiting, or answering emails. She had been burnt and could not commit her life to Christ just in case she might go through another bad experience. Azita had only opened “empty gift boxes.”

 Farideh could not imagine not believing in God but she wanted to create her own faith. She mixed the parts of Islam she liked, some Buddhism, new age practices, her favorite poetry, self-help, Zoroastrianism, and the God-is-love part from Christianity all together. Whatever could bring comfort and a sense of having life under her control was pursued. She had visited church but it felt foreign to her. She still has not found peace and rest. She is not ready to commit to anything with absolutes. She fears being put in a box or controlled.

There are a growing number of Muslims today who have been burnt by religion. They pursue freedom, money, higher education, and community but ultimately can feel an emptiness. It may take decades to realize they are empty. Usually a crisis or desperate need brings God back into the picture. I continue to proclaim God’s love and truth but most of the time I find it takes a supernatural encounter to help them commit their lives to Christ. God is compassionate and comes to those who are burnt by lies and deception.

Dear heavenly Father, I don’t know how but You know how to reach Muslims burnt by religion.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.