“Hello my friend! I haven’t seen you in while, how are you?” asked the owner of a neighborhood discount store. I have begun to intentionally frequent this store because the owner is always here and seems to enjoy more in-depth conversation. As I stepped up to the counter I asked how he and his family were doing, after-which I explained how I had been visiting family during the Christmas season and was just getting back on my normal schedule. I asked him if he celebrated Christmas and he quickly said no, with a look of disgust. Digging in a little more, he explained that he celebrates Eid. “My friend, Eid is much better than Christmas. Christmas is all about money.”
Is this what our Muslim friends think? That the focus of Christmas is spending money? How can we help our neighbors to understand what Christmas is really about and what Christianity is all about? Please pray for more ways for me to engage in spiritual conversations with this shop owner that will illustrate the truth of who God is. Help me to answer his questions and misconceptions of what Christians believe. Pray that we, as Christians, will be able to effectively communicate truth out of love to the Muslim population in NYC and beyond.
By CB in NYC
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