By a member of SEND’s Diaspora | North America team
As we walked on the paved pathway, ahead we saw a group of children bunched together. There was an adult in front of them, and as we got a little closer we were able to see what was going on. They were learning how to use rollerblades! The teacher placed a neat row of bright orange cones, evenly spaced, on the path and then gestured to the children to weave in and out of the cones. As each youngster launched forth to attempt maneuvering through the cones, moving as fast as they could, the orange cones were soon scattered! A few of the youngest ones ended up wiping out on the pathway. The teacher quickly repositioned the cones and the children resumed their attack. While this story took place in Pakistan, and the teaching was not in English, this sports drill is one that is repeated on a thousand schoolyards every day, with parents watching nearby and occasionally shouting an encouraging word to their children.
We may be different in terms of language, food, and religion, but in many ways, we are very much alike. If we are parents, we want to provide for our families and for our children to excel in school, sports, or other activities. Or consider our sports teams and their fans – we have intense rivalries. Last week, Pakistan beat India in Cricket and the Indians were so upset they made it illegal for anyone to celebrate Pakistan’s win in India! Do you know of any rivalries this intense here in the US? Passions and pride run deep in all cultures. And this serves as a good reminder that as we interact, work, and live alongside our ethnic neighbors, we can relate to them in many ways.
This month we celebrate Thanksgiving, a time of reflection and giving thanks. As we enter this holiday is there a way that you can display thankfulness among your Muslim neighbors or colleagues? When the Bible says, "to those whom much has been given much will be required," it is not suggesting that we need to do things to earn our salvation…instead, it is meant to encourage us to reach out to others, to show and share God’s love with them.
We have several weeks left to use this Thanksgiving as an opportunity to speak with our Muslim friends about our thankfulness to God for his work in our lives. Can you think of creative ways to share about what the Lord has done in your life? If you have kids, why not get them involved as well? Ask them for ideas and you are sure to get some out-of-the-box thinking! Maybe you could share a meal with your neighbor, or tell them about our history and how God has blessed this country from its humble beginning (how Thanksgiving was set aside as a remembrance of that provision). Or perhaps you could tell them your personal testimony, how God has blessed you and your family over the years. There isn’t one “right” way to reach out! So, feel free to get creative. And as you do, we would love to hear what you come up with. Send us a quick note about how you plan to reach out to your neighbor or to share a story about how you already have!
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