Habib* is originally from a war-torn Middle Eastern country but now lives in another area of the Arab world. He wrote to Arab World Media online, ‘I love the peace, forgiveness, and love in Christianity.’ When I followed up with him, I asked him, ‘What do you know about Jesus Christ?’
He said, ‘I’ll tell you according to Islam because I am Muslim. God created him from God’s spirit, and he was born from the Virgin Mary.’ He told me, ‘During the war in my country, my house collapsed. I left my city for the capital. A Christian family there gave me a place to live, and this is why I feel a bond with Christianity.’
Forgiveness, peace and love
I began explaining Christianity, who Jesus is, and answering questions about the Trinity. After conversing for about twenty minutes, he told me, ‘I’m afraid because if someone were to know what I’m doing now, they could kill me. I’m alone here, and my family is still in my country. The government there wants me to join the army, and I don’t want to go. I just want to protect my family.’
Then he said, ‘I don’t think there is a huge difference between Islam and Christianity, but in Christianity, there is forgiveness, peace, and love. I sensed this in the war in my country. The Christians didn’t get involved in the war, but the Muslims started killing each other. The Christians gave help to many Muslims, especially pregnant women – they took care of them and their babies.’
We continued the conversation for another two hours, and I sent him a link to one of our discipleship apps. Some days later, he asked, ‘This Christian family that I lived with for four years, who helped me with money and a flat – did they help me out of love, or did they just want me to become a Christian?’
I told him, ‘They helped you out of love because they follow the God of love.’ That day, he accepted the Lord in his life, but he asked to keep this a secret between us.
Producing many seeds
He told me, ‘I asked my friend from this Christian family who helped me, “What makes you treat me so kindly without even asking for rent? Other people are asking for huge amounts of money, and you allow me to stay here for free. And I’m a Muslim, and you accept me as I am.”‘
My friend said, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.’
Habib asked me, ‘Is this from the Bible?’ And I told him it was and gave him the reference. He said, ‘I feel peace speaking with you, and now I understand what my friends meant. And now I’m following the Son of God.’
A great testimony
This was a lesson for me. How can a family care for someone for four years without taking one penny of rent? When I asked him the name of his friend and his church, he told me, ‘It’s a home church. They are living in a Muslim area.’ What a great testimony! I thank the Lord for this family and this new brother.
Source: Arab World Media
