An Afternoon on the Coromandel

One day when I lived in India, I was traveling down the East Coast by train. I often made that trip. It took 27 hours including an overnight, on the “Coromandel Express” passenger train.

I was in the state of Andhra Pradesh heading south. The Coromandel used to stop along the way to drop passengers and pick up waiting ones. On this day I was almost alone in my small 8 person section of the coach. About mid-day we stopped at one of the typical stations. Hawkers sold coffee, tea, snacks, and numerous other things. There was a din of voices as they shouted, “Chai, chai, chaiya, kofee, kofee, kofeeeee!”

A young boy entered my compartment, looked at the seat numbers, and sat down opposite me. We nodded to each other and said no more. We were both by the window, and no one else was in our section. After a few minutes, the long train began to roll forward toward south India and my destination of Chennai.

We rode for a while in silence.

At some point I started up a conversation with him. The boy, about 12 years old, spoke very good English. He was a Muslim. He was heading somewhere to do something, I don’t really remember. He was not going too far, relatively speaking for an Indian train. I think he was going to be traveling for 3-4 hours and would be getting off in another town in the same state of Andhra Pradesh.

I asked him questions about his family, his school, and other things. He asked me where I was from, what I was doing in India, how did I like India.

At some point, I asked him about his religion. He answered my questions about his Islamic beliefs and practices. He was very articulate.

Then it came my turn. I spoke to him about Jesus and how he had changed my life after I began to read the Bible in college.

To be honest, I don’t remember a lot of the conversation details. There was nothing said that stands out in my memory.

What I do remember vividly, is that this 12 year old was captivated by what I said about Jesus. It was magical. I believe the Holy Spirit was in that compartment. It was natural, not forced, not striving in any way. Just a relaxed, friendly exchange of ideas. We both talked. We both listened. Oh my, he listened! He was absorbing it! That is my outstanding memory of this event. I knew that what I was saying was piercing into his soul and mind. Light from above! I did not attempt to “lead him in a sinner’s prayer.”

Finally the train rolled to a stop. He gathered his things and got up. We shook hands and he got out. I encouraged him to learn more about Jesus if he got a chance. On the platform he looked up and we waved and realized how cool those moments had been.

The train moved ahead. I never saw him again.

I’ll never forget the magic of that conversation.

Says Who?

All of us have some source of authority for our thoughts about God.

One man says, “Allah is God.”

Another says, “Jesus is God.”

Still another says, “There is no God.”

I met a young man named Gautam early in my time in India. He would visit us and we’d exchange our ideas about God. He worshiped Krishna from whom we get the Hare Krishna group. If I said, “Jesus can heal the blind,” Gautam would say, “So can Krishna.” Whatever Jesus could do, Krishna could do. It was like the old Broadway song, “Anything you can do I can do better.”

What was Gautam’s source of authority in believing in Krishna? It was the religion of his family. He was born into it and that’s what he knew. Why question that?

Most of us are like that.

Everyone has an ultimate source of authority for their “God statements.”

I remember my brother once saying to me, “I have my own ideas about God.” I got the impression that he’d thought about it. My guess is that he based his ideas on his experience in life to that point. His own thoughts were his source of authority. Many of us do that too.

For those who say “Allah is God,” that statement is usually based on the weight of societal opinion and on parental teachings. The Qur'an reinforces the belief.

For the atheist, his authority might be his own opinion, based on experience and what he considers scientific evidence. Certainly the agreement of many in academia is a reinforcement.

When a Christian says, “I believe in Jesus,” it may be from the same set of “authorities,” namely, culture, family, experience, etc. These can help, but is there more?

For many, myself included, there is the person, Jesus Christ. His life is recorded in the four Gospels of the New Testament. The testimony of who Jesus was and is, is an objective source of authority. If Jesus is truly God who came into the world as a man, then the Bible is a very compelling basis for a belief system.

What is your source of authority for your God statements? Is it your upbringing or traditional beliefs? Is it whatever is popular in our culture today? Maybe it’s your own opinion or proceeds from some hurtful experience?

The truth about God is out there. It’s either this or that. It’s either what you believe or it isn’t.

You remember my friend Gautam who was so stubborn about his belief in Krishna? Eventually, Gautam trusted in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Something about Christ sank in. He still actively promotes Jesus today, more than 30 years later. 

I recommend that you read about Jesus Christ in the Bible today. Jesus said, “The one who asks will always receive; the one who is searching will always find, and the door is opened to the man who knocks.” (Matt 7:8)

Back Off Gentlemen

As I’ve said before, one of the greatest evidences of the truth of Christianity is that its principles work when applied.

Two highly visible situations involving Islam give us an opportunity to demonstrate the truth of our faith. As a principle, Paul told the Romans, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”1 We’re to avoid doing things that knowingly antagonize and alienate others. As Christians we’re to take the lead in living at peace with others. We do this to point to Jesus Christ who made peace between God and man.

Recently I watched a video of Loren Cunningham, the founder of Youth With A Mission. Loren said, “polarization leads to pride.”2 Polarization does not lead to peace with others.

Ground Zero Mosque

The mosque being planned near the site of Ground Zero in New York City has dominated political commentary in recent weeks. It has polarized opinion. The promoters say it is at least partly to honor the 9/11 victims. They say blocking the mosque will send the wrong signal to American Muslims and could lead to more Islamic radicalism. It could also cause other acts of “Islamophobia” they claim.

Opponents of the mosque have maintained that the site is wrong. It would symbolize Islamic triumphalism. It would dishonor the victims of 9/11. Most Americans, according to the polls, want the mosque built further away from Ground Zero. (For example, two thirds of New Yorkers oppose the site but not the right to build 3 )

Proponents of the construction correctly maintain that, as Americans, Muslim citizens have a right to build the mosque there. But not everything we have a right to do is the right thing to do.

Burning the Qur’an

At the opposite pole, Rev. Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, is promoting a day to gather people and burn the Qur’an. For a Muslim, the Qur’an is a sacred object of their religion. They are more emphatic about the physical book itself than are Christians. For a Muslim it’s an extreme insult to set a Qur’an on the floor. Dr. Jones, author of ‘Islam is of the Devil,’ is saying that Christians have to take a stand. He holds that this action will demonstrate that we must reject Shariah Law.

Opponents are saying Jones is putting Christians in many places in danger. Muslims are outraged. Significantly, many Christians including the National Association of Evangelicals are asking Dr. Jones not to have the burning. But the day is set for September 11 to burn the Qur’an.

Poles Apart

I fear that Loren Cunningham’s observation that “polarization leads to pride” is an issue here. Will the Christians take Paul’s advice and “as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Or will human pride prevent that? Can we expect the Muslim organizers to back off of the construction? It is our Bible that tells us to live at peace with all to the best of our ability. The Qur’an does not teach that.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the chief mosque builder has dug in his heels regarding the site of the mosque, in spite of public outcry. He told an audience recently, “the fact we are getting this kind of attention is a sign of success.”4 Terry Jones and his followers are steeling themselves in the face of much anger and many warnings from fellow Christians. A recent church e mail said, “City of Gainesville denies burn permit — BUT WE WILL STILL BURN KORANS.”5

Golden Opportunity

Does Christianity work? This is a chance for the Christians to take the lead by backing down from an antagonistic position and showing the world the supremacy of the Gospel. Jesus taught us to be willing take the low road. He said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”6 This is a critical moment. It’s a golden opportunity for Christians to demonstrate the preeminence of our faith.
Let us pray that Dr. Jones does the right thing!

I encourage you to email the Dove World Outreach Center and ask him to stop the burning on 9/11.

http://www.doveworld.org/contact


1 - Romans 12:18 (New International Version)
2 - From Loren Cunningham's message, “Ministering in the Opposite Spirit”
3 - http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/09/03/poll-new-yorkers-conflicted-on-ground-zero-mosque/
4 - www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iNLTahM5QJw8Ts0SpTgWLjXwN7gAD9HOPCJ80
5 - www.rightpundits.com/?p=7084
6 - Matthew 5:9

Just One Small Difference?

A Christian friend was having a discussion with a Muslim co-worker. At a certain point, the young Muslim man said, “Our religions are basically the same. We only differ on our view of Jesus. We believe he’s a prophet, but not God. Otherwise, Islam and Christianity are alike.”

Is that really true?

It is sadly true that some equate “fundamentalist Christianity” and “fundamentalist Islam.” But that’s for a later blog. Here I write regarding the perception these two religions are basically the same except for what we believe about Jesus.

There are many differences between Christianity and Islam. To say they are the same except for one point is a statement of ignorance. For example, in the past three centuries, Christianity has promoted peace all over the world. Amy Orr-Ewing points out the dissimilar nature of Islam. “I could not agree that ‘peaceful’ was a good adjective to describe the religion as a whole either historically or in the present day.” [1]

But for the sake of argument let’s suppose what this boy’s view is true. There is only one difference. Our belief about who Jesus is.

Let me say, that if our belief about Christ is the only difference, that is a monumental difference! That one issue makes Islam and Christianity diametrically different.

Foundation of Christianity

Many of us forget that among the New Testament writings, Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was the earliest. Paul penned that letter before the four Gospels were written. In the 15th chapter we have the first statement of faith regarding Jesus.

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures: And that he appeared to Peter, … and last of all he appeared to me also …” [2]

Paul cites this gospel as “of first importance”. Jesus Christ actually died for our sins and His death was verified by the fact that He was buried. What is more, He was raised to life again, and appeared to many, including Paul. On these statements of first importance, our Islamic friends disagree.

They might say it this way. “Christ fainted on the cross and was temporarily placed in a tomb. Later he revived and he and his disciples duped the world into believing that he had been raised from the dead.” In the Koran Jesus is held to be a major prophet, although less than Muhammad. Muslims believe Christians are deceived and the New Testament is in error about what happened.

Paul’s version of events, written 700 years earlier than the Koran, is the bedrock of Christianity. This point “of first importance” is the all of the Christian faith.

Paul wrote that if the gospel facts are not true, as Muslims contend, then our whole religion is vain. “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” [3]

So even if this one point is the only difference between Islam and Christianity, which it is not, it is a massive difference that forever prohibits these two faiths from agreement.

Ravi Zacharias closes this blog with a pertinent comment.“One of India’s leading “saints,” Sri Ramakrishna, is said to have been for a little while a Muslim, for a little while a Christian, and then finally, a Hindu again, because he came to the conclusion that they are all the same. If they are all the same, why did he revert to Hinduism? It is just not true that all religions are the same." [4]

[1] Amy Orr-Ewing, Beyond Opinion, Ravi Zacharias, Editor and Author (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2007) 13
[2] 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 & 8 (New International Version)
[3] 1 Corinthians 15:19 (New International Version)
[4] Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000) 158