Encounter with a Happy Muslim

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Saturday Afternoon
Minneapolis Airport

I am writing this note from a tiny cubicle that doubles as a pay phone station next to gate C22. Before our flight to Memphis leaves, I want to report on an amazing conversation we had with a happy Muslim. A few minutes ago we landed on our flight from Portland to Minneapolis. Because we had a little time, we stopped at the Food Court for a quick bite to eat. Then we started the long trek to gate C22. Marlene and I must have looked weary because a man driving a passenger cart asked where we were going. We told him and he said, “Hop in.”

When we got on, he asked where we were going. I told him that I had been speaking in Oregon and we were on our way back home to Tupelo, Mississippi. He smiled and said, “It’s good to be going home, isn’t it?” Then he told us that he was glad to be getting off early tonight. Usually he works until 10 PM but tonight he gets off at 7 PM. He was smiling about it because he said he had been fasting all day. 

Today marks the beginning of Ramadan, the month-long period of fasting and prayer for Muslims around the world. 

He spoke excellent English with a bit of a Middle Eastern accent. He hasn’t had anything to eat since 5:30 AM. “But after 8:10 PM I can eat anything I want.”

He was cheerful and friendly and very talkative as he explained that, really, what is the difference between Christianity and Judaism and Islam. It occurred to me as he drove us that we were being evangelized in a very kind way by a very kind Muslim man. “We all believe in the same God,” he said. “So what is the difference?” he said, asking me.

But I decided to let him answer that question. “We believe in Jesus too.” But Mohammad is God’s prophet, he said. And Allah made everything. “We believe in God because he made everything.”

Then he proceeded to give us a passable explanation of the life of Jesus from the Muslim point of view. “When the rulers wanted to kill Jesus, he asked his followers who wants to go to heaven today. So one of the men volunteered and they crucified him. God even made his face to look like Jesus so the Jews thought they were crucifying Jesus, but they really didn’t.”

It occurred to me that it takes more faith to believe that than to believe the record of the gospel accounts of death of Jesus. Then I pointed that Christians believe that Jesus died and rose again. When we got to our gate, we sat in the cart and talked for a few moments. Our Muslim driver could not believe that God could have a Son. “If he is God, how could they kill him?” “Because he was also a man,” I replied. “Oh no,” he said, smiling. “That is not possible.” “But he was the God-man, fully God and fully man,” I replied.

When the time came for us to say goodbye, Marlene leaned over and, “We believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross and rose from the dead.” Our new Muslim friend smiled because clearly he had heard this before. 

Before it was over, the Muslim driver evangelized us and we evangelized him. No one converted, but we parted on the best of terms. 

Marlene had the last word before he left. “Jesus really is the difference.”

He smiled and agreed with us. Then he drove off to pick up someone else.