I wanted to blog about something that happened last night and my delayed response from this morning.
I have a last name that isn't very common. I've looked at both Canada and US people search engines and often the names listed have given names that are quite different then traditional Western names. To give examples, I looked again today and quickly found these given names: Fatouma, Zeeshan, Blerim, Diaka, Makoya, Souleymane, Sekou, Hassan, Rameez, Sekou, Yaya, Kerfala, Gulamali, Ibis, Shqipe, Mohamed, Saibou, Ajfer, Abakar, Adama, Ai, Almas, Badrudin, Yared, Sitan, Kasamali, Moussa, Nabil, etc. Thus it's not surprising that every few months I will receive a phone call from somebody telling me about a mosque that is starting, or a Muslim event politely asking if I have interest. I'm usually polite and friendly and thank them for the information.
I received a phone call last night. I found it belittling, annoying and a time-waster. At first, the man refused to talk to me, he wanted to talk to the "man of the house." Of course, this not only sets off my anti-feminine button; but it also makes me question my safety. I threw caution to the wind and said, "I am the head of this house" .which doesn't say I live alone, but hints that way. Maybe next time I'll say, "He can't come to the phone...." and so I'm not lying state under my breath "because he doesn't exist."
Then the man on the phone tells me that I need a man to teach me the Koran. Then he says in a very condescending manner that his group could teach me. His prideful sexism and just oozed through his vocal inflections with mega-condescension; and I could tell his invitation was part of a script and not offered with anything but dutiful scorn. I thanked him and quickly hung up. It bothered me but I couldn't state why I was annoyed. I've been treated rude before by nameless people on telephones and I didn't have that gut-level reaction.
I knew it wasn't because of him being Muslim because Greg and I had a young Muslim man I taught with to our house for meals several times when we lived in Tulsa. We even had a young gay man stay at our home almost every weekend one spring when he was in university. It seems there was some flak from a few friends who were purists who thought Christians never should befriend anybody until they became homogenous to our denomination's beliefs. But, back to the story.
I was using the weed whip in anticipation of mowing. The rude conversation returned to my mind and I'd try to shake it off. I thought it wasn't worth a second thought. Forgive and move on works great for these little offenses.
Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Wham.
I felt the same way when the man was rudely belittling to me on the phone as I felt back in the early 70s when people would come to my door or stop me on the street or be a pest at my work desk and start telling me I was going to hell if I didn't accept Jesus. I use to get the giggles at Rick (may he rest in peace) who'd say to them with the same amount of disdain: "I would not want a religion where I'd have to become an unloving, self-righteous prig like you." I agreed with Rick.
It was through two couple's love, acceptance, taking time for me, listening to me, asking gentle but probing questions, their humour and their love that I eventually came to want Christ in my life. My theory of evangelism is similar: "Make a friend, be a friend, bring your friend to Christ."
There was one time I went door-to-door witnessing and I hated every minute of it. I liked being part of the group that went; but inside my gut was churning and my mind was yelling "wrong, wrong" - which I now believe was the Holy Spirit directing me to stop the self-righteousness bullying of others. I believe in evangelism, but I don't believe in pushy, better-than-you evangelism - even if the pushy person thinks he/she is doing it from a place of love. I know that some people think the apostles witnessed that way, but I don't see it when I read my Bible. There are a few accounts of public preaching - and had that been the norm, I doubt if they would have made it into the Word. Most of the New Testament talks about worshiping in small home groups or at synagog. Public preaching isn't bad, in my opinion; people have the right to join and listen and move on or to not stop and listen - its not hindering their free choice. But knocking on somebody's door, bugging them on the phone, cornering them at a store or hanging over their work space is a form of religious bullying and shouldn't be tolerated.... by Christians, Muslims or any other religion.
I was glad I was able to not negate the emotions the phone call called forth last night; they helped me see the unity of the right-wing no matter what denomination or even religion a person chooses. Maybe teams composed of all religions should go together when they go door knocking - at least it would give people options instead of negating their uniqueness by robbing them of their individuality.
Having said all that: I do believe Jesus is fullness of God incarnate, and He is the only way for human kind to enter that fullness. But let's treat people respectfully when we tell them, after all: God gave us two ears and one mouth for a good reason. Christ treated people with respect and dignity; there is no example where he cornered anybody and tried to push his beliefs on them - he was loving and waited for them to come to him.
