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February 03, 2005

A witness for Christ

"Bring the child here," said Ali, and the boy's mother led him submissively to sit in the dust before us. He had been suffering with bad headaches for some time, and was unable to sleep. She knew Ali was a man who knew the Quran, and had asked Ali if he could heal the boy.

I first met Ali a few weeks before. He called to me as I was passing by his sewing machine at the market, and asked me to come and see him. When I visited him, he explained the dream he'd had of a shining white figure, holding out his arms to him. We read the description of Jesus at the start of the book of Revelation, and Ali recognised the man from his dream. Over the following weeks we had begun reading the Bible together. Ali was keen to know more about this Jesus, of whom the Quran spoke so highly, and who had now appeared to him personally. But he was a respected older Muslim in the tight community of this small Fulani town in West Africa, and had not yet decided what he was going to do about it.

He reached out his hand and gently placed his thumb and one finger on the boy's forehead. He began quietly reciting verses in Arabic, pausing occasionally to spit lightly on the boy's head. When he had finished, he sat back: "Bismillah!" he said, indicating that I too should pray. So I too laid my hand on the boy's head, and prayed in Fulfulde for healing in the name of Jesus. When I had finished, the boy got up and went back to his mother, and Ali and I continued our discussion.

The next day, Ali told me the boy was healed.

Ali and I continued to meet, and finally he confessed his faith in Christ. But Ali was reluctant to identify himself publicly as a Christian. He knew the cost would be high, that people would not understand, and he would lose the friendships and influence he had. So he continued to read the Bible, to pray in the name of Jesus, and to go to the mosque. But now, when his Muslim neighbours came to him to ask him for religious or spiritual advice, he would start in the Quran, and lead on to the Injil - the Gospel - one of the holy books of Islam.

I have no doubt of the genuineness of Ali's faith in Christ. I have no doubt too, that if he publicly confessed Christ, he would suffer as a result. If he were able to stand, and integrate into the Mossi church there, I am sure he would grow firmer in his faith. But that presents its own challenges - and he would also lose his opportunities to share Christ among his neighbours. I have laid it all out before him. He knows the choices and the consequences, and has made his decision - for now - about how to work it out.

Please pray for my friend Ali, that God will continue to lead and strengthen him. His story raises many questions. But above all, I'd like us to see that Christ is continuing to reach out in love to the many Muslims who love God. And our response should be one of love, friendship, and encouragement as they seek Him.

Tags: burkina faso africa emerging church burkina church fulani mission church and culture

Posted by Keith at February 3, 2005 11:28 AM