REVEALING JESUS IN RAMADAN

Sunday evening after waking up from an evening nap, I decided to take a stroll around my neigbourhood. I walked pass one of the small praying places (make-shift mosques) where the Muslim faithful pray. It was that time in the day when they break their Ramadan fast – “Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam.”

As I was passing bye, I noticed a big bowel filled with stuffs rapped in black paper bags in rations which I presumed were food. Almost immediately, a call went out, and all the hungry faithful whose population was made up of Okada guys, truck pushers, etc., trust me, I can tell by looking at them. They descended on the food, each struggling to get a rap of the goodies. I stood and watched as the stronger ones left with portions while the not so lucky ones where left with nothing. 

One striking thing I noticed was that no one left the place with more than one portion and there was no one coordinating the sharing. That stood out for me. It’s impressive! The food did not go round because there was not enough. I told myself, there is something these dudes are doing right, greed and selfishness was not out there in full display unlike what I see in our churches when opportunities like this present themselves. These dudes understand the subject of love more than most of us tongue-speaking and demon slaying Bishops.

 As I continued with my stroll, I immediately got prompted in my spirit with a question:

“Have you made something available for these thine neighbours to break their fast? Have I not commanded you to love beyond borders? This is love, My kind of love”

This question left restlessness in my spirit; I couldn’t just shake that off. I was miserable throughout that evening for I was guilty as charged.

Beloved, you see, the love of God is without borders. It is time to breakdown those border-walls. Have you represented Christ well in your neighbourhood and office? Have you mirrored the giving love of Christ? Are you really adding taste to people’s lives as the salt of the world? Or are you one of the reasons the nation is at the brink of war? Think about these things.

Are you chasing away gloom in the lives of others not minding their religious inclinations and political affiliations?

Prince Harry eats with Muslim community breaking Ramadan fast.

When was the last time you checked on that Muslim friend/colleague or neighbour just to know how they are doing and how the fast (sawn) is coming? Have you gone out of your way to give that Muslim gateman or Okada guy some food, stuffs or money to break his fast?

Every step out of love is sin. Too often we’ve gotten in our minds that we didn’t sin unless we broke one of the Ten Commandments. But that was the law of the Old Covenant. The New Covenant is that we love one another (JOHN 13: 34 & 35). So every word said outside of love is sin. Every act made outside of love is sin. Just so you know, When God said love, He did not say love your church members, your family and friends or Christians alone. He said love one another and that includes the Muslim.

Remember, Humanity is supreme after God. We are here for all of us!