A while back I sat across a table from a man who runs a small business. Before we talked about anything else, he excused himself to pray. When he came back, he asked about my family, told me about his kids, and shook my hand like he meant it. He was a Muslim. He was also kind, honest, and a better host than most people I meet.
That same week, the news carried another story of violence carried out in the name of Islam. Two very different pictures. If we lump them together, we get both of them wrong.
The Scripture
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
Matthew 10:16 (NIV)
How I Understand This Scripture
Jesus was sending His followers into a world that would not always welcome them. He did not tell them to be naive, and He did not tell them to be hateful. He told them to hold two things together: sharp discernment and a clean heart. I believe that is exactly the posture we need on this subject.
My Reflection
A Muslim is a person who follows the religion of Islam. There are close to two billion of them in the world. Most are trying to raise their families, earn a living, and live at peace, like you and me.
An Islamist is something different. Islamism is a political ideology. It seeks to use a strict reading of Islamic law to control government, courts, and society, often by force. Groups like ISIS, al Qaeda, and Hamas, and regimes like the one ruling Iran, are Islamist. They do not just want to practice a faith. They want power over everyone else’s.
Here is something many people never hear: Muslims are the most frequent victims of Islamist violence. Muslim reformers, Muslim women, and Muslim converts to Christianity often feel its weight first and hardest.
So what is the danger?
The danger is real, and we should name it plainly. Islamist ideology has inspired attacks in the West. Some groups work quietly, not with bombs but with influence, pushing to silence criticism and to place their ideology above free speech, religious liberty, and equal rights for women. Christians who value freedom should stand firm against that. We should support laws that apply equally to everyone and protect every person’s right to speak, worship, and leave a religion freely.
But there is a second danger, and it lives in us. When we treat every Muslim as a threat, we do the Islamists’ work for them. Their message to young Muslims is that the West hates them. Every time we confirm it, we hand them a recruiting tool. We also close a door the Lord may have opened. How will a Muslim neighbor ever hear about Jesus from a Christian who will not even look him in the eye?
Shrewd as snakes means we oppose a dangerous ideology with clear eyes. Innocent as doves means we refuse to let fear turn into hatred of people Jesus died for. We can do both. In fact, we have to.
A Prayer
Lord, give us wisdom to see clearly and courage to stand for truth and freedom. Protect our communities from those who would do harm in Your name or any other. Guard our hearts from fear and hatred. Help us love our Muslim neighbors well, and open doors for them to know Jesus. In His name we pray, Amen.
Please share this. Too many people have never been told the difference between a Muslim and an Islamist, and that confusion hurts everyone. Send this to as many people as you can, your family, your church, your group chats. It matters.
Join me at www.christaff.net and be part of the conversation.
Leave a Reply