On our first day in Pakistan our hosts walked us to church past a
guard at a railroad crossing. They instructed us to give the standard Christian
greeting 'Salam'(peace). New word for me so what came out of my
mouth instead was 'Salami'. We had a good chuckle the rest of the
way to church. Next thing I got accustomed to was cheek on cheek hugs with men
I felt close to.
Although the English greeting 'hello' seems to have no specific
meaning, it became the proper way of answering the telephone and beginning a
conversation on Alexander Graham Bell's new invention. Today it can be the
beginning of a relationship. It reminds me of a Chinese proverb "a
journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
I volunteer as an English Language Partner
at University of Winnipeg. When the new term begins the coordinator has
a 'Meet and Greet' time for ESL students to meet their
volunteers. A few years ago I was paired with Farid from Saudi Arabia. After
saying 'hello', etc. Farid informed me that he bought a book two weeks after
his arrival about an old man by the name of Bill or Billy, or something like
that. I asked, "You mean Billy Graham?" His face lit up and he said
"Yes!" Amazing. Normally I don't start on a spiritual conversation in
the first 5 minutes of meeting someone but in this case it was the right thing
to do. I told him I'd be very happy to help him understand the message of the
book!
Often Christian men and women ask us
"How do you meet Muslims?" What about at the grocery store, park, gas
station, food court, or in the neighborhood? It is completely acceptable to go up to a man
or group of men who you know are new immigrants and say 'hello'. Joy and I were
at an outdoor social event put on by a housing complex for newcomers. We prayed
that the Lord would guide us to the right person or couple to connect with. We
wanted the connection to go beyond 'hello'. He answered our prayer when both of
us connected with a family from Asia. Their English was pretty good but they
needed speaking practise. Nasser and Sameen have become good friends.
If that's a stretch for you, try
volunteering with a Christian campus group ministering to International
Students. We've helped out with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and International
Student Ministry events. Immigrant Centres and ESL schools also need
volunteers. These are great places to begin. It is possible that you will become a newcomer's first Christian friend.
So men, go ahead and say 'hello' to a male
newcomer. You may be surprised what will happen. It's all part of practising the gift of hospitality. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and to
nudge you. He will, if you are available.
