Paul was trying to figure out how to relate to the people of Athens. He walked around the marketplace and made his observations. Judging from all the stuff around him, Paul noted that they were very religious. He found a bridge he could use to relate to the Athenians.
At an orientation to our Christian ministry assignments in Bible college the director explained what he did to relate to people he met. He reads magazines and newspapers to be up to date with what is happening in the world. Because many people follow a favorite sports team he reads sports magazines. He was not particularly interested in sports but went the distance to find a connecting point to people he worked with or met while travelling. These days being informed about the Rio Olympics would be important.It seems that the divide between Muslims and the rest of the world is increasing. Becoming informed about their lives, interests, and culture is a great bridge builder with a Muslim friend. Any form of media--radio, TV, news feeds, books or magazines can give us a better grasp of the people God has called us to care for.
A while back a new employee at an electronics store mentioned that the Cricket World Championship is coming up. While I don't know much about Cricket, I know about Imran Khan, a Pakistani hero of yesteryear. This little tidbit helped me to connect. When talking to men about Soccer(football), everyone knows the name Messi--probably one of the most famous soccer players in the world. With many younger men, sports is a good connecting point. The conversation can develop from there. Joy says that Muslim women often don't watch the news. They are tired of the bad news out of the Muslim world and retreat. Perhaps there are other keys like social justice, poetry, the arts or cuisine that will help with connecting and lead to uplifting conversations with them.
It helps to be observant and curious. I like to browse through the Globe and Mail and watch the news to get better informed about the state of the world. But often the best source of information is from our new friends. I regularly stop at a kiosk in a nearby mall run by a Pakistani acquaintance to get news from Pakistan and to connect with him. He is pleased as punch that I'm interested in his country. Muslim men often become very animated when talking about politics!It helps to turn the attention to the 2 kingdoms in the world today--the Kingdom of Darkness and the Kingdom of God'. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world...my kingdom is from another place." John 18:36. What better place to get a good grasp of the 'Constitution of the Kingdom of God/Heaven' than Matthew 5-7? And we are 'on mission' for King Jesus. This is really radical stuff.
Lord, help me to find ways of connecting with my new Muslim friend on a human level so that our conversation can move towards the Good News. Amen.
