Swahili Coast:  “Isa” is my friend who has been reading the Njili (New Testament) which I gave him for Christmas. Today he and his fiancée came to our house for lunch. It was funny to see how strange it was to them to be offered iced tea.

When I asked what he reads, he said, “Every day I read about Jesus, but not for two weeks.” His fiancée then asked me if the Njili is the same as the Bible. I told her that the Injili describes the life and teaching of Isa (which is the Arabic name for Jesus in the Koran).

For Muslims, the Bible is considered corrupt and inaccurate, but the Njili is one of their Islamic books. Hoping to show her the Truth about the Bible, I shared many of the characters in the Koran which are also found in the Bible. We spent a few minutes describing the similarities with Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, Abraham, and Issac and Ishmael. My hope is to create common ground between our two faiths that might open the door to greater conversation.

The conversation returned to the Njili that Isa had been reading. I was surprised to hear his fiancée mention Jesus’ miracles. She too has a knowledge and understanding of Jesus as we discussed His divine acts, but they both have NOT YET seen those acts to be the acts of God Himself. It is both exciting and heart-pulling to hear them talk about Jesus doing things only God could do, without them realizing it is God who is doing those amazing miracles. With their wedding only a few weeks away, I took the opportunity to share about His first miracle, which was performed at a wedding.

I’m so thankful how patient God is with us. When we struggle with our understanding of Him, or at times are even blind to see the remarkable Truth, I find peace in knowing that God will never give up on my friend and his fiancée, as He will never give up on me, despite my weaknesses and shortcomings. I know He is walking them both down a slow journey that ultimately leads to opened eyes, new hearts, and changed lives.

Pray for my friend Isa:

• that after stopping for two weeks, he will resume reading the book I gave him
• that his future wife will draw him closer to Truth and not push him further away from it
• and for depth in our conversations that his head knowledge might sink down into his heart
• and a revelation that the miracles of Jesus point to His divinity as the acts of God