What do you think and feel when you see this picture?

This past weekend many millions of people around the world greeted each other with the phrase "Eid Mubarak".  Have you heard it?  Do you know what it means?  This is the traditional greeting of Muslims during Eid-al-Adha - also known as the festival of sacrifices.  It is a very solemn and universal celebration of almost all Muslims as they remember Abraham (Ibrihim) and his willingness to sacrifice his son.  Now we won't get into the discussion about which son (Ishmael versus Isaac) or why the Muslims call Abraham Ibrihim, both very deep and sometimes complicated histories of beliefs.  What I want to focus on is how we - Christian believers - those who claim the name of Jesus Christ - perceive and react to Muslims around us.

I am not a Muslim scholar or converted Muslim.  I do not live in a Muslim country.  But I do personally know (and previously worked with) quite a few Muslims - both Sunni and Shi'ite - from different backgrounds, countries and cultural and education levels.  This has made me ache for the missed opportunities.  You see, when I was in daily, almost constant contact with these precious children of God, I was not living for Jesus as the Lord of my life.  I heard them, talked with them and learned many of their perspectives in a sort of vacuum, not being in a heart position, or maybe just not being willing to step out, to offer them truth in place of error, hope in place of condemnation, joy in place of hatred, love in place of self-righteous works.

So now I watch the news and my heart breaks for people who greet each other with "Eid-Mubarak" - "Blessed Celebration".  How the evil one distorts truth with a slight twist to make it ring true in our sinful ears.  How very many are deceived to think earthly sacrifices are sufficient.  Some of my friends wonder how suicide bombers can think like they do.  We are all desperate for God, or totally making our selves into "god".  I get it.  They are desperate to win favor with their Creator.  Don't we all do ridiculous things with our hearts, minds and/or bodies to try to "please god"?  The true God, the true Creator, the Holy One of Israel, can never be pleased by any sacrifice, thousand prayers, rituals, "good" works, suicide bombs or anything else we humans can conceive or do.  So my heart breaks.  For they are so very desperate for the relationship we all want with the true God.

Does this photo make you angry?  scared?  worried?  sickened?  It makes me remember - "Suffer the little children to come to me".  Those were the words of Jesus.  They should be our thoughts and words, too.  Children of 8 or 18 or 80 who have never been able to mature into the truth because they have been deceived into thinking sacrifices are about rituals or prayers or good works or suicide and not knowing the price has already been paid.  Jesus, help us love. Then help us pray in love.  Help us look at this photo and many others like it and feel only love.