Hidden Grace

I had met him over a year ago, and we had a rather heated conversation about Islam. I explained that in Christianity there is no 'sword of the religion'. I had thought that the conversation had gone nowhere really, but we continued to see each other every now and then and hang out. The conversations were seldom of a religious nature.

Little to my knowledge, during this time, an Armenian Christian had given him a DVD copy of "The Passion", and that he had begun to really consider the question of violence in religion, especially given his previous experience in Iraq. He also began to consider the position of Muhammad, a man who had had sex with a a nine-year old girl (she was one of his wives), and a man who had used violence in a robust manner to further his understanding of the will of God.

Apparently he had been watching some Christian satellite TV as well.

He told me (tonight) that he was struck by how Jesus prayed on the cross that God would forgive the ones who had tortured and crucified him. He told me about how his Muslim friend told him that he would kill him if he questioned Muhammad. He told me about a friend who had told him not to do any business with a Jew because they were all evil--something he did not believe. He told me about even his closest friend would not entertain his questions about Jesus. After I informed him that we had been told to leave our country of residence he said, "I will miss you. I do not have anyone else I can talk to about these things."

He told me, as he described the crucifixion of Jesus, that he was not only man but God.

I knew he had crossed a line. During all that time I did not suspect that God was working in his heart. I stayed in contact with him simply because I liked him and had the conviction that friendship cannot be based on productivity.

Little did I know.