So while this interview is pretty crap--I mean the interview asks all sorts of leading questions, which you're not supposed to do in interviews. Still there are some fine sections and insights. Read it all, but for now here is a section on aesthetics and conversion:
Was it the beauty of the Pietà that struck you?
Yes — and the context. This is God, I thought. This really is God.
You must remember that one of the big things when we look at
traditional Islam is the heresy — in their opinion — of equating the
mortal Jesus with God. And if there is ever an obstacle that a Muslim
convert has to contend with, intellectually and emotionally, more than
anything else, that is it. At that moment, in front of the Pietà, I realized, through sheer emotion, that the truth of our religion is so simple and so direct.
PS: A recent issue of Global Missiology also has an article on aesthetics and conversion, for those interested in the rather esoteric topic.
2 comments:
Something else that's speaks a lot is charity !
This week in a bus to Tours for a spiritual day for servants of choir, we prayed the laudes; after the prayer the priest spoke to the children about saint Martin de Tours, especially when he gave half of his coat to the poor in Amiens (just half, because, just half was his own; the other half was roman army property).
Our bus driver, a muslim background man heard that. And that spoke a lot to him !
What impact will this have? I don't know.
What I know is that he spoke to me about that "speaking goodness" , about that "very good man" (and ask a lot of questions on his life) during all the remaining day.
This is the story of our witness here too. We plant seeds, we water seeds, but it is very rare to see the whole process through from beginning to end. Most conversions from Islam to Christianity stretch out over five or ten years. It requires faith and patience...hanks for sharing the story John.
Post a Comment