Since my last update, Ramadan started and ended, concluding with Eid al Fitr. Most of the country fasted from sunrise to sundown for all of March, abstaining from all food, drink, and other activities and practices to devote themselves to God. My second Ramadan was similar to the first: slow, quiet days; closed businesses and later starts; intense afternoon traffic; and active nightlife. In Islam, the good deeds (called Hasanat) that will be weighed against the bad at the end of your life are considered weightier or worth more during the holy month, so people are extra-mindful of the commands and examples set the Quran and Hadith to gain favor and reward. Spiritual life is front and center, and with more experience and Arabic under my belt, I got to learn more and have deeper conversations this year.
The season of Lent overlapped with Ramadan this year, which led to conversations about how Christians fast and how it looks different. We can choose how, when, and from what we fast with the goal of remembering our spiritual need, seeking wisdom, relying on God, etc. In Islam, the rules are clear, and a number of things, intentional or accidental, can “cancel” that day’s fast, which then must be made up. I’m both inspired by people’s devotion and obedience and saddened by the pressure of having to do it near perfect to earn Heaven (or Jannah).
Easter came barely 2 weeks after Eid, and we’re reminded that the devotion and actions during the holy month are ultimately fruitless striving. To our Muslim friends, Jesus is a prophet, but he did not die and certainly was not God. God would never lower himself in these ways. What a different Jesus we know. Jesus, God himself, loves and longs for us so greatly, that he came to be with us and took our shame. Not only that, but he broke the power of shame, darkness and evil forever! We aren’t asked to earn it. We are asked to accept it. How free indeed that our good deeds do not have to outweigh our bad in the end. Please pray for people here to be freed from legalism, fear, and striving and to know the real God who loves them.