Muslim and Buddhist Holidays

Today, Muslim and Buddhist holiday are celebrated at the same day. Our Muslim friend and her husband invited us for lunch. We were so honored to be considered as their special family friends. They were actually celebrating the end of the Ramadan. This is the day when their fastings end. However, they told us that the celebration actually will be tomorrow. They just wanted us to be with them today and to enjoy the family fellowship.

The couple were actually our children's language teachers. But this relationship grows to something deeper and we appreciate their openness and acceptance. They are Muslims and we are Christians, they told us that religion really is not a barrier to true friendship. Here, there is no place for criticizing each other's religion. As friends, we learn to appreciate their religion not because we believe in it but because we know them as really good, sincere and honest people. They are genuine and not hypocrite. Our prayer is that they may also appreciate our religion, not because they believe in it but because they will see that we are sincere, honest and authentic in our relationship with them as friends.

In fact, we can tell you that they do believe in Jesus Christ. And although their knowledge of Christ is not as complete as we are, I know that deep inside their hearts the gospel was planted. And we pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to convict and speak to them, so that in the right time they can make a public confession of their faith. But I leave that work to the Holy Spirit.