Only in Canada eh? Last week, I enjoyed a quintessential Canadian vacation at a rented cottage in Muskoka. Our neighbours in the cottage next-door were delightful companions around the campfire of an evening. It didn’t talk long for us to learn that our neighbours came to Canada from Afghanistan as refugees during the Soviet invasion. When our conversation moved into the realm of religion, I was dismayed that some of the Christians around our campfire were surprised by one of our new friend’s who explained that, “A person cannot be a Muslim unless they believe in Jesus!” 

In a country like Canada, were we have worked together to achieve a level of multiculturalism that most Canadians take pride in, it is disappointing to be reminded how little Christians seem to know of Islam, particularly when it comes to the role Jesus plays in the Islamic faith. I am grateful to our new Canadian-Afghani friends for their patience as they gently explained to my companions their love for the prophet we revere in common. 

I have blogged before on the subject of Jesus in the Qur’an. I also commend this British documentary: The Muslim Jesus. The more we learn about one another, the better able we are to love our neighbours.