As Christians, students at Corban often have the opportunity to go on mission trips to countries filled with people who may or may not believe in God.
Some education majors at Corban get the opportunity to visit Indonesia, whose dominant religion is Islam. Before going on these trips, it is important to understand the religion and how exactly to witness to others.
The basis of Islam philosophy is the belief in one god who does not have a son or partner, and that none other than he has the right to be worshipped.
Muslims call their god “Allah,” the Arabic word for god. Allah is used only to refer to their one true god, and the name cannot be used for any other deity.
While there are similarities between Christianity and Islam, one of the major differences between the faiths is the Christian belief in the Trinity: that God is three beings in one.
According to Elaine Harvey, former missionary to Java, Indonesia, this concept is extremely difficult for Muslims to grasp.
“Muslims believe God is one, and therefore does not have a son,” Harvey said. “Nor do they accept the idea of a third person of the Trinity. It is a hard concept, so if you were taught from childhood to reject God in three persons, you might be resistant, too.”
Understanding the differences between religions and how to bring up one’s faith are vital to ultimately leading a person to Christ.
According to Jeff Benjamin, director of international student support, and Stephanie Husk, director of counseling services, one of the most effective ways to witness to a Muslim is simply to start with building a relationship.
Benjamin, who spent some time working at Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) in Indonesia, said that his wife learned very quickly that creating relationships with Muslim women was very important to being a witness for God. Often this involved something as simple as meeting for tea and talking.
“Sometimes [witnessing] came naturally out of those times of meeting and coming together,” Benjamin said.
Husk spent two months teaching at UPH, as well as some time in Senegal. She agreed that it is very important to “make connections in natural ways” and form relationships before attempting to bring up religion.
“It’s a very powerful and effective thing to pray out loud with a Muslim,” Husk said.
Husk also stressed the importance of having the right attitude when going on a mission trip or forming a relationship with a Muslim.
“You can’t go in with an agenda to save them,” Husk emphasized. “You’re not going there to make a sale. Go in with understanding.”
Husk also said that it is important for Christians not to disturb the culture while trying to share their faith. She stressed that being culturally sensitive is essential if one wants to make connections and eventually share Jesus.
“Jesus walked into situations and did what was needed to be a savior,” she said. “As long as we’re not compromising the truth of God, we’re going to do what we need to do to share the word of God.”