May | 2016 | Craig T. Owens

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Answering Jihad (book review)

May 3, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

Militant Islam … Jihad … Religion of peace … ISIS … Islamic terrorism. These phrases dominate the news stories and the water-cooler conversations, but do we really know what they mean? Nabeel Qureshi does. He was born to devout Muslim parents, trained in the Quran, and ready to follow in his parents’ footsteps. But along the way, Nabeel became a Christian. Knowing both the Muslim and Christian angles of these topics, Dr. Qureshi can capably help us Westerners in Answering Jihad.

(By the way, if you haven’t read Nabeel’s account of how he became a Christian, you really should read Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.)

Answering Jihad is presented to us in the form of answers to 18 of the most-asked questions about how jihad is really perceived in the Muslim community. As he did in his biography, Nabeel presents this information in a way Western minds can grasp. He introduces key points of history that surround Muhammed, explains Islamic terms, and quotes relevant passages from the Quran and other Muslim scholars. I think you will find, as I did, so much more clarity than the sound bytes thrown around on news sources and on social media.

Nabeel concludes his book by telling us that there is a better way forward than the “either-or” extremes that are usually proposed. He explains it this way—

“If we avoid the truth about jihad, we leave the door open for innocent people to be killed in attacks like Paris and San Bernardino. If we lack compassion, we close the door to innocent people who need refuge from places like Syria and Somalia. … Even though Muslims are often raised with the teaching that ‘Islam is the religion of peace,’ when they study the texts for themselves, they are faced with the reality that Mohammed and the Quran call for jihad. They will stand at the crossroads for only so long before they choose what path they will take—apostasy, apathy, or radicalization. As Muslims make that choice, it would benefit the whole world if they did not make it alone, or worse, with radical recruiters. We need to show compassion for Muslims and befriend them.”

Well said! And with the information in Answering Jihad, you can be ready to befriend your Muslim neighbors on their journey.

I am a Zondervan book reviewer.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: book review, Christian, history, ISIS, Islam, jihad, Muslim, Nabeel Qureshi, Quar'an, Qur'an. 4 Comments »

The Rewards For Getting Along With Difficult People

May 2, 2016 — Craig T. Owens

Here’s a shocking statement—Difficult people are difficult to get along with. I know, I probably just blew your mind with that one, but sometimes it’s important to state the obvious.

Christians should be the best at getting along with others. First of all, because they have the Holy Spirit to help them, and, second, because the world is watching to see if having a relationship with Jesus really does make a difference.

We’ve already learned that in order to change our behavior toward difficult people, we can’t change our behavior (check out my post on that topic here). Instead, we need to change our thoughts first. One thought to change is about ourselves, and another thought to change is the fact that Jesus promised rewards for those who loved difficult people—

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:32-35)

One way to love others is by learning to “speak their language.” Most of us communicate with four different accents: Doer, People, Planner, Vision.

You can watch the video where I explain these styles in more detail, but you can learn their accent by listening for…

(1) How they handle stressful situations:

Doer—get hyper-focused
Planner—withdraw to plan
People—call a meeting
Vision—take time to daydream

(2) How they listen to others:

Doer—take short bullet points and then quick action
Planner—take detailed notes, and ask lots of detailed questions
People—make good eye contact, take very little notes, and then reiterate what was said
Vision—doodle, and express “ping pong ball” thoughts

(3) How they speak about folks with other “accents”:

Doer—this is taking too long; nothing ever gets done; they’re daydreamers
Planner—they jump the gun; they’re swayed by emotions; they’re unpredictable
People—why don’t they want to meet; they’re too aggressive; they’re too robotic
Vision—they don’t see the big picture; they’re too rigid; they’re too emotional

You CAN get along better with everyone. Romans 12:18 tells us that peaceful living with others depends on you and me. Let’s do this well so that Jesus is glorified!