Talking to a Muslim lad about Jesus

I had a fantastic time talking to a young Muslim man about the gospel last week. It was very natural, relaxing and enjoyable for both of us!

I explained to him that Glenn Hoddle had managed the England football team back in the 90’s and he was sacked for believing in karma!

The young Muslim man found this fascinating.

I told him that Hoddle claimed to be a Christian but the belief in karma is a Hindu belief. With karma you get what you deserve! Rebirth in a rat, shrimp or a disabled person’s body but with Jesus you get what you don’t deserve: God’s love, the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life.

The young man was intrigued and so I outlined four ways of looking at life after death –

1. Some people believe that when you die you rot under the ground.
   (he recognised this as an atheist view)
2. Some people believe that when you die you get the afterlife you want.
   (he found this postmodernist view very entertaining)
3. Some people, like Hoddle, believe that you are reborn in a deaf person’s body or a rat if you have a bad karma.
   (he found this view strange and obviously wrong)
4. Christians believe that when you die you are waiting for a wonderful resurrection body if you love and follow Jesus (John 6).
   (he had never heard this view and was intrigued)

What is particularly striking is that the next day the young Muslim lad approached me and outlined these four views, including the Christian hope in the resurrection. He had understood every word!

I was astonished but delighted that my Hoddle themed presentation of the gospel had had this impact.

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Mark Roques

Mark taught Philosophy and Religious Education at Prior Park College, Bath, for many years. As Director of RealityBites he has developed a rich range of resources for youth workers and teachers. He has spoken at conferences in the UK, Holland, South Korea, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.

Mark is a lively storyteller and the author of four books, including The Spy, the Rat and the Bed of Nails: Creative Ways of Talking about Christian Faith. His work is focused on storytelling and how this can help us to communicate the Christian faith. He has written many articles for the Baptist Times, RE Today, Youthscape, Direction magazine and the Christian Teachers Journal.

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