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 Rev. James May is called to the Lutheran Heritage Foundation to assist Rev. Dr. Anssi Simojoki in overseeing LHF activities throughout Africa. Centered in Nairobi, Kenya, Rev. May is learning Swahili to help translate and introduce Lutheran books for people in East Africa.
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November 2008
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REV. JAMES MAY REPORT: DEC. 7, 2008
Greetings this Second Sunday in Advent! After the church service this morning at the Lutheran Church in Dapaong, Togo, I was approached by many students from the Lutheran Seminary with a question that was perplexing them. “Reverend, tomorrow is Tabaski. As Christians, what should we do?” Tabaski is a Muslim holiday. It has many names in different regions, but the Arabic name for the holiday is Eid al-Adha. On this day the Muslims remember the command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael (in the Qu’ran, Isaac is replaced with Ishmael). God was pleased with Abraham and his actions proved that he had faith in Allah by obeying his command. As a result, Allah sent a goat/ram to be sacrificed in place of Abraham's son. Now all Muslims are called upon to follow Abraham’s obedience and sacrifice a goat, sheep, cattle, or camel, based on their financial ability. There are specific regulations on how this sacrifice is to take place, but very important are the words the head of the household is to recite while making the sacrifice; In the name of God
And God is the greatest
O God, indeed this is from you and for you
O God accept from me. Lest there be any confusion, many Islamic scholars and imams have made it clear that the importance of this sacrifice is NOT the blood but the obedience; “It is not their flesh or their blood that reaches Allah, but it is the piety from you that reaches Him.” (Al-Hajj 22:37). After making the sacrifice the Muslims are to divide the meat in three parts. “One keeps one third of the udhiyah for oneself and the family, and distribute the other two thirds, one among the poor and needy of one's relatives and neighbors, and the other among the people who come to ask for meat.”1 This is the practice, and on the day of Tabaski in West Africa one will see Muslims going out and distributing the sacrifice in obedience to the law. Since there are some Christians and Lutherans who live in town, the question is, “What do we do when they come to our house?” We decided to have a discussion forum on Monday after chapel to go over the topic. First, we studied the biblical story from Genesis 22:1-18. Here one sees Abraham taking a horrible course. Even Christians must ask, “What sort of God would ask a father to kill his only son?” That is just the difference between Christianity and other religions. Other religions are full of laws by which the people must be obedient without question. Without obedience, salvation is impossible. In one sense, this is indeed true. God demands perfection. He wants us to live according to the Ten Commandments. I have never found anyone who disagrees with the Ten Commandments when they are seen in the light of the blessing they are for us. Truly, life would be better if we didn’t lie, steal, murder, commit adultery, or covet, and if we really trusted in God as our creator and provider. It is true that disobedience is what keeps us from heaven and being with God. We have been sentenced to be punished. And that is where the twist comes in. Isaac is the image of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. Abraham is the image of God the Father who loves us and has faith enough to sacrifice His only Son, His beloved Son in our place. Jesus, like Isaac, carried the wood that would sacrifice him upon His back as He climbed that mountain to be killed. One must ask, “What did Isaac do?” Likewise one can ask, “What did Christ do to deserve such a terrible death?” It is often overlooked that in the verses that follow the story, God declares, “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:17-18) Indeed all generations are blessed through THE offspring who is promised to come, Jesus Christ. This is He whom the people awaited before Christ’s birth. There was a long season of Advent before the Savior came, but He has come and salvation has come to all. This is the real point of the story. Looking at other texts, such as 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 and 1 Corinthians 10:21-33, the students saw that eating the Tabaski meat would not hurt them at all, but it might not help their neighbor who does not know the real meaning of the story. The students decided that when their Muslim neighbors come, they will discuss the common story but with a different ending. One ending continues in continual sacrifice and obedience without assurance of salvation, the other ending has taken place on Mount Golgatha where Christ carried His cross to spill His blood in our place that we may be saved. If the seminary students had this question (and trust me, they have many more), surely others also would like to understand the faith. But they need written resources so that they can understand the Bible. Spreading the message of Christ's coming, what He has done, and what He will do, is the most precious gift during the time of Advent. -------------------- 1http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1135167182386
| Field ReportsClick on the links below to read the reports of LHF staff and associates working in the mission fields.  SOUTHEAST ASIA
The Muellers
 CAMBODIA
Ken Precht 
TURKEY
Laura Davis
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