Hispanic Connections With Muslim Friends
Posted in: Activate
During Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th to October 15th), I was reminded that Latinos, like all other cultural groups, have a distinct destiny in redemptive history. I believe this destiny is connected to friends of Arab descent who practice Islam. We have moved from a mission field to a mission force to advance the causes of the Kingdom both at home and abroad.
Dr. Abraham Sarker is Founder and Executive Director of Gospel for Muslims, an organization that is focused on helping people of Muslim background learn about the teachings of Jesus. I met Abraham recently at a WorldconneX meeting and immediately connected with his passion to share the gospel with people of Muslim heritage and faith. My assignment was to explain the Latino/Hispanic-Arab connection and his assignment was to present Muslim faith and how Christians and Muslims connect on matters of faith.
I have had the privilege of connecting with Arab friends both in the United States and in other countries. I have found many similarities between Hispanic/Latino culture and Arab culture. Those of us living in Texas find historic, language, cultural, and architectural connections with Arabs and people who adhere to Islam. Texas is connected to Mexico, Mexico is connected to Spain, and Spain is connected to North Africa and the occupation of the Moors for over 700 years. There are approximately 7,000 words in Spanish that are pronounced almost identically in Arabic. There are another 21,000 words in Spanish that have Arabic roots. I have found that Arab culture shares some of the same features as Latino culture. We even share similarities in architecture.
When you consider these facts and connections, one begins to think differently about our investment and strategic focus of our Hispanic community in Texas. Missiologists have suggested that the most effective resource for sharing the gospel with Muslims will be the Hispanic/Latino community. What then, are the implications of this truth with regard to the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas comprised of 1200 congregations? If Jesus were here, he would spend time meeting the needs of Arab children among the orphans and children at risk in the world.
If you want to learn about Arab culture and the Muslim faith as well as how to share the love of Christ with Muslim friends, you can find more information at www.mbbnetwork.com or www.gospelformuslims.com.
by Albert Reyes
President of Buckner Children and Family Services