Nine years ago, my son Robbie—who is autistic and has Down syndrome—made a friend for me. We were at a restaurant in the old part of our city when Robbie suddenly jumped up from his seat and headed across the room. He had noticed a young man wearing an enticing necklace around his neck, and he was going for it! When I realized what Robbie’s intentions were, I hurried across the room to apologize and help pry his hands from the necklace. Sitting next to my son’s attack victim (as it were) was my future friend.
Marwan noticed that I spoke in halting Arabic and struck up a conversation with me in English, saying that he would enjoy meeting again in the future. Some time later, Robbie and I met Marwan at a café and got to hear his story. He was a lover of God and a dedicated Muslim who, as a young man with a disability that limited his movement, had even memorized the entire Quran. As we spoke, Marwan quickly discovered that I was also a lover of God, but one who walked in the way of Jesus instead of the way of Mohammed. The two of us also shared a love of the arts—he an actor, me a musician and songwriter.
In the years since, Marwan and I have stayed in touch, and when my family moved to another town and set up a ministry guesthouse, we invited him to come and stay with us. Through our conversations each time he came to visit, I could see movement in his journey of belief. He began to wonder aloud why I loved God so much, saying that my love of God and of the Bible reminded him of his father, who was a passionate believer in God and a lover of the Quran. He became increasingly curious about what was in my holy book. When he expressed that he wanted to read it in Arabic as he’d read the Quran, I found an Arabic Bible and gave it to him as a gift.
“I could see movement in his journey of belief.”
Several weeks later, Marwan wrote to me, saying, “Before I read the [New Testament], I knew some things, and I heard some things about the Bible, but this is the first time I read these things in detail…. There are stories and events in the book that have been mentioned in the Quran as well.” The next time he visited my family, he shared with me his deepest questions about and critiques of Islam—many of them based in his deep knowledge of the Quran and the ways that many Muslim leaders have twisted the words in it or have taught illiterate believers things that simply are not in the Quran. In return, I shared with him significant moments in my own spiritual journey, including the Spirit’s powerful infilling in answer to my own times of questioning.
The next time he visited, Marwan shared a secret with me: “You are the first person I’ve ever told; I am no longer a Muslim. I believe in God, but I think that Islam is a man-made religion. I can’t say this to my family or friends yet, because they wouldn’t understand.”
“I pray that he will continue seeking until he meets Truth in the person of Jesus, who loves him.”
I was (and continue to be) so impressed by Marwan’s desire for truth, and I pray that he will continue seeking until he meets Truth in the person of Jesus, who loves him. Recently, I was able to facilitate a meeting between Marwan and a young man who is a follower of Jesus in the city where they both live. It was beautiful to watch and listen as this young man shared the good news with Marwan and responded thoughtfully to his questions over a four-hour conversation.
In the coming months, it is a strong possibility that Marwan will begin to meet with other local seekers in his city, a group that studies the Word together to understand what following Jesus means. Please pray for him as he continues this journey!
Names and locations have been changed or omitted for security.