We share the road with Muslims

By Anthony J Whitehouse CS

I have invariably found Muslims to be people of great grace. When I started looking into their scriptures I found them to be based on the Abrahamic and Mosaic tradition I found we had a great deal in common.

Visiting a young Muslim man in prison I found I did not have to resort to Christian stereotypes to teach him about divine science. He understood his relationship to God just as well as I did. After having introduced the science implicit in that relationship i.e. the sense that he should not let his mind be a place which harboured self-pity (irrespective of the circumstances) the healing was immediate. He was released from prison after only serving 18 months of a six year sentence for attempted manslaughter.

What was equally interesting to me was passing a morning with a young Muslim man on a beach near Colombo in Sri Lanka. His parents had the beach villa next to mine. We talked about God and he asked me very pertinent questions. I still remember his quiet demeanour , his white robes and skull cap. Here was a soul of great gentleness and devotion. He took in what I said and then gave me a back a succinct summary which he took pains to point out he agreed with in every measure.

He was a marketing specialist with a large multinational about to be transferred to work in Bombay for the same company. Our own church has a member whose husband worked for the same company. Some months later both he and my Muslim acquaintance were at the Taj Mahal hotel in Bombay when it was attacked by terrorists and they both escaped unharmed.

We should be more concerned with what unites us than with what appears to divide us !