Share the Love of Jesus During Ramadan
How was your Easter? It certainly felt odd to not be able to celebrate the resurrection of Christ with my church family. For Muslims this month, they will suffer an acute loss of community. Ramadan begins today. This month is typically a great time for Christians to share the love of Jesus with Muslim friends. But this year, what is usually thirty days of community and family among Muslims, may feel lonely and sad as we all continue living isolated lives. Instead of nightly gatherings, they might be hoping for just one small gathering with friends this month. As Muslims grieve and mentally prepare for a very altered Ramadan, how can Christians reach out and share the love of Jesus?
A Little about Ramadan
Ramadan celebrates the 30 days in which Muslims believe Muhammad received the Quran. Muslims recognize this time by fasting from sunrise to sunset. People typically gather together every night to break the fast. If you notice your grocery store marketing dates more than usual, it’s because Muslims use dates to break the fast. Sometimes dates with milk, which I don’t find very appetizing after a day of fasting, but to each his own. It’s often a time when Muslims get “back on track” with their spiritual lives.
Ways Show the Love of Jesus During Ramadan
How can you share the love of Jesus during Ramadan? First, you can pray! You can join with thousands of Christians to pray through the 30 Days of Prayer (you can purchase a downloadable digital version). PrayerCast also has videos they will send you each day to pray. Each video tells the story of a Muslim who has come to know Jesus. You can also find Muslim people groups to pray for at our website.
You can share the love of Jesus during Ramadan by connecting with Muslims. This can be as easy as saying, “Ramadan Mubarak” to someone on the street. It would be like if a Muslim told you “Merry Christmas.”
You could also connect with Muslims through social media. Here’s an online training you can join for that. Obviously we’re all connecting online right now, so why not take the opportunity to share Jesus with someone. Muslims will be missing the beautiful community they experience during Ramadan. Why not be a part of their global community?
Many Muslims in North America are refugees or immigrants deeply affected by the current economic situation. Some of these don’t meet the specific requirements for the government stimulus. World Relief is addressing some of these needs. You might be able to volunteer with them to deliver groceries or even buy groceries for families in need. Many food banks also need help and donations. Your Muslim neighbors may be depending on these resources so that they have food to celebrate to break the fast each night.
If you have Muslim friends or Muslims you know in your neighborhood, think about creating a Ramadan gift basket. Pinterest has a special series just for Ramadan–especially in light of Covid-19. Whip up some Persian rose water and saffron cookies with a nice card and leave it on a Muslim neighbor’s doorstep.
