A Loving God

The statement of love that John declares in his gospel account is staggering. John 3:16 is easily one of our most widely shared scriptures. We share it with people in evangelism, write it on billboards, and introduce our children to it in Sunday school. However, as common as we may find it, this attribute of God is absent in Islam.

The breakdown occurs in a few places. First, they don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Second, they don’t believe that Isa, as they call him, actually died; he just ascended. How could a religion grasp a God abounding in love if they have distorted the story to remove His sacrifice? Thirdly, in the Quran, every verse that does mention the potential for Allah’s love poses it as highly conditional. It is something that has to be earned.

Muslims see it as foolish that our God expresses feelings like unconditional love. How could the all-powerful, highest being have emotions as we do? How could He love everyone? It is a difficult concept to convince someone of with our words, and it is best learned through personal experience.

Prayer

Lord, I pray for Muslims to encounter Your unconditional love today; the love that knows no heights nor depths, nor widths nor lengths, and that they do not have to earn. I ask that as they are fasting to gain favor with their god, they would instead get to experience a taste of Your affection for them. Send followers of Christ into their lives who can be a light and let Your love shine through them.