Taken from Broken We Kneel
One day [my daughter] Emma saw a woman walking toward us covered in a veil and asked the inevitable, “What’s that, mommy?” “Emma,” I answered, “that lady is a Muslim from a far away place. And she dresses like that – and covers her head with a veil – because she loves God. That is how her people show they love God.”
My daughter considered these words. She stared at the woman who passed us. She pointed at the woman, then pointed at my hair, and further quizzed, “Mommy, do you love God?”
“Yes, honey.” I laughed. “I do. You and I are Christians. Christian ladies show love for God by going to church, eating the bread and wine, serving the poor, and giving to those in need. We don’t wear veils, but we do love God.”
After this, Emma took every opportunity to point to Muslim women during our shopping trips and tell me, “Mommy, look, she loves God.” One day, we were getting out of our car at our driveway at the same time as our Pakistani neighbors. Emma saw the mother, beautifully veiled, and, pointing at her shouted, “Look, mommy, she loves God!”
My neighbor was surprised. I told her what I had taught Emma about Muslim ladies loving God. While she held back tears, this near stranger hugged me, saying, “I wish all Americans would teach their children so. The world would be better. The world would be better.
(Quoted from McLaren, B. A Generous Orthodoxy. Pgs 298-299)
Do you see the same beauty I find in this story?
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