Imagine for a moment that you were born in Kabul ,Afghanistan.  Your father is a bus driver and your mother stays at home with you and your 3 siblings.  You are well loved and well cared for.  Both of your parents are Muslim and they have been taking you to the local Mosque to worship and pray from the earliest days of your existence.  You attend VKS (Vacation Koran School) every summer where you drink punch, eat cookies and learn stories from your ancestor’s holy book.       

     Over the fireplace in your home is a picture of Mohammed.  From the beginning it has been explained to you that he was a prophet who communicated directly to God.  His writings have guided your parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc.  for hundreds of years.  They have all memmorized passages from his writings and you are expected to as well.

     For years you have heard stories about your fellow countrymen as well as some of your ancestors who have given their lives in defense of your country and your religion.  Prayers have been offered up to Allah (the name for your god) over the centuries to protect your nation from the likes of Alexander the Great, the Soviet army, and now the Americans.  As far as your concerned, and history seems to bear it out, your god has come through with resounding success.  Your faith is all you know, and as far as your concerned, it’s all you will ever need.

     Now imagine that someone comes to you and says that everything that you, your family, your friends and your fellow countrymen have dedicated your lives to is a fraud.  You have spent your life worshipping and leaning upon a god who does not exist.  Worse yet, hell is your destination for trusting in what everyone you have ever known has conviced you of. 

     If this happened to you how do you think you might respond?

     Now put yourself in the place of the person that has been given the task to tell this individual about Christ.  What on earth will you say?

     Think about that and read next week’s column.