We Are Fellow Pilgrims
by Steve Lied
“We are fellow pilgrims, wanting to know God and to do His will.”
This was our motto, our sincere statement of life purpose and understanding between us. Five men around the table, holy books open, sipping tea and snacking on homemade pastries, sliced tomatoes, feta cheese, and cucumbers. We met regularly for years, sharing our thoughts and lives. Mutual learning happened.
Through the influence of my Muslim friends my understanding of the Gospel was deepened. Submission is the goal of grace. God in His unstoppable love draws me to Himself and receives me into His fold in spite of my rebelliousness so that I can now live under His parental care as He instructs and enables me to do His will on this earth. I submit to God, who is my loving and wise authority, the Perfect Father.
My Muslim friends found hope and light in the words, works, and worth of the Messiah Jesus. The Messiah came to fulfill the Law & Prophets. He exemplified how to love God and neighbor. He is the Suffering Servant and Good Shepherd.
Religious fences did not separate us into us-them, my group vs. your group. We do not consider each other as opponents, camped on different sides of a wall. We are fellow pilgrims in the Road of Life (Matthew 7:13-14), the Straight Path (Fatiha).
