Pray for the People of Afghanistan - Journal of an American follower of Christ living among the Afghans...

Begging to be Converted

 It happened twice in one week: young men walking up to me in the bazaar and asking to be converted (in so many words, that is). It’s not really recanting since most never canted in the first place. Nominal Muslims. This time my wife was with me. The fellow was on a bike; probably a university student; and he attempted to make his request in English. “be a Christian” is all I picked up.

It often happens during Ramadan, a month of forced fasting for all Muslims, the devout and the not-so-devout. Fasting is hard enough if your heart’s in it, but when you’re trapped in a prescribed practice of a prescribed religion, it’s hell. “Find a way out. Get a visa to the West. Change religions. Do something! Hey, there’s a foreigner. Ask him.”

I took him aside. “Why do you want to change? Do your parents know about this?” He didn’t answer. I told him that God loved him and wanted to forgive his sins, but that Christianity wasn’t really a cake walk either. “If you are simply looking for a religion that is more user friendly than Islam, you will probably be disappointed.” He rode off.

QUESTION: What would you have done?