WORD OF GOD She Sat in the Back Right Corner She sat in the back right corner of my class. Her name was Mussaret. I was unsure what to think, if I tell the truth. She wore the hijab every day to class. She rarely spoke in class, and then only if asked, and what she had to say was intelligent and informed. About midway through the Jesus of Nazareth class I gave a long test on the facts of the Gospels, and her score was the highest in the class. On another assignment, on the theme of conversion in the Gospels, she wrote an exceptional paper. She then wrote one of the finest papers I ever got at North Park on Jesus own self- perception. We had barely spoken beyond the customary good mornings and hellos. So I asked her one time at the doorway as she left class if she could come by office to chat, but only if she wanted to. I told her I wanted to get to know her. I was concerned she might see this as marking her out as someone different, but she smiled back at me and said, Id love to. I have so many questions. Mussaret came into my office before class one day and, after I stumbled out a few words, she said, Im a believer. My family doesnt know it. When Im at home, I love to hide in my bedroom and read the Bible. When my parents ask me what Im reading, I tell them Assignments for class. But I want you to know that I love Jesus, I pray at the mosque to the God of Jesus, and while I look like a Muslim, Im a follower of Jesus. The conversation did not go in the direction I anticipated. I was a bit stunned, so we talked for thirty minutes about the Bible, about questions she had about the Christian faith — how to explain the Trinity — and then she and I walked to class together. I would not have known this about her had I not asked her to come to my office. After class one day, when she was the last to leave, I asked her why she hid out to read her Bible. She said, If my mother or father find out Im a follower of Jesus, theyll send me to the Middle East to marry a true Muslim man and Ill never see this country again. My mom told me that last week.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 10:22:27 +0000