I work in a community that has a large immigrant population and many asylum seekers. A large proportion of this incoming community is Muslim. I was brought here by The Salvation Army to re-open its work in this diverse community. The previous "church congregation" had dwindled to a couple of very elderly people and so the church had to close. My centre now has a 6 day a week programme with Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus etc welcomed. In particular the 3 day Age Concern programme for black minority ethnic elders brings many opportunities to witness within my own church buildings.
Over the past year I have developed many relationships with those who now regularly attend my centre. They hold regular meetings sat underneath the cross and scriptural texts on the walls. I have a Sikh co-ordinator and a Muslim co-ordinator who run the Age Concern project. In the early days my Muslim co-ordinator would spend every spare minute reading her Islamic texts but now we can sit and discuss anything and everything including our faith.
I met one of the Somalian elders in the local fruit and veg shop yesterday morning and he spoke of how good it is to be able to share in fellowship over a meal in a Christian centre with people from different countries and faiths, knowing that we owe our existence to the same God. That kind of conversation would not have been possible two years ago in my community.
It is tough, slow work, but there is greater understanding between us and at the time of the bombings a year ago those members of the Muslim community who were being spat at, kicked and sworn at in the community, knew they could go to a Christian centre and be welcomed. I find it fascinating how often I see a Muslim or a Sikh reading the Bible that is open on a table in the entrance foyer, and how often they pick up and take away leaflets such as Why Jesus? When my Asian ladies have one of the fitness classes they do their exercises to a Christian CD with the songs sung in English, Gujarati and Punjabi and they hum along.
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