Avalon Chronicles #17 "A Chance Encounter"
Allen's web sites www.combatfaith.com www.combatfaith.blogspot.com
Allen was a participant on Veterans Day 2013 on Trinity Broadcasting Network "Praise the Lord" program
View at http://tinyurl.com/AllenClarkVet
Recently I was returning from a trip and was turning in my rental car at an airport. I was being driven to the airport by an employee who was obviously not native to America. I always delight in engaging everyone in conversation, but especially non-natives. During the course of the drive I discovered my driver was an Egyptian who had won a lottery to obtain a green card and enter the U.S. with the eventual obtaining of citizenship. He had been in our our country almost five years and soon would become a citizen at which time he could bring his wife and two children here. Just before arrival at the airport I had assumed he was a Muslim. I ventured to ask him about the religious turmoil about which I had heard between Muslims and Christians in his home country.
We arrived at the terminal curb and he proudly proclaimed he was a third generation Christian. Without any further questioning he then explained to me that it was in the Koran that a Muslim was to confront people and inquire as to whether or not they were of the Islamic faith. If not, they had three choices; either convert to Islam, pay a tax called a jizyah, or, then he took his hand across his throat as if cutting his throat, meaning they were to be killed. He then had a bright smile on his face and proclaimed "But, Christianity teaches us differently. If someone hits our cheek, we are to turn the other cheek."
A siomple chance encounter it was. However, a reminder especially at this time of the year as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, how blessed we are in the United States to be protected from the strife in other countries today and the persecution of our fellow Christians. Please have the joy of Christmas in your heart and be glad and grateful for the freedom we have in our faith walk.
Allen Clark allenbclark@aol.com
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