Day 4
In Islam, there is an ongoing discourse surrounding the issue of fear and hope. Fear of Allah’s punishment and the hope of His blessing. Thus, we should balance our expectations between the two: fear and hope. “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…” (Proverbs 1:7). The more we know, the more we realize that there is a vast ocean of revelation that encompasses more knowledge than can be contained in any book. To know God is to converse with Him. To acknowledge His holy word and respond through our actions in obedience. When we obey, we hope for a reward whether greater intimacy with the Creator or another gift from the heavenly realm.
Never tarry in doing good. Don’t delay! “Is the reward for good [anything] but good?” (Qur’an 55:60).
We read in the Book of Job: “Where then is my hope? As for my hope, who can see it?” (Job 17:15). His despondency is palpable. But, Allah is testing him and blesses Job, as well as inspires all those who encounter Job’s story. We hope not only for ourselves, but Muslims, for example, pray for beloved people and the prophets by saying things like, "peace be upon them" and "may Allah be pleased with them." It’s also said in Islam, your religion is not complete until you want for your brother what you want for yourself. When you pray for your brother, an angel responds: "And for you as well." This redirects your prayer for someone else to yourself. So, if you pray for a friend to get married, the angel will send the same prayer to Allah for you to get married. It’s important to think well of Allah and the people who worship Him, because what we think of Allah, He will be. If we worry that Allah is an exacting judge, then that’s how He will manifest in our lives. If we trust that Allah can serve as a Friend who is kinder to us than we are to ourselves, that is how God will appear in our lives – as a Friend.
In Matthew 12:21 (NIV), Jesus is referred to as the hope of nations. It seems as if Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are all waiting on the Promised One to come. Islam regards Jesus as the Messiah without him having a share in divinity. Christians and Muslims await his return. Most Jews do not regard Jesus as Lord and Messiah, but Messianic Jews have combined evangelical theology with the practice of Jewish culture and tradition. It’s said that Jesus’s Second Coming will be the first time all of Israel will accept him as Messiah and King.
Whatever your position, we all know what it’s like to look forward to seeing someone or receiving something in the mail. We balance fear and hope daily. Stay optimistic! Be realistic. You can’t live without hope. Hope is like our breath and our blood. It is vital to our success in fulfilling our mission as human beings. Our blood circulates and we breathe involuntarily. We hope without even realizing it sometimes. Other times we measure our breath (we count our breaths in and out) or draw our blood and have it tested by a medical professional to better understand our condition and what course of action to take.
Tu es le coeur.
You are the heart. We are one body. You play an important role. You are where God’s name dwells (on your lips or in your heart’s meditation). Purify your heart. Cleanse yourself and ask for forgiveness. Forgive freely, so God may forgive you.
Homework:
Discover the many ways to say heart in different languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Amharic, etc.) and listen to music that speaks to your heart. Dance to this music.
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