Dear Abdullah,
I write this letter to tell you how glad I am to have met you. It does not seem to happen all that often that a Muslim and a Christian meet in a manner as we did.
We discovered a lot of common ground while not pretending that there is no disparity. We are both aware of the differences between our faiths – and the need to think them through. Our pledge that our conversation should take place in a friendly spirit, appropriate for the topic, I consider something quite beautiful. All to the honour of God!
It is good to realise that both of us have very similar hopes and expectations of life. What intrigued me in particular was our perception of an Almighty God. While our understanding of religious dogma may differ, our affinity, affection and intuitive consciousness of God are remarkably similar. To me it means that basically mankind must have an innate knowledge of God, which He planted into our ‘hearts’.
Probably linked to that, and highly significant to me, is the fact that both of us were acutely aware of our need for a pure heart in the sight of God. This is of special significance, as Jesus once said, that only those who have a pure heart will see God (Matthew 5:8). What else can Jesus mean, but that a pure heart is, likewise, the entrance ticket to heaven.
This reminds me of the Word, which says:
“Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant. Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy” (1 Peter 1:14, 15).
“Pursue holiness, because no one will see the Lord without it” (Hebrews 12:14).
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