Lovefast 26: Welcome - Moroccans in the UK
Day 26 of 30
By Simon from The Hub in Mahabba
Inspired by today's entry in 30 Days of Prayer, but with a UK twist!
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Daily verse
Thought for the day
Welcome
There’s something special about a Moroccan welcome, especially a Berber one.
It’s a traveller’s welcome - often after a long, tiring journey, when the hope and excitement of the day is waning into the evening.
Lots of tea, honey, pancake-like treats, and lashings of sugar in every direction!
I remember the same warmth being true when I stumbled across a Moroccan shop in the UK - in Oxford, an academic capital and a world away in terms of culture!
Sometimes we feel we are only worthy to put on a welcome or have people into our home unless everything is pristine and just-so.
That pressure can sometimes prevent our hospitality.
Moroccans feel the same pressure, but after a quick spruce up, even the poorest of the poor would be as proud as punch to usher you through their door.
We honour them by our presence as guests in their home, no matter how lowly it is, and they go to great lengths to provide sustenance.
There’s definitely something of Christ in this welcome, and we see it in Muslim communities in the UK, whether Moroccan or not.
We know too that the invitation from Christ and to come to know Father God is beyond all else.
We may be British and struggle with this one, but how can we be a little be more hospitable and welcoming that Muslims we meet might encounter something of Jesus through us?
Prayer for the day
Father God, thank you that I am part of your family and for the loving embrace that I received through Jesus Christ. Today I pray that Muslim men, women and children in the UK might have the opportunity to experience something of that. Use me to be a channel of your love. Help me to break out of my Britishness and embrace Muslims around me.
Daily action
During Ramadan, it is common practice for Muslims to share food with neighbours after the fast finishes in the evening. Try to find a shop locally that sells Asian sweets. Buy some and take them as a gift to your neighbour. Make sure you go around 9:30 or 10:00pm - it’s not too late or rude, as they will eat after dark and be very awake! Offer them as a blessing and that as a Christian you are praying for them in their fasting.
Your turn
Let us know how it went! Leave a comment below, or tag us on social media with the #lovefast hashtag on social media. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter!