Five surefire ways to start a conversation with a Muslim

I sat in a lovely little plaza in Lille, France, assuming the most open body language posture I could muster. I looked foreign, helpless, and in need of a friend. 

I guessed the Friday afternoon worship time at the adjacent mosque would let out in a moment and faithful Muslims would stream past my bench. 

As this began to happen, I bargained with God, “I’ve come four thousand miles to talk to these guys. Could you not persuade one of them to walk five feet over to me?” 

I needed an icebreaker. 

I needed an opening. 

I needed to have studied French in high school instead of Latin!

Connecting with Muslims

Maybe you’re not thinking about Muslims in France too much, but you’re wondering if God might want you to connect with some who live and work near you. 

If you are, I couldn’t agree with you more! 

God wants Christians to connect with Muslims! 

But, like a lot of following Jesus, it’s neither normal nor easy. 

Jesus was so good at this: chat with Samaritans, engage outsiders, have dinner with sinners. 

We have a problem with Muslims: We’ve been told to be afraid or angry. We’ve been warned they’re taking over the world and our kids will live under Sharia law. We’ve seen evil things done in the name of Islam. It’s hard not to be concerned and on guard. 

But that vigilance comes at the expense of love. Part of the solution is to meet some—you and me, chatting with a Muslim, then more of us with a few more. 

It won’t solve the whole problem, but it counts. 

Five simple ways to start a conversation with a Muslim

If you want to give this a go, here’s some help. Whether you see Muslims at work, Walmart, or waiting for kids at soccer practice, try these ideas to break the barrier and start a conversation. 

1. Start with a smile. Say hi. Go from there. Sometimes it’s as simple as that. Kindness and curiosity are magically powerful.
2. If she has a nametag on, smile and…