Amir chooses Christ, at the risk of becoming homeless

Synthèse :

Amir was born in France into a North African family who have practised the Islamic religion for generations and whose faith is firmly rooted in the Prophet Mohammed. He is the eldest child, followed by two sisters. As such, his mother hoped he would become a religious leader. When he observed his first fast at the age of six, on the occasion of Ramadan, his mother was immensely proud and saw it as a sign that he would become an imam. Amir practised his religion with faith and zeal, being assiduous in his prayers and observing the Ramadan fast whenever he could.

As he was about to start secondary school, his mother decided to enrol him in a Catholic school to keep him out of trouble. Outraged, Amir balked: wasn't Christianity a heresy, as his parents had always claimed? Isn't it totally hypocritical to be educated by heretics? Surrounded by crucifixes, which his mother had taught him to fear, Amir began his schooling in this private school where he was away from his friends, who made fun of him, saying that he was going to join the nuns. When he was told he had to attend catechism classes - a subject he didn't even know existed - his mother told him not to worry, that he would learn the history of the prophets and the word of God.

Despite some racist teachers and the injustice he sometimes experienced, Amir received an excellent education. He was impressed by the graciousness and kindness of the elderly women who taught him catechism, and this touched him more than reading the Gospels. He sensed that they were truly living out the Gospel. The loving way they treated him was a perfect embodiment of the Word of God. In Year 8 (7th grade in the US), when his class put on a play depicting an episode from the Gospels, Amir longed to play the role of Jesus. The teachers objected so as not to upset the family. Despite this, Amir's classmates pushed for having him take on the role of Jesus, but in the end he did not get it.

Shortly afterwards, Amir saw Franco Zefirelli's film Jesus of Nazareth. He was deeply moved. Despite everything, Amir continued to practise Islam, to say his prayers and to observe Ramadan. However, God was moving his heart and, even though he kept discreet about it, he was convinced deep down that Jesus wasn't just a prophet.

He spent his entire school career in this way, right up to the final year of secondary school. Then, when he came of age, a childhood friend named Olivier reached out to him. An Evangelical Christian, Olivier began to talk to him about the verse in Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you" (Jer 1:5). At this reading, Amir felt the presence of God, the same as he had felt in his early years in catechism class. Olivier invited him to a pastor's house where, when he entered, the Zefirelli film that he liked to much was playing. He saw this as a sign.

However, too attached to his parents and his traditions, he couldn't bring himself to leave Islam. He explained it to Olivier and his pastor, Benito, who assured him of their prayers. What's more, Amir was still in high school and dependent on his parents. He systematically refused his friend Olivier's invitations to go to church. Then, after a few weeks, he went by himself, and was overwhelmed by the presence of God he felt once again, in the midst of these people who prayed with conviction and sincerity - something he never saw in Islam. Shortly afterwards, he prayed to Jesus to give him the strength to endure the trials that lay ahead. He felt Jesus' support and reassurance, reminding him that it was Jesus who had come to take him away from his condition. He felt his burdens lighten and peace fill him.

He then accepted the mission given to him, "like Mary at the Annunciation" and began to attend church every Sunday. It was there that the pastor, one day, explained Amir's life story to everyone, encouraging him in the ordeal that lay ahead...however, Amir never told the pastor anything!

His parents began to suspect something when they saw that his behaviour had changed and that every Sunday he came home all dressed up. His mother searched his room, found a Bible and some Bible notes, and threw everything away. She talked to him squarely and asked him to choose: "If you want to continue with Christianity, we'll have to separate, but if you want to come to your senses, we'll always be here for you." She gave him three days to think it over. Amir didn't need those three days and, after the deadline, he went back to his mother. He told her that his choice had been made and that his mother was partly responsible for putting him in a Catholic school. He thanked his mother for having introduced him to Christianity, and as a result he was kicked out of his house.

Amir was only eighteen. He continued at school, but failed his baccalaureate exam at the end of the year. He was taken in by a Christian family, who treated him like their own son. After five or six months, his parents, overcome with remorse, wanted him back. He returned home and his parents tried to win him over by changing their behaviour. When nothing worked, they kicked him out again. Then began a period of wandering, between homeless shelters, flat-shares and temporary jobs. At church, Amir was increasingly aware of racism. The church was mostly a black African community and its members live among themselves. He was the only North African and felt isolated, suspected by the parishioners of spying for Islam. He went through a difficult period socially and financially, and eventually returned to his parents' home. He began to practise Islam again, even though Jesus was in his heart. He began to associate with Salafists, in contact with whom he did not feel ostracised, and rediscovered a semblance of brotherhood. But little by little, he felt a strong sadness: torn between his Muslim religion, which he forced himself to practise, and his love for Jesus, he was torn apart inside. He confessed to the Lord his desire to repent, because he could no longer live in this hypocrisy.

In 2014, he met a Christian brother and returned to the church. He made an act of repentance and heard: "No matter where you go, I will always catch up with you." Amir gradually realised that the most important thing was his relationship with the Lord, that people are sinful, and that he had been wrong to judge the church and leave it after suffering from the lack of acceptance by the parishioners, remembering the words about sheep in the midst of wolves. In the end, only God is patient, full of love and mercy.

By then, Amir was 28. Since then, he has been baptised and has never denied Christ. His parents have never reconnected with him.

Au-delà des raisons d'y croire :

The catechist sisters Amir met as a student played an important role in his conversion, because they live out the values of the Gospel.

Aller plus loin :

A Wind In The House Of Islam: How God Is Drawing Muslims Around The World To Faith In Jesus Christ by David Garrison, Wigtake Resources LLC; First Edition (January 1, 2014)

En savoir plus :

• Franco Zefirelli's film, Jesus of Nazareth, ITC Entertainment, 1977.

• Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World? by Tom Doyle (Author), Greg Webster,  Thomas Nelson (September 3, 2012)