Andrew or Mohamed
I love the name Andrew. Besides sounding really nice, it means a lot to me personally. As someone observed, wherever you meet the original Andrew in the NT, he is bringing someone to Christ; a true evangelist and missionary.
This other Andrew is one that I know personally, a neighbor to be specific. He is the guard at the house next to ours, and he comes from Sierra Leone. When Andy came, he presented himself as a believer. He was faithful in church and sometimes even led the singing time. But his master is a staunch Muslim.
Soon it was Ramadan, the holy Muslim month of fasting. Andy’s master insisted that he converts to Islam and imposed the name Mohamed on him. Regretfully, he had no choice but to comply or loose his job and livelihood. He was barred from going to church, had his head shaved and forced to participate in the Muslim fast and prayer.
We wished we could have helped by making him independent of his remuneration at his guard job, but then it was even more complicated than that, his boss doubled as a distant relative so that even if he was not in his employment, he still held a certain sway over him.
Then Mohamed had a dream. I did not catch the details of the dream but it came to something like a celestial being warning him that he was going down the wrong road. We had been praying for him all the time, and continued to encourage him even though he felt he had betrayed his faith and brethren. Following the dream, he explained to his boss that he could no longer continue to be a ‘Muslim’ and was ready to quit. This time it was the master who had no choice, though he threatened and warned and cut off almost every fringe benefit. He became very strict and exacting too.
He is still called Mohamed in the household, but he has since returned to church and even assumed a leadership role. We praise God for answered prayer through the dream and courage that He gave to Mohamed, sorry Andrew.
Is he Mohamed or Andrew? It doesn’t matter any more, does it? He belongs to Christ.
This is the typical dilemma that many face as they dare to respond to the grace of God. Some never get the dream and courage of Andy. Others’ are met with violence and isolation. As you praise God for the victory in Andy’s life, remember those in similar predicaments in prayer, moral as well as material support.
God bless and keep you.