USA (MNN) — She called herself Jahid Jane. News of the arrest of Colleen LaRose in October was withheld until Tuesday, after the arrest of seven alleged jihadists in Ireland. LaRose is believed to have used the internet to recruit men in South Asia, Europe and the United States for terror attacks.
Unfortunately, many people around the world are searching for belonging. Fouad Masri with the Crescent Project says LaRose may have been one of those searching souls. "This is another case where people dig into Islam and have certain issues — hate issues — thus they can easily be recruited to these activities. We can see with her, she converted to Islam, and it was just a matter of time before she joined something she thought was bigger than her."
Crescent Project is a ministry that's helping Christians share Jesus with Muslims. The difference between Christianity and Islam is love. "As Christians, we're to show the love of Christ regardless of the response. We're here just to love people. That's the beauty of the teachings of Christ and the Christian religion. We are a community of loving others and welcoming others."
However, Christians need not be afraid of Muslims. They have to be willing to reach out. But what's the first step for Christians who have never done Muslim outreach? "They can sign up on our Web site for 'Call To Prayer.' We will send them an e-mail to join us in praying for Muslims every Friday at noon. We praise the Lord that thousands are joining us regularly," says Masri.
Many Christians are apathetic toward Muslim outreach, or they claim that God will call them Himself. "The Bible is clear that He works through the Christian community. Yes, He doesn't need us, but He chose to use us. God CAN do it without you, but He chose NOT to."
Crescent Project also offers a small group study program called "Bridges," to help you understand Muslim outreach better. If you'd like to sign up for the "Call To Prayer," click here.
