Culture’s Longing and Christ’s Fulfillment During Ramadan

I grew up surrounded by pets, farm life, and hunting, so I was no stranger to animals entering and exiting this world. Yet despite that familiarity, nothing could have prepared me for witnessing Eid al-Adha in South Asia last summer. Walking through neighborhoods marked by the visible aftermath of sacrifice—blood flowing down doorsteps and streets—it was difficult not to feel shocked, confused, and deeply uncomfortable at the sight of sacrifices on nearly every street corner.

Longing for Christ

However, as followers of Christ, we know that we no longer need to sacrifice animals, since Christ’s death on the cross was the final atonement for our iniquities. While not every worldview is consistent with Scripture, we can still acknowledge the Bible’s testimony to certain desires deeply within the Imago Dei that are common to all humans, regardless of their religious beliefs: atonement, reconciliation, and belonging. These sentiments are not exclusively Christian—they are universally human.

We believe Scripture is accurate when it claims that all of mankind shares common ancestry with those who walked with God Himself. Every culture has lingering sentiments that magnify our souls’ longing for reconciliation with God. We can rightly acknowledge that Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of each of these desires, but that should never lead us to conclude that non-Christian cultures are not also longing to obtain the same. Through witnessing unfamiliar traditions, I encourage you to suspend your discomfort in order to look deeper into these traditions and see their cries for unity with Christ.

Gateway to the Gospel

Those celebrating Ramadan may not realize that their hearts are truly longing for Christ through the pursuit of purity, charity, and devotion to the Creator. Such moments require someone to bring Christ’s love into the culture as a means of internal redemption rather than external hostility. However, cultural celebrations will never be redeemed by the truth of Christ if the church does not know how to engage with them properly.

For example, during Eid al-Adha last summer, I could easily ask someone why animals were being killed and explain that witnessing systematized sacrifice is incredibly unfamiliar in my American culture. It must first be approached with curiosity—not condemnation. For days on end, taxi drivers, shopkeepers, and other complete strangers happily shared their culture, explaining that Eid al-Adha celebrates God’s provision of a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in place of his son.

However, I was surprised by the sacrifices because I wrongfully assumed that Eid al-Adha was the same holiday as Eid al-Fitr (the feast that ends Ramadan). My lack of knowledge prevented me from effectively meeting others with the Gospel, which I share to reinforce how important it is to become familiarized with the celebrations of other cultures. Only then, after being given insight into their traditions, could I share that my family does not perform celebratory sacrifices because we believe Christ’s death was the final atonement. The covenant with Abraham, the sacrificial system, the Old Testament Law, and many other biblical themes began to flow naturally from these conversations. Their pursuit of atonement, reconciliation, and belonging—albeit unwittingly—ultimately points back to Christ’s fulfillment of those desires.

As immigration increases—and approximately 15% of the United States’ population are immigrants—even those who are not going to the mission field are being confronted by the mission field coming to them. [1]

Still, we could easily say, “I am never going to wind up in a Muslim-majority country, so why does this matter?” To that, I have two responses: First, I did not think I would be in South Asia witnessing Eid al-Adha either. Sometimes we find ourselves in unexpected situations, but a lack of forethought never excuses a lack of obedience. Second, even if you are not planning to go to the mission field, you are called to live on mission, and the mission field is coming to you.

How will you care for your Muslim neighbors this Ramadan season? 

Loving Neighbors Well

Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and other religious adherents are becoming significant proportions of our population, meaning the likelihood of interacting with someone who participates in an unfamiliar form of cultural expression is increasing. You do not need to formally study world religions and anthropology in order to properly engage others with the Gospel. In fact, the number one priority is becoming steeped in the Word and character of God yourself. However, taking time out of your day to intentionally seek to understand the contents of your neighbor’s worldview could be the determining factor in whether they will be receptive to your Gospel presentation.

This plan only works if we see the Gospel as so much more than merely relaying a proposition to another person. The Gospel of Christ entails pursuing Christ ourselves and bringing the redemption of His kingdom to earth by delighting in obeying His commandments. James 2:14–17 reminds us that we cannot meaningfully tell a cold and hungry person to “go in peace” without also giving them clothes and food. Another modern example of the same issue is looking at an unfamiliar expression of culture and thinking, “They sure do need Christ,” then proceeding not to properly engage with their worldview.

Even as Christians living in a predominantly Christian area, we too have a culture that is in need of being redeemed by Christ. Recognize and remind yourself that God did not save you because your culture was relatively more compatible with Christianity. Similar to the rest of the image-bearers across the globe, we have deeply embedded cultural practices that illuminate our own longing for the atonement, reconciliation, and belonging that Christ freely offers. But we, too, are sinners in need of the salvation that Christ alone provides and must engage as ambassadors in God’s mission to reconcile all nations, tribes, and tongues to Himself.

Use this Ramadan season as an opportunity to meditate on and share Jesus’ sacrifice with those who are still striving to achieve atonement by their own efforts: “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).