For an evangelical Coptic Christian of middle-class income in Egypt, it was the family vacation of a lifetime. For the first time, Girguis* was able to take his wife and two children for a week-long holiday at the seaside.
It had always been too expensive for them as a family to afford such a vacation. But this summer, his pastor had made arrangements so Girguis could not only bring along his family, but at the same time fulfill the passion of his heart: preaching and teaching at Christian church retreats being held in the evenings along the coast nearby.
Because Girguis’ family lived inland, just being around a large mass of water was enough to keep them excited all day long. Every morning they would get up early and set up “camp” overlooking the blue tranquil sea. Sitting under their umbrellas in the hot sun, they filled their eyes and lungs with the clear scenery, enjoying the slight breezes cooling their bodies.
But after two days went by, their paradise came to an end.
Looking over his shoulder that third morning to identify some noises in the background, Girguis saw to his dismay a robust, heavily bearded man approaching in a long white robe. Carrying an umbrella and huge picnic bag overflowing with food and towels, the man was followed by his wife, clad all in black and carrying two beach chairs.
The Muslim couple were surrounded by their children running around and after them, screaming and breaking the previous tranquility of their relaxed beach ambiance.
As an ethnic Copt living in the steadily Islamizing context of modern Egypt, Girguis had always had a hard time accepting any Muslim, let alone a fundamentalist one. He was always hearing stories about acts of Islamist terrorism, and here came a fundamentalist, to sit down on the shore right next to him!
But to be polite, Girguis nodded his head, acknowledging the newcomer’s presence while trying to hide his real feelings.
When Girguis found himself reluctant to speak any greetings to the Muslim stranger, words from Jesus’ sermon on the mount popped into his mind. He struggled with mixed feelings of guilt and rejection, wondering how what he had himself taught in his sermons applied to interaction with the man seated nearby.
After a time, Girguis relaxed a bit, enough to turn his head around and actually make eye contact with his new neighbor on the sand. Finally out of courtesy, he offered the man some tea, forging a tentative bond that began to relax the atmosphere further.
As their families came to the beach the following day, Girguis found himself again seated next to Ahmed,* and they began to converse. Eventually Ahmed took the initiative, asking Girguis to come for a swim with him out in the sea.
Wading into the water together, they talked of general things as they moved out to deeper waters.
Then without any warning, Ahmed abruptly threw out a question: “Was Jesus really crucified?”
Girguis was instantly on the defensive. He had never witnessed about Jesus to anyone other than someone who was part of Egypt’s Christian community by birth. So he presumed that as a Muslim, his new acquaintance was asking this question to antagonize him.
“What do you want to say?” Girguis replied in an angry tone. “Are you trying to start a fight here? Yes, Jesus did die. It’s not as you Muslims say, that someone else took his place!”
Ahmed quietly begged Girguis to lower his voice, so that others would not hear what they were saying.
Stunned into silence, Girguis suddenly recognized that Ahmed was genuinely searching for answers. His emotional eruption disappeared into thin air, leaving him feeling small and embarrassed.
Then Ahmed asked the question again, and this time Girguis answered simply, “Yes.”
That was all Ahmed wanted to know. And suddenly, their whole relationship took a 90-degree turn, in a positive new direction. The two men spent the rest of that day talking about spiritual things, with Ahmed asking questions and Girguis answering him.
“Ahmed was like a hungry man,” Girguis said. “He would eat up the knowledge and the truth given to him.”
It turned out, Girguis discovered, that Ahmed had been watching Christian programs on television, and he had so many questions that he was seeking answers for because of this.
That night, Girguis for the first time reflected honestly on the attitudes and convictions he had maintained all his Christian life. Deeply convicted, he prayed to God, repenting of his antagonism that had built up over the years against Muslims.
“I put Muslims all in one basket, stereotyping them as enemies and aggressors,” Girguis confessed. “But they are God’s creation, made in His image—men and women created by God.”
And God is still at work, calling Ahmed to Himself and revolutionizing Girguis’ attitudes as their relationship continues.
