If your life depended on it, could you pin Burkina Faso on a map of the world? Me neither. Life is so fragile. But I do know its capital is Ouagadougou (because it’s fun to say) and as of yesterday, I now have a friend from there. Although Sama’s family has been Christian for generations, he lives among Muslims. He told me around half of Burkina Faso is Muslim, but not the kind we usually think of. He said they’ve blended their former animism (the belief in supernatural powers that organize and animate the material universe) with more recent Islam. According to the BBC, the country gets along pretty nicely this way.
“Wanna come ta tha show?” The young face was brown, but the accent was classic West Yorkshire. And his arms were full of fireworks! We were newly arrived in England, walking around our neighborhood, wondering how to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, when a dear Afghan family from down the road asked us to join in their fireworks fun. I’ll never forget the warmth and kindness I felt at being invited to share it with them. They went on to be friends to us throughout our too short time in their town.
The sun broke pink and orange and beautiful over the plains and onto our mountain here in southern Colorado this morning. It was stunning. As I look out past our homestead to the expanse of the world and inward to my heart, there is much that is beautiful and much that is not. Can I share seven things I pray we’ll see in 2018, among Muslims and in our own hearts?
“Are you all right?”
“Wanna come ta tha show?” The young face was brown, but the accent was classic West Yorkshire. And his arms were full of fireworks! We were newly arrived in England, walking around our neighborhood, wondering how to celebrate 
from Shane's Muslim Connect
Islam and Magic
from Shane's Muslim Connect
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