Ministering to a Divided People Group
July 4, 2025
The USA celebrating its 249th anniversary on Friday, July 4, is impressive. But even more impressive than that is celebrating one’s new life in Christ. Unfortunately, there are 1.8 billion people on this planet who don’t know they can have new life in Jesus.
If you live near Shiite Muslims, you might have noticed black flags flying this past week. This year, Saturday, July 5, marks the day of Ashura, which is the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Ashura is a day of mourning for Shiite Muslims. In 680 AD, Hussain, the grandson of their Prophet Mohammed, was slain along with 71 others at the Battle of Karbala, in Iraq. Shiites mourn, fly black flags, and have special evening meetings to remember this event for the first ten days of their month. The tenth and final day is the Ashura. On this day, they will sometimes fast, have marches and shout slogans, beat their chests, and lament loudly the loss of their leader.
Sunni Muslims, on the other hand, view the day of Ashura very differently. For them, it is a celebrated holiday. Sunni Muslims do not fast on this day. Instead, they celebrate numerous high-profile events they believe occurred on Ashura such as Noah leaving the Ark and Moses leading the people out of Egypt and crossing the Red Sea.
The Two Branches of Islam
The divide between these very same branches of Sunni and Shia, with no love for each other, was cemented by the events of the Battle of Karbala in 680. Tensions had been building within early Islam over who should be their leader.
Mohammed, before he died, never declared who or how the next leader should come about. After he died, there was great turmoil. Most believed the leader should be chosen by the elders through popular consensus. A small minority believed it should follow the family line of Mohammed. Various leaders came and went; most were assassinated.
Things came to a head when a popularly elected leader decided that his son and family would now be the line of succession. Hussain, the grandson of Mohammed, and others from his family and some friends openly rebelled. There was a battle and Hussain and his small band of followers were easily defeated. This disagreement over succession gave birth to the two major branches of Islam: Sunni and Shiite.
The Sunni branch claims the best leader should be elected to lead. The Shiite branch claims the leadership should be through the direct family line of Mohammed. Today, roughly 86% of the Islamic world is Sunni and 14% is Shiite. Iran, Iraq, and Azerbaijan have Shia majorities, while Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Bahrain have significant Shia minorities. The rest of the Muslim world are Sunni, except for some small sects.
Engaging Muslims from Both Sides
Your Muslim friends and colleagues will react very differently concerning the day of Ashura on Saturday, depending on which branch of Islam they belong. Shias will be mourning; Sunnis will be celebrating. Ask your Muslim friends what they think about the Battle of Karbala and you will find out quickly what their thoughts and beliefs are.
Whatever side they take, you can share that remembering the past is important, but preparing for the future is more vital. We will all face our creator God at the end of our lives and we must give an account for every action, every spoken word, and even every thought. Are they prepared to do that? The Bible says we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Share with them that we all have thought wrong thoughts or done things we shouldn’t have. But God can and will forgive us, if we ask. God can and will restore us from our brokenness. Please consider reaching out and inviting your Muslims neighbors and colleagues to a summer picnic or outing. Introduce them to a local park, and as you relax with a picnic basket, share a Bible story about Jesus feeding the 5,000! Find ways to build bridges of friendship, and find ways to carry the gospel across that bridge to their hearts.
The USA celebrating its 249th anniversary on Friday, July 4, is impressive. But even more impressive than that is celebrating one’s new life in Christ. Unfortunately, there are 1.8 billion people on this planet who don’t know they can have new life in Jesus.
If you live near Shiite Muslims, you might have noticed black flags flying this past week. This year, Saturday, July 5, marks the day of Ashura, which is the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Ashura is a day of mourning for Shiite Muslims. In 680 AD, Hussain, the grandson of their Prophet Mohammed, was slain along with 71 others at the Battle of Karbala, in Iraq. Shiites mourn, fly black flags, and have special evening meetings to remember this event for the first ten days of their month. The tenth and final day is the Ashura. On this day, they will sometimes fast, have marches and shout slogans, beat their chests, and lament loudly the loss of their leader.
Sunni Muslims, on the other hand, view the day of Ashura very differently. For them, it is a celebrated holiday. Sunni Muslims do not fast on this day. Instead, they celebrate numerous high-profile events they believe occurred on Ashura such as Noah leaving the Ark and Moses leading the people out of Egypt and crossing the Red Sea.
The Two Branches of Islam
The divide between these very same branches of Sunni and Shia, with no love for each other, was cemented by the events of the Battle of Karbala in 680. Tensions had been building within early Islam over who should be their leader.
Mohammed, before he died, never declared who or how the next leader should come about. After he died, there was great turmoil. Most believed the leader should be chosen by the elders through popular consensus. A small minority believed it should follow the family line of Mohammed. Various leaders came and went; most were assassinated.
Things came to a head when a popularly elected leader decided that his son and family would now be the line of succession. Hussain, the grandson of Mohammed, and others from his family and some friends openly rebelled. There was a battle and Hussain and his small band of followers were easily defeated. This disagreement over succession gave birth to the two major branches of Islam: Sunni and Shiite.
The Sunni branch claims the best leader should be elected to lead. The Shiite branch claims the leadership should be through the direct family line of Mohammed. Today, roughly 86% of the Islamic world is Sunni and 14% is Shiite. Iran, Iraq, and Azerbaijan have Shia majorities, while Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Bahrain have significant Shia minorities. The rest of the Muslim world are Sunni, except for some small sects.
Engaging Muslims from Both Sides
Your Muslim friends and colleagues will react very differently concerning the day of Ashura on Saturday, depending on which branch of Islam they belong. Shias will be mourning; Sunnis will be celebrating. Ask your Muslim friends what they think about the Battle of Karbala and you will find out quickly what their thoughts and beliefs are.
Whatever side they take, you can share that remembering the past is important, but preparing for the future is more vital. We will all face our creator God at the end of our lives and we must give an account for every action, every spoken word, and even every thought. Are they prepared to do that? The Bible says we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Share with them that we all have thought wrong thoughts or done things we shouldn’t have. But God can and will forgive us, if we ask. God can and will restore us from our brokenness. Please consider reaching out and inviting your Muslims neighbors and colleagues to a summer picnic or outing. Introduce them to a local park, and as you relax with a picnic basket, share a Bible story about Jesus feeding the 5,000! Find ways to build bridges of friendship, and find ways to carry the gospel across that bridge to their hearts.
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
Learn about the spiritual harmony in Vietnam & how missionaries engage with college students. Join us in sharing the gospel!
Explore Georgia's spiritual heritage and the impact of SEND International's mission. Join us in fostering authentic relationships today!
