In the Light of Trials and Testing

Imam Wilmore Sadiki & Jum'ah Fellowship

Today I attended Jum’ah at Saint Petersburg Islamic Center.  Imam Wilmore Sadiki gave a khutbah that included the following idea:  we don’t know our true mettle until we have been tested.  Christ and the prophets have realized this and, indeed, were tested.  As a Christian I ask, how do we know the nature and extent of God’s love?  The answer is because Jesus was tested and went to the cross.  Prosperity religion seems to emphasize the opposite of trials and testing.  Be saved and live righteously and you will receive duly deserved worldly rewards—you will abide in a context of luxury and comfort far removed from any testing or trials.  You will never be challenged in a field that brings about self-revelation—exactly how firm, how genuine is my faith is a question that is neither raised nor validated.  We come to believe in cheap grace, in a discipleship without cost.  In a fallen world, if we are never tested, never find ourselves caught up within the stress of trials and tribulations presented by an active nihilistic culture, then perhaps we should begin to wonder about the sincerity and even validity of our faith.  

Print Page