It is the time of year when they remember Abraham’s willingness to obey God's command to sacrifice his son, and how God provided a ram in his place.

My friend Mohammed* invited Chris and me to his home to celebrate with his family. He said his wife was looking forward to preparing biryani for us.

You can imagine our surprise when we arrived and there were no food smells coming from the kitchen.

Mohammed explained that he had purchased a lamb to be slaughtered on Eid, but the butcher had so many animals to prepare that day that he did not have time to get to Mohammed’s lamb. So today Mohammed had no lamb for his family, none to share with us, and none to give to the poor.

But we could still share what was most precious to Mohammed: time.

He told us that, from his perspective, time is one of the most valuable gifts we can give another person. Then he thanked Chris for something I had not realised meant so much to him — the many times that Chris had patiently listened to his wife.

That made me stop and think.

Sometimes we think sharing Jesus is mainly about having the right words ready. Words matter, of course. But so does time.

• Sitting with people.
• Listening.
• Drinking tea together.
• Showing that we value them, not just as “someone to reach,” but as friends.

Eid al-Adha is a natural time to talk about Jesus, because it connects with Abraham, sacrifice, obedience, and God’s provision. But because it is also one of the strongest moments in the Islamic calendar, I wanted to be careful.

Before we went, I thought about what I could share if the opportunity came — something that would begin with the prophets we both respect, rather than jumping straight into a debate.

After we had talked for a while about Eid, food, and some of the concerns on Mohammed’s mind, I took a small step and showed Mohammed an app I had put together called The Prophets in the Word. It begins with prophets we both respect — Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses — and eventually leads to Jesus.

Mohammed was interested enough to add it to his phone.

Then, just as we were leaving, Mohammed handed me a book. It was about the Qur’an and scientific claims that Muslims often use to argue that it is divinely inspired.

I had shared something with him, and he had shared something with me.

Kathy Douglass, in her Love Your Neighbour seminar, points out the importance of equal sharing. If we want people to listen to us talk about Jesus, we also need to be willing to listen to them. Not because all beliefs are the same, but because love listens.

I had asked Mohammed to consider reading 60 short lessons — about five minutes a day. That is about five hours of his time.

His book is only about 50 pages.

Would I be willing to give him some of my time too?

As we think about reaching people from many cultures and faith backgrounds, it helps to notice the natural rhythms of their year. There are times when people are already thinking about spiritual things — festivals, family gatherings, grief, births, weddings, fasting seasons, and holy days.

Those moments can open doors. But the door is usually opened by friendship before it is opened by explanation.

So here are three simple questions for us this week:

• Who around me is in a spiritually meaningful season right now?
• How could I spend time with them in a way that shows genuine love?
• What do I need to hear from them so that my sharing comes from love, not just from my agenda?

May the Lord Jesus help us to be people who speak clearly, listen humbly, and give the costly gift of time.

P.S. Who do you think would be encouraged by this email? Forward it to them and let them know they can walk alongside experienced cross-cultural evangelists by visiting: https://hereslife.com/encouragement