Muslims love God. Christians love God. Despite current tensions between the two faiths, Paul Gordon-Chandler’s goal is to bridge the gap of misunderstanding

Chandler’s lecture in convocation Sept. 18 ended his extended book tour which began in Spokane, Wa., on Sept. 6. He was advertising his second book, “Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road: Exploring a New Path Between Two Faiths,” published Sept. 1, which was available to students at $10 per copy.

Chandler began his lecture with an Arabic proverb: “If you have a monkey for a friend, you will never get your loincloth stuck in a tree.” After laughter from students, Chandler explained its meaning, stating that it is “who you know in times of difficulty that make all the difference.” He went on to describe that who we know and who we are trying to know make all the difference in life’s journey.

He believed the only people who would not “think twice” to save his life, besides his wife “on a good day,” were his Islamic brothers and sisters. He has a “great respect for Islam as a religion and a great love for Muslims,” among whom he has close friendships.

Chandler opened with an unconventional prayer. Everyone stood and held out their hands as Chandler prayed in Arabic and instructed students to repeat after him. Afterwards, he informed students they had spoken the first sentence of the Islamic holy book, the Quran, which reads, “In the name of God, the compassionate and the gracious.”

While researching for “Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road,” Chandler visited 21 Arab countries and spent four years writing. Chandler narrated his views through the Syrian novelist Mazhar Mallouhi’s biography and conversion to Christianity. Mallouhi himself wishes to bridge the gap between Muslims and Christians, saying “Islam is my heritage, Christ is my inheritance.”

After describing how Western Christians persuaded Mallouhi to give up his Islamic worshiping styles, Chandler described Christians in another proverb. A monkey was in a tree hanging over a pond. He saw fish in the water, so he plucked them out and placed them in the tree. Somebody walked by and asked the monkey what he was doing, and he replied that he saw the fish drowning, so he saved them.

Chandler explained that the monkey was like a well-meaning Christian who did not understand the people or the culture he was trying to “save.” When Muslims converted to Christianity, they “ended up getting Jesus, but the rest of their life was hell,” Chandler said. In this hell, they are completely ostracized by their society.

“Jesus wasn’t a Christian,” Chandler said. Chandler said in order to preach to the Islamic people, we need to teach the Christ of the Gospels – not the Christ of the church.

Chandler closed his lecture with the same prayer from the Quran.

At 7 p.m. in Hyder Auditorium, Chandler gave another lecture and offered a book signing. On Sept. 19, he headed back to Cairo, Egypt, where he is the Episcopal Priest of the Church of St. John the Baptist.