Knights of the Crusades, crosses on their chests and swords held high, rushed toward a Muslim horde with violence in their eyes and scimitars raised. That image circulated on social media ahead of the Aug. 18 political march in Dearborn, Michigan — only a few miles from where I have lived my whole life, first as a Muslim, now as a Christian for the last 26 years. The image, and what happened that day, troubles me — but not for the reasons many assume.

I support Christians engaging in the public arena, politics included. But we must ask whether our engagement bears the image of Christ or confirms the caricature of Christianity we hope to overcome.

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Every Christian in metro Detroit who wants to talk to a Muslim neighbor about Jesus now has the additional barrier of that crusade image and the news coverage of Christians angrily pointing their fingers. 

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I understand the concerns that brought some Christians to that march; I’ve shared some of them publicly. Friends of mine were mistreated — and even arrested — for preaching the gospel at a Dearborn festival, then vindicated in court, acquitted, and awarded damages in a civil suit. More recently, Dearborn’s mayor chastised a Christian at a City Council meeting, telling him he wasn’t welcome in the city where he pays taxes. A protester was recently attacked in the streets. His attackers were arrested, and the legal system........

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