The unique perspective and vantage point of over 150 Mulims praying in Indonesia on the BBC News Day in Pictures site(picture #5) provides a picture worth a thousand words.
In the picture, each participant is bowed down with his face to the ground like slaves before a taskmaster. Having just completed a study of Islam and learned that Muslims believe Allah is not a personal God and is not personally knowable, one before whom even angels "flinch not" from executing his will, ... this picture illustrates that Muslims in fact preach and practice slavery rather than sonship. While as a father who requires obedience in my home, this picture is not representative of what I either expect or desire of my children, for there is on the one hand the obedience that comes from slaves (who serve primarily out of duty and fear) and then there is the obedience of children who while recognizing authority serve out of love, relationship, and respect.
As the world has witnessed and recognized, slavery is neither deemed optimun nor to be desired. With this in mind, I write that Christians might be reminded of the blessed position that is ours in being sons of God, that we might be reminded of this distinction every time we look upon the pictures of those held in bondage, and that my pointing out of this distinction might lead those in bondage to the redemption and adoption as sons that comes through Jesus Christ!
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