Musings on Morocco

Introduction

        I have decided to go to Morocco. Yes, Morocco. “Why Morocco of all places?” is a

question that I have heard a million times since I decided to go. For some time I have been

thinking about traveling to a foreign country to teach English as a second language. I have just

graduated with my Master of Arts, but there is no work for me here because so many teachers 

have lately been dismissed from their positions. I have little formal experience but the market is 

glutted with many teachers who have years of experience. So I resolved to travel abroad to teach 

in a language institute for a time in order to improve my resume and gain some very valuable

experience. After having decided to embark on this adventure, I considered traveling to many

places. I considered South America, Asia, and Europe. They all have points which recommend

them but still I was not satisfied with any of those places. The question which I was continually

asking myself was “What country has the most to teach me?” I wanted not just to go somewhere

to teach, but to also be taught. Europe was the first part of the world to be struck from my list.

The United States is not much more than a European transplant. I would learn some things

living in Europe, but on the whole Europe is not terribly different from the United States. I

considered South America but in the end, it is the same. While there are definite cultural

differences between North and South America, I simply did not feel drawn there. I thought

about Asia and while I think it would be interesting to visit some of the Asian countries, I am

still not sure that I wish to live there. Throughout the entire time that I was deliberating on this

decision, I was thinking about Islam and the Islamic world. I began to think that perhaps that

part of the world has things to offer to me that these other places do not. Why, after all, would I

want to live in a country that is similar to my own? America is largely a Christian country and

Christianity permeates the culture so I must go somewhere different.

        Since September 11, 2001, Islam and Muslims are widely discussed in America. Islam is

the subject of many debates and discussions. I decided that it would be best for me to go to an

Islamic country. If I can go to work and live among Muslims, then I know I can learn about their

true way of life and their true beliefs. I am not interested in Islam as it is depicted on television

or Islam as it is depicted in a book, I want to go to a place where Islam is life. Then I can see it

not in books and films, but in the streets and markets, academies and homes. So then I had to

decide which Muslim country I should consider. At this present time there are some countries

that I could not consider visiting as an American because of our wars and other issues, so a few

places were eliminated straightaway. I began to think more and more about Northern Africa.

That region is especially appealing not only because I speak some French, but because the

people there have a reputation for tolerating Americans a bit more than some other Islamic areas.

There are many countries across Northern Africa, what caused me to choose Morocco?

At the same time that I was deliberating about travel and work overseas, I enlisted in a pen pal

directory. I was soon corresponding with people from all around the world, but I found that

I began to gravitate more and more toward Moroccans. They all seemed very kind and very

friendly. One thing that quickly stood out to me was their readiness to accept me as a Christian.  

This came as a great surprise to me as I had always been led to believe that Muslims do not like 

Christians.  When I told them that I am a Christian and that I desire to learn about Islam, they

were all very gracious and willing to teach me. I had many very good and very stimulating letters 

from my Muslim Moroccan friends. They were always patient with me and strove to answer my 

questions but they were also sincere enough to point out to me what seemed to them to be flaws 

in my own religion. This of course was what I wanted. I wanted to understand them. I wanted to 

see things from their point of view. As I continued to correspond with them, I soon began to 

admire Islam and its principles. These Muslim friends of mine are among the most pious and

sincere people I have ever known. How much better would it be to sit with them in person to eat

together and to exchange ideas? If I can learn so much from their letters, then I am sure I will 

learn much more from their lives and from their friendship. It was these first encounters with 

Muslims that caused me to decide to go to an Islamic country. If I can go and live among people


such as they, then I am sure it can only make me a better person. Not only that, but with such


experiences I can then return to my own country with firsthand knowledge and strive to restore


the reputation of these good people which has been so damaged by a few deranged maniacs.

Impressions

        What are my impressions of Morocco and his people? I have many impressions and only

time will tell if they are based on truth or fiction. First of all, I find that Moroccans are generally

very disciplined and work hard at their studies or whatever task is given to them. From what

my correspondents tell me, American students have a great deal to learn from their Moroccan

counterparts. It seems that there really is no concept of attending universities for parties and fun.  

Morocco and his people strike me as being very traditional. Morocco is after all, the

only country in Northern Africa which still has a monarchy. It is obvious from my interactions

with Moroccans that they are very devoted to their king. I have never heard or read one cross

word about him from any of his subjects. They seem to like the old system and be quite satisfied

with it. Their fondness for tradition can also be seen in their clothes. I find it interesting that

for special occasions they still wear the old traditional garments. In America it is considered 

unfashionable and distasteful to wear clothes that are similar even to those that our grandfathers 

wore, and yet in Morocco their traditional garments seem to have changed little in the last one 

thousand years. I am also struck by the fact that many of my correspondents speak of their 

fondness for traditional Moroccan music. These young fellows are mostly university students 

and yet they have an appreciation for the old songs. Here in America our old songs are no longer 

fashionable and it is safe to say that most university students have never even heard them. In 

America we are always looking for something new and different, it is refreshing to encounter a 

culture which still sees the value of its past customs and traditions.

        Another aspect of Moroccan life and culture that stands out to me is their markets. As

I understand, the markets are filled with men who have made their own goods and sell them to

earn a living. While some would consider Morocco backward and lagging to depend upon hand

made goods, I would applaud the country for not depending upon mass-produced rubbish. To

be sure, there are advantages to factories and industrialization but although goods are perhaps

cheaper and more readily available, the quality only seems to decline. In America we no longer

have artisans and craftsmen, we have people that push buttons and turn dials. They could not

make quality goods with their own hands if their lives depended upon it. I look forward to

walking through the souks of Morocco and I will take great pleasure in buying things which

were made with pride by the men who sell them to me.  I am pleased that Moroccans still have 

that which we Americans lost to “progress” many years ago.

        I have been especially impressed with what I have seen of Moroccan relationships. It

seems that the families in Morocco are closely bound together and their members are very

devoted to one another. It would be difficult to count how many have expressed a desire to come

to America in order to earn a living so that they will be able to provide a better life for their 

parents back in Morocco. I have also noticed that among the conservative Muslim young men, 

the custom of having a girlfriend such as is practiced in America is strictly forbidden. I do not yet

understand what their custom is for finding wives, but I assume that it is some form of arranged

Confusion

        There are a few things about Morocco that confuse me and I look forward to

understanding them better once I have been there and seen firsthand how the people live. The

first is belly dance. It seems that belly dance is a tradition there and is common in that part of

the world but I do not understand how it can be allowed to exist in tandem with the Muslim

codes for female modesty. These two things seem to be irreconcilable. Another issue that

confuses me is smoking. I read that smoking is strictly forbidden among Muslims but at the

same time I see photographs of little shops in the souk which seem to specialize in sheesha sales.

I have also read conflicting reports online. Some websites say that smoking is very offensive to

Moroccans and other websites say that nearly everyone in Morocco smokes. I am not really sure

what I should think. Of course alcohol is also forbidden by Islam but one does not see wine

merchants in the souk. These things puzzle me. Another thing that I wonder about is desert life.

I wonder how it will differ from life here and I wonder what I must do to prepare for it.

Conceptions and Misconceptions

        Since I have been planning my trip and talking with my American friends about my

preparations, I have heard and thought of many things which cause me concern. One warning

that many people have given to me is that I should take care to watch for pickpockets

and robbers. Many members of my family have expressed concern for my safety. My own 

mother warned me against going for fear that I may be robbed and murdered. I have thought a 

great deal about this. Of course I would be unwise to place myself in a position of danger 

without considering what I am doing, but I wonder if I would really be in any more danger than

 I am here in my own country. I live very near to Indianapolis and Chicago. I can be in either city 

within an hour or two. Every day people are robbed and murdered in those cities. It is in the 

newspapers and it is widely known that drug dealers and gangs kill people there. However,

I find it very interesting that when I am in those cities none of my friends nor family express

concern for my well being. Why would I be more endangered in Morocco than in America?

Perhaps if I stand out as a foreigner, I might more easily become the target of some criminal’s

designs. To be sure, knowledge of one’s surroundings and situation are good protection against

crime but I do not think that every Moroccan is standing by waiting to cut my throat and take

my money. Such a notion is preposterous. I will  have to be more careful while I am in Morocco

because of language and culture barriers. Those issues could make it a bit easier for me to get

into trouble, but I do not expect that any great harm will come to me simply because I am in

Another question that I often hear is, “Is it not dangerous to go to a Muslim country?”.

I usually respond by asking my questioner why it would be dangerous and they often answer

by saying, “Because Muslims hate Christians” or “Because Muslims hate Americans”

or “Because Muslims think that we are infidels.” This both saddens me and concerns me. I have

corresponded with several Muslims and I like them. They seem very nice and very sincere. I

do not like to hear them slandered in this manner. The difficulty is that up to this point in my

life, I have never met a Muslim face to face. As far as I know, I have never even seen a Muslim

except in films or photographs. Could it be that these “kind” Muslims are simply trying to

lure me to Morocco so that they can kill another Christian Westerner as some of my American

friends suggest? While I do not hear this from all Americans, some do suggest it. This is my

first time to ever leave the country, of course I am nervous and things such as this remain in my

mind. What if they are simply luring me to my death?  I have thought about it for a long time

and finally my conclusion is, “Inchallah” as they say in Arabic.  Let God’s will be done.  I 

would rather take that risk and trust these people who seem to be so good, than to think badly of

 them for no reason. If they are good, then I will come back to America and defend them and 

their honor; if they are truly so wicked as some Americans believe, then perhaps I will escape 

with a well learned lesson. I think it would be better to die with sincerity and kindness in my

heart than to live a life which is full of unfounded prejudice and hate.

        Another concern which my friends have expressed is closely related to the issue of

animosity toward Christian Westerners. One of my college professors emailed several articles to

me which discussed an expulsion of Christian Missionaries which happened in Morocco a few

years ago. This of course was taken to confirm that Muslims hate Christians and that Christians

are not welcome in Morocco. It is suggested that at the very least there is a prejudice against

Christianity in Morocco and the King who is a Muslim will do whatever he can to prevent the

spread and promotion of any religion save his own. His Majesty, King Mohamed is a Muslim of

course that is no secret. I have thought much about this. Suppose he does try to prevent 

Christianity from becoming well established in his country, does this make him a criminal? We 

westerners would do well to remember our own history on this point. We forget that we are very 

far removed from the days of strong monarchy, but the King of Morocco still does wield power. 

In the old times when the Kings and Queens of Europe ruled with strength and power, many men

and women lost their heads or were burned alive because their religious opinions were not the 

same as those of the crown. When we think about things from this perspective, it seems obvious 

that the King of Morocco rules with charity. After all, it is not Christianity that is outlawed but 

Christian Mission work. According to my studies, there were Christians in Morocco long before 

America was ever discovered. It hardly seems necessary then that we should send missionaries 

to Morocco. In addition to all of this, I managed to find a paper which was published by the 

State Department of the United States concerning religious freedom in Morocco. I was very 

surprised as I read it, to discover that in 2009 there were seven hundred ninety-nine Imams who 

were dismissed for various infractions. This makes it rather obvious that the law is dispensed

with equity even if it is preferred that Christianity does not spread in Morocco.

        

        One common misconception that I have noticed among Americans concerning Morocco

is about the inhabitants of that country. Many people will ask, “Where is Morocco?” and if I tell

them it is on the continent of Africa then they immediately begin to talk about the “Negros” who

live there. This misconception is so widespread that I have stopped saying anything about Africa

when people ask me. I now tell them that Morocco is across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain.

Conclusion

These are my thoughts and concerns about Morocco thus far. I have never been on the

continent of Africa. I have never been among Muslims. I have never even been out of my own

country. I believe that Morocco has much to teach me. I do not think that I could have chosen

a culture more different than my own. I think that my experiences there shall be very beneficial. 

As I live in a culture which continually challenges my every thought and perspective as a 

Christian Westerner, I believe that my misconceptions will be more easily shown and dispelled. 

In addition to that, I hope that my positive impressions will only be confirmed and strengthened 

as I continue to interact with the good people of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The Gospel of Twilight?

 Many of you have probably read the books in the Twilight saga and many more have 

probably seen the movie.  But perhaps none of you would imagine that there could be lessons for Christians to learn from vampires.  Well, I am here to tell you that the Cullens have much to 

teach you about being a Christian.  No one could possibly understand better than the Cullens 

what it means to be just and sinful at the same time.  After all, they are the “good guys” aren’t 

they?  But at the same time they are the “good guys” they are also still monsters.  They are 

vampires.  Regardless of how many times they suppress the desire to drink human blood, they 

still have that desire.  They burn for a drink of that forbidden liquid. 

 The Christian is very much the same.  Sure we don’t want to drink blood, but we are 

driven by our natures to do other things.  Sinful things.  You see, just as the Cullens could not 

help being vampires, we cannot help being sinners.  We inherited this sinful nature from our first 

parents just as the Cullens inherited their vampire natures from the one that bit each of them.  

They didn’t ask for it, but they received it.  They simply had to learn how to deal with the 

situation in which they found themselves.  But the Cullens weren’t all bad were they?  They were bad, but they did not allow themselves to become as bad as they could have been.  No matter what, they were monsters, that would never change.  The Christian’s situation is a little different.  

We are also bad, we are sinners.  We will always be sinners as long as we live on earth.  But that 

is not the end of the story for us.  You see, the Christian is always a sinner, it is his nature, he 

cannot help it.  But as one of the baptized children of God he is also justified.  At one time the 

Christian is both sinful and justified.  The Christian has no redeeming qualities, just like a blood 

sucking vampire has no redeeming qualities, both are monsters in their own way.  In the books, 

the Cullens attempt to redeem themselves by use of their self control.  Such an idea is surely 

fiction.  The Scriptures clearly tell us that we cannot help ourselves.  Every thing in us is inclined 

toward evil.  We will always be sinners just like the Cullens will always be vampires.  But that is 

not the end of the story.  

 In the books we are told that Carlisle refused to drink human blood because he refused to 

become enslaved and debased by his nature.  We cannot refuse to sin.  We are too weak. But the 

bond that was once upon us is now broken.  We are no longer sons and daughters of darkness.  

We are the baptized children of God.  What does this mean?  It means simply that we will always 

be sinners just like the Cullens will always be vampires.  But the price for our iniquity has been 

paid.  In the sight of God we are justified.  How can this be?  It can be and it is because in the 

waters of Holy Baptism the stain of original sin and guilt was washed from our souls and the 

righteousness of Christ our Lord was imputed unto us.  Maybe the Cullens can try to become 

better by the exercise of their own wills but we can’t and we don’t have to try.  Christ made us 

good when we could be nothing but sinful.  So is the whole idea behind the goodness of the 

Cullens wrong?  I don’t think so.  There is one point that we do well to note.  Though they 

cannot stop being vampires, they don’t have to give themselves over to the wicked desire that is 

ever with them.  They may be vampires by nature but they are not as far gone as they could be. 

 Some believe that just because we cannot stop being sinners, we should not try to stop sinning. 

“Christ has paid for this so I can do what I want”, they say.  Absolutely not!  That was St. Paul’s

 answer to a similar question.  “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means”!   

So which way is it then?  Can we stop sinning or can’t we?  We cannot stop being sinners.  We will always be inclined to sin, but that does not mean we should stop trying to avoid it.  We do not have to give ourselves over to evil entirely.  Baptism frees us from that bondage.  We should remember that avoiding sin is not counted as merit for us.  We will see heaven only because of Christ’s merit.  But avoiding as much  sin as we can pleases God, so we should strive for holiness as an act of worship and expect nothing in return  knowing that we have already been given more than we could have ever earned or even hoped for. 

Note: This article was published in Higher Things magazine in the summer of 2009. 

To Burn or not to Burn: That is the Question

Everyone wonders whether or not it is ethical or Christian to share music by burning copies of cd’s which they do not own or by illegally downloading music from the Internet. Even if one disagrees with the laws, we as Christians are commanded by the Bible to submit to the laws of the land which God has established. This is plainly spelled out in the first two verses of Romans 13 which say, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment”.  If the law of man is set in place through the authority of God then, for us to go against such a law is clearly unchristian and it is not only an offense to the state but to God as well. So then, it is established that human laws bind the Christian. We should also consider whether or not the Bible says anything else concerning this. The seventh commandment admonishes men not to steal. So we should also consider if such acts are really stealing.

Suppose that you have been working very hard for five years to build an invention which is all your own and you are about to get a patent on it and begin to gain an income from all of your very hard work. Someone comes along and copies your pattern without your knowing it and passes the pattern around so that every one can have their own version of your invention without paying for it. That would not only upset you, but it would be against you and your own good and benefit. That is to say, that it would hurt you financially and it would mean that you had wasted your time which you gave to the project, expecting to gain profit from it. So that future income which you expected was taken from you. It is in a sense as if they stole from your future. They took what was yours from you before you even got to enjoy it.  Music is very much like an invention because every time it is played it is slightly different.  Even if sheet music is used, there can be many interpretations of the same piece of music, which are quite different from one another. So each recording that a musician makes is his or her own invention. No one else can play it quite like they do. Their style and abilities are unique to them, just as any invention is the physical outflow of the inventor’s unique thoughts and mind. This can be seen in the various bands that have their own distinctive sound and in various singers who have a style like no one else does. For example, no one sounds quite like Frank Sinatra or like Elvis or The Beatles. While they can be imitated, they can never be replaced for they are each special and have a sound which it particular to them and to no one else. It is not just the way that they play that is individual to them, but they have practiced and worked very hard to develop their own musical style and skill with what ever instrument they play or even with their voices. So, they are working with the hopes of gaining a profit. How is this different than a person who goes to work in a department store and expects his or her wages? In fact, the cases are not quite the same because anyone can do the job at the store, anyone can be trained and there is not really much individuality needed. On the other hand, the musician is quite the individual and cannot really be replaced by anyone else, because no one else can play quite like they do. The music is much more dependent upon personality and individuality than most other kinds of work. So then, it seems that it would be worse to deprive a musician of his wage than it would be to deprive a common worker of his wages. He, after all, has probably done more work to become a musician than the person has done to get their job at the mall. That being the case, it truly is stealing to take that which a musician has produced without paying for it knowing that they have worked and prepared with the hope that they will earn wages in return for their work.

There is the argument that it is ok because they do not really need all of that money, but that very same logic could be used to justify robbing a bank since banks do not really seem to need all of that money and no individual would be hurt by the robbery. None the less, it is wrong. The appeal of stealing music lies in that it is easy to do and there are not often consequences to pay and it usually goes unnoticed. But just because one does not get caught, does not necessarily mean that they are not doing wrong. As cliché as it might sound, God is watching. Not only that, but when a Christian borrows cds from his heathen friends and burns them he is making a confession to that friend. That is, he is saying “I serve God and obey him in so far as it does not inconvenience me or keep me from having what I want”. At that point the heathen wonders why you would even bother to be a Christian if you are not at least going to make the attempt to act like one.

So then there are three strikes against the practice of sharing music. First of all, it is against the law of the land and so consequently against God’s law because according to St. Paul, stealing because the musician is working with an expectation of being paid for it just as the person who works in a store works for wages. The musician in some way seems to have even more of a right to demand payment because his work is a product of his own preparation and personality where as the department store worker cannot necessarily claim that.  In Dr. Luther’s explanation of the seventh commandment he writes, “ . . .we should not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.” It is good to note that he never mentions how rich the neighbor is, but only that we ought to be honest toward him and protect his interests. Finally, the third strike against sharing music is that the person who does so makes a confession to all of those around which will hinder them from coming into the Church because they do not see you honoring God in your life. The evidence seems conclusive. We as Christians should make every effort to see to it that all of the music which we own was obtained through legal means both out of a concern for pleasing God and out of a desire to set a godly example to those around us.


Note: This article was published in Higher Things magazine in the summer of 2007.