important to be equally yoked and, in my youth, it was stated regularly that if you aren’t Church of Christ, then you are not following the pathway to heaven. While I am still Christian, I definitely am more liberal in my beliefs than many of my other Church of Christ counterparts.
He is Muslim. He prays 5 times a day on most days and has never drank alcohol. He was raised in an interreligious country where Muslims and Christians coexist and intermarry although it is still frowned upon by various cultures within both religions. He was raised to only marry a woman who was a virgin.
Ironically, we never have religious clashes. I respect that he is Muslim. I fast during Ramadan and we celebrate Eid and Christmas in our home without demeaning the others religious beliefs. Our children pray both Muslim and Christian prayers. For some, this is unequally yoked, but I always say I’d prefer to be with a praying Muslim than with a Christian who doesn’t pray, has no real belief in God, and only wears the title because it’s how he was raised.
The Beginning
He left Sierra Leone for Europe while he was in his 20s to pursue a Master's. For many reasons he never completed his degree and he began to chase the European dream that seduces many Africans. He moved from country to country working in various fields to try to create a professional pathway and our meeting interrupted that.
Our dating life was brief, but wonderful. Because I lived in the UAE and he lived in Belgium, we did our best to make it work. And although I was obviously not a virgin when we met, we decided to adhere to the guidelines of both religions and wait. We discussed marriage early (possibly too early) and we involved both families as much as possible. Unfortunately, my mother wasn’t having it. She was still scarred from my past relationship and she was not interested in me dating another African man, no matter what country, what culture, or religion. It didn’t matter.
I met one of his sisters before we married because she frequented Dubai on business. I was honored that she attended my wedding shower and an evening of poetry. We jelled, it worked. She was indeed my new family.
We married in a small, extremely modest, mosque in Belgium after several refusals to perform the ceremony because I was Christian. This was unlike my first marriage in that I didn’t hear a voice telling me not to do it. I was indeed elated, except, I never expressed the importance that I have a Christian wedding that included my friends and family; I still lament about that.
Belgium, we did our best to make it work. And although I was obviously not a virgin when we met, we decided to adhere to the guidelines of both religions and wait. We discussed marriage early (possibly too early) and we involved both families as much as possible. Unfortunately, my mother wasn’t having it. She was still scarred from my past relationship and she was not interested in me dating another African man, no matter what country, what culture, or religion. It didn’t matter.
I met one of his sisters before we married because she frequented Dubai on business. I was honored that she attended my wedding shower and an evening of poetry. We jelled, it worked. She was indeed my new family.
We married in a small, extremely modest, mosque in Belgium after several refusals to perform the ceremony because I was Christian. This was unlike my first marriage in that I didn’t hear a voice telling me not to do it. I was indeed elated, except, I never expressed the importance that I have a Christian wedding that included my friends and family; I still lament about that.