Professor Lamin Sanneh

In the most recent edition of The Liguorian Magazine, Professor Lamin Sanneh was interviewed by Jeannette Cooperman (a writer) about his life and his conversion to Catholicism.  Professor Sanneh, born and raised in Gambia, is considered to be one of the foremost scholars in both Catholicism and the Islamic religion.

Sanneh is the son of a Muslim who had many wives, his grandfather an Islamic scholar.  And yet, even as a little boy he wanted to be baptized.  His conversion was a quiet and personal journey, and that makes sense given that he admits to being shy and timid until his conversion.

His story is chronicled in a book, Summoned from the Margin.  It sounds like a worthwhile read.

Here are a few snippets from the interview:

"Conversion didn't come with the idea that I had the answer to life's questions and others didn't.  No, no, no.  I just felt humbled by the experience, and it allowed me to understand why people were kind to me and did me favors.  I knew what to do with that.  People were not just there to fulfill my needs.  They were put there by God to teach me something.  Since that day, in every situation I've been in, every country I've lived in, I've always asked myself, 'Now what is it that God wants to teach you here?'"

How did he learn about the faith?

"The two books I read immediately were the Acts of the Apostles and St. John's gospel -- and then the epistle of Paul to the Romans.  The idea of a God of love was so revolutionary for me that, at first, it upset me."

Sanneh returned to his family in Africa for the express purpose of telling them he loved them.  His father had never said that to him.  The idea of love was alien to Sanneh's upbringing.  He says that once he discovered that love, everything made sense to him.

For Sanneh, becoming a Christian meant being able to love people in a way that he couldn't have as a Muslim. 

An interesting portion of the interview is when Sanneh explains how there is a void that has to be filled in each individual.  If not with faith, then what?  In many cases, Sanneh has seen people adopt a nationalistic outlook, which almost always means that the individual can't accept the culture of others. 

What he got from Africa -- that kindness to strangers is one way God measures faithfulness.

What he got from the Islamic faith -- the utter transcendence of God. 

What he got from Catholicism -- the extravagance of the grace of God.  God's generosity.

Our faith in a loving and merciful God shows us the way on our life's journey, allows us to go one day at a time without rushing, and tugs at our clothing to share what we know about God's love with others. 

I'm reminded of two hymns -- Mercy is Falling is the first.  "Mercy is falling, is falling, is falling.  Mercy it falls like the sweet spring rain.  Mercy is falling, is falling, over all over me."

And another one that says, "They'll know we are Christians by our love."

Our acceptance of others comes from the divine mercy of God towards us.  We do not stoop down to love others.  We kneel down with them.  And mercy rains on us day by day.