Loving Like and Following Jesus Means Honoring Women
Part One: Loving Those Who Worship Differently

I am a Christ-follower, and because of that, I respect and support women observing Ramadan. Not in spite of my faith—but because of it.

Too often, people think faith is about drawing lines—who’s in, who’s out, who’s “right,” who’s “wrong.” But Jesus didn’t come to build barriers; He came to bring the Kingdom of God—a kingdom that welcomes, that loves, that recognizes the divine imprint on every single soul.

Let’s talk facts:

• Jesus first revealed Himself as the Messiah to a Samaritan woman—not a Jew, not a man, but a woman who was an outsider in every sense (John 4:7-26).
• He healed and performed miracles for those who didn’t even believe in Him (Luke 17:11-19, Mark 7:24-30).
• He publicly praised the faith of a Roman soldier—someone His own people viewed as an enemy—saying that this outsider had more faith than all of Israel (Matthew 8:5-13).

So, who am I to not welcome all? Who am I to not acknowledge the sacrifice and devotion of women during Ramadan? Who am I to think my love should be conditional when God’s love never is?

Radical Agape: The Love That Transcends Boundaries

Love—true love, the kind Jesus taught—isn’t just kindness. It isn’t just being polite. It’s radical, boundary-breaking, deeply uncomfortable love. It’s agape love.

Jesus didn’t love people after they cleaned up their lives or after they started following Him. He loved them first. He washed the feet of the man who would betray Him. He healed the ear of the soldier arresting Him. He forgave the people who tortured and executed Him.

If that’s the love we claim to follow, then why do so many Christians hesitate to show it when it’s inconvenient? When it means standing beside someone different? When it means recognizing the faithfulness and devotion of someone who doesn’t worship exactly like we do?

Agape love isn’t weak—it’s the strongest force on Earth. It is the love that welcomes the outsider, heals the broken, and tears down the walls we build between each other. It’s what set Jesus apart from every religious leader of His time. And it’s exactly what we are called to model.

Why This Love Matters Now More Than Ever

We live in a world that thrives on division. Politics, religion, social issues—everything is a battleground. People are quicker to argue than to listen. Quicker to condemn than to understand. But that is not the way of Christ.

Jesus didn’t love people by agreeing with everything they did. He loved them by seeing them fully, valuing them, and reminding them that they mattered. That’s what I choose to do, especially for women who are sacrificing, praying, fasting, and seeking God during Ramadan.

I don’t follow Ramadan myself. That’s not my faith, and I have no reason to pretend otherwise. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care—that I don’t see the dedication, the discipline, the surrender it takes. That I don’t respect the women who rise before the sun to pray, who fast not just from food but from distractions, who seek closeness with God in a way that requires sacrifice.

Respecting someone else’s faith and discipline doesn’t weaken my own. If anything, it strengthens it—because it means I am confident in the truth of who Jesus is without needing to diminish someone else in the process.

Jesus Came for the Kingdom—Not a Club

Jesus didn’t come to evangelize or start a religion. He didn’t walk this Earth to create a membership club for the "worthy." He came to show us the Kingdom of God—and that Kingdom includes everyone.

Before any Christ-followers come for me, yes, Jesus is the only and one true way. But if that’s all you got from what I’m saying, you’re missing the entire point of what Jesus did when He walked this ghetto Earth.

Loving and respecting others isn’t compromise—it’s obedience. It’s exactly what Jesus modeled. He didn’t demand that people meet a religious checklist before they could receive His love. He loved first. He welcomed first. He healed first.

And that is why, as a Christ-follower, I honor, respect, and support women observing Ramadan. Because love—real, Christ-like love—isn’t limited to those who worship like me. It sees the image of God in everyone. And that is exactly what I choose to follow.

Toodles!

Yours in stardust,

Kathryn