Page 130 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

A History of the Church in Africa

1212) and to Morocco (A.D. 1213) but was unsuccessful. In his third
attempt, he made it to Egypt, where he tried to convert the Sultan. While
there is no record that Francis was successful, he led the way for others
to view Muslims as people who need the love of Christ.

In a sermon on Francis of Assisi, John G. Lake said the following:

When St. Francis of Assisi was about to die, he said to his friends,
“When I am dead you can open my body, and you will observe the
cross of Christ imprinted on the flesh of my heart.” All through his
long life as a holy man of God he had contemplated the cross of
Christ, so that he had become confident that the very impression
of the cross was made in the flesh of his heart. His body was
opened after his death and this was found to be true. The fact is
certified by the best authorities. (47)

Ramon Lull
Ramon Lull (A.D. 1235–1315) is a light that shines in the darkness of
his era. He was born to a wealthy family on an island off the coast of
Spain in the thirteenth century. His parents gave him a good education,
and he served for a time in the court of the king of Spain. By his own
testimony, he lived a sinful, immoral life. When he was in his early
thirties, he returned home, where he had a powerful religious experience
that can only be described as “a new birth.” He dedicated his life to
serving Jesus Christ. For a time, he devoted his life to meditation and
prayer as a monk in a monastery. He was a prolific writer, writing more
than 300 works.

In his book, The Tree of Love, he relates the vision that became
his missionary call: “While in the forest alone with God…, he met a
pilgrim, who, learning of Lull’s chosen vocation, scolded him for his
self-centeredness and challenged him to go out into the world and bring
others the message of Christ (Tucker, 53–54).

The time was not favorable for missionary ministry to the Muslims
in North Africa. The crusades had created hostility and hatred toward
Christians and the message of Jesus Christ. However, Lull felt impelled
to carry the good news to North Africa. He learned Arabic, studied

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