What I want my children to know about faith, respect, and the power of our words: A reflection from a mother’s heart in a noisy world

Dear kids,

You’re still small now, but one day you’ll scroll.

You’ll read headlines and captions.

You’ll see videos — some meant to inspire, others meant to “correct.”

And I want you to be ready.

Because not every voice that speaks of God carries His heart.

Not every post that claims to share the truth is guided by wisdom.

And not every person who says they’re “just sharing” is being careful with what they share.

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I’m your mother.

I work in communication, where I’ve learned how words shape people.

And I’m also someone who’s grown up in faith — sometimes holding it tight, sometimes wrestling with it, but always believing it matters.

So I want to tell you this now:

Words are powerful.

Especially when we speak about what others believe.

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I’ve seen too many posts passed around lately that claim to “expose” other faiths or denominations.

Posts that call churches deceived, traditions empty, or entire communities blind.

Sometimes they come with soft captions — something like “just for reflection.”

But that doesn’t change what they do.

They divide.

They confuse.

And they hurt.

Because even when the intention isn’t to harm, the impact often does.

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People may tell you they’re just “being bold” or “standing up for truth.”

But truth that forgets compassion isn’t truth.

It’s performance.

And I want you to grow up knowing the difference.

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I once walked away from faith — not because I didn’t believe in God, but because of the way people spoke in His name.

I felt pushed out, not invited in.

Corrected, but not loved.

What brought me back wasn’t argument or pressure.

It was love.

The quiet, steady love of my parents.

The gentleness of a community that didn’t need to be loud to be faithful.

The slow rediscovery of God in Scripture, silence, and service.

That’s what I want for you.

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Not the loudest faith.

But the most kind.

Not the one that argues to win.

But the one that listens to understand.

Not the kind that tears others down in the name of being right.

But the kind that reflects Jesus in how it makes others feel.

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I was born and raised in the UAE — a place where I grew up surrounded by people of many different faiths.

Now, your dad and I are raising you here too.

From a young age, I was taught to welcome and respect others, regardless of belief.

That upbringing shaped how I see the world — and it’s why I believe, so deeply, that disrespect disguised as piety is not righteousness. It’s pride.

And I hope you’ll always be wise enough to tell the difference.

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So when you grow up and see something online that calls other people’s faith “wrong” or “blind,”

I want you to pause.

Ask:

Is this post building something… or just breaking someone?

Does it sound like Christ… or just sound clever?

Because in the end, our faith won’t be measured by how loudly we spoke — 

but by how deeply we loved.

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To those quietly holding onto faith — you are seen.

To those hurt by public shame dressed as righteousness — you are not alone.

And to my children, and yours, and every soul still learning — may you grow into people who make the world softer, not sharper.

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From your mum, trying to raise you with faith, kindness, and truth in a noisy world.