Supporting My Local Muslim Community: Reflections from a Christian Clergy Member

Hey everyone, it's a unique situation I'm in, alhamdulillah. I'm a Christian clergy member, and no, I'm not here to convert anyone-if a Muslim asked me about that, honestly, I'd say they're looking in the wrong place. For over a decade, I've been helping out at our small masjid in the city by doing unarmed, plainclothes security every Jumu'ah and during Ramadan nights from Isha to Witr. The mosque leadership knows I'm Christian, and I've made it clear I'm there representing my faith. They're not just okay with it, they're incredibly grateful and even give me generous gift cards on Eid and Christmas, mashallah. We've outgrown our space, so the community bought land to build a new mosque farther out. This has sparked some loud protests, with people waving flags and shouting about loving the Constitution while holding signs like 'No Sharia Law'-what's ironic is they don't realize Sharia means law, so they're saying 'law law,' subhanallah. It's a poor display of 'Christian love' for sure. A group from a nearby charismatic church is behind it, and some followers have posted borderline violent things online to stop the mosque. Last week, I spoke to a lady outside who called it illegal, claiming it's against the Constitution. I calmly explained that, no, the Quran doesn't tell Muslims to kill Christians or enslave people-we worship the same God, after all. She even asked about the 'funny clothes,' lol. I'll admit, parking is a mess every Jumu'ah, with cars lining up on residential streets and blocking driveways. I fully support ticketing anyone who breaks the rules, but that's a separate issue. Recently, someone put a sign with 'ISLAM' and a hate site link on our property, and a man was spotted across the street noting down cars. I'm keeping a close eye on things, insha'allah, as I pass by daily. The community's resilience is inspiring, and I pray for peace and understanding for us all, assalamu alaykum.