This article recently appeared in The Covenant Companion as “Another Voice” guest contribution.
Almost two years ago an amazing new chapter began in some efforts I have been a part of as a Covenant minister building bridges with Muslims. I had the wild opportunity to speak as a special guest in a mosque, to a community of Muslims gathered for prayer on Friday. This was their “Sunday service!” Their Imam, now one of several trusted Muslim friends, had invited me to address our efforts as Christians in bridging to the Muslim community. We’ve done a lot together since then, including a recent dinner we hosted with the John Perkins Center for Reconciliation at Seattle Pacific University for about 40 Imams and Christian leaders to build friendships and to begin to explore what we can do together for our communities. I’m now am beginning to facilitate church to mosque, Christian to Muslim, relationships here in Seattle and other places around the country. Who would have ever thought this would be possible in our post 9-11 world? I clearly didn’t see it coming.
Vitriol has been the more common characteristic of Christian and Muslim interactions, both in history but also today. In calmer moments when a bad news story has faded from our memory, we may pull back a bit on the heat, but I still hear derogatory remarks about “them” in churches I visit. Interestingly I also hear stories about “us” when I visit mosques. Clearly, there are people who are mean or intend ill in the world. Some of them identify themselves as Muslims. Some, I might add, identify themselves as Christians. I’ve met a few of these types myself so I understand the passion and concern, on both sides. But I want to tell the story of what God is doing and what we are learning. And perhaps most importantly, I want to tell how Jesus Christ is guiding our efforts.
Back to my talk in the mosque two years ago. In prayer before that evening, I felt prompted to ask forgiveness in the mosque for any toxic encounters this group of Muslims had experienced with Christians. As I looked across the room that evening, I saw people from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, India, Tanzania, Egypt, and other Muslim majority contexts. Everyone had stories. But there we were together–shoes off, knees touching, full beards or goatees, Dockers or Muslim robes, prayer beads or just folded hands. There was also a significant contingent of women with their hijabs or scarves, an active part of the conversation, especially in the Q & A. I had invited several Christian friends to accompany me in this experience, and in part to be a witness to the conversations.
We’ve learned to take our queues in this work of bridge building from the way Jesus engaged Samaritans in the Gospel story. The Samaritans were the hated religious cousins but Jesus never focused on the outer pieces of his, or the Samaritan woman’s religion. He kept going to the heart issue. Do we worship in spirit and truth? In another story, Jesus used the example of a good Samaritan, (remember they were hated by his audience), as someone who showed mercy and love to the guy beaten and abandoned by the side of the road.
Peter’s counsel to the early church in 1 Peter 3:16 is also instructive–to give an answer to the hope within us, yet with gentleness and respect. All of this lends important insight on how we should behave with our Muslim friends. But, I note, this is more than just being nice or politically correct. Strangely, in my experience, Muslims are also seeking relationships with Christians who seek to live by our creed and want to talk about what we believe. They don’t really want to play theological hide and seek. Sometimes we are tempted to play a divine beauty contest with each other, but with those we really trust, we move beyond just putting our best foot forward or giving the pitch. We can be deeply honest with each other. But we behave. We respect each other. We love one another. We share our lives and faith. Would Jesus want something less?
There was a lot more happening that evening at the local mosque. The most amazing thing that struck me was how we hung out until midnight without even noticing! When I left there was still energy. Nobody wanted to stop. Clearly, something significant was happening and I sensed a deep joy. Perhaps Jesus had a broad smile on his face and was thinking we were doing something he used to do at parties with his mixed group of misfits! We left with a wide open door behind us, a warm invitation to return anytime. I’ve been back many times–during Ramadan, for Iftar, for conversations, and even for Holy Book studies. Recently we were able to visit with a group of about 25 adults from a local Covenant church for an open house hosted by the mosque. We are in discussion about collaborating on a Habitat project together and building deeper relationships of trust.
God is up to something. Perhaps I could be characterized as overly optimistic, maybe naive, if I expected the tone of this particular experience to characterize all conversations I have with Muslims and Christians. Truth be told, this hasn’t happened. Nonetheless, this Muslim community happened to open their door and we found a way to enter that was healthy and respectful. Others have shared with me similar stories. I’m kind of thinking God is doing something new in our day and maybe we should pay good attention. One thing I have noticed, most folks in Covenant churches I visit love this stuff and are eager to learn, respect and engage their Muslim neighbors.
“People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Words from Isa al Masih. Luke 13:29.
