Understanding and Acceptance

I hope you all have enjoyed a wonderful holiday season, with celebrations and parties, time with family and friends, and perhaps presents! “’Tis the season...” as the song goes, for holly and mistletoe, and for peace on earth. I’ve long held that peace on earth might most easily come from our joint efforts at understanding one another – we’re more likely to accept another when we can understand the other’s motivations, desires, and hopes. Moreover, as we become more accepting, we’re also likely to become more tolerant of those whom we understand less, but toward whom we feel more peaceable.

You might guess that I was somewhat surprised when, during a lively family holiday discussion, one well-educated Christian asked another if the Orthodox church isn’t a part of the Catholic church. Hmm.... It’s in another column, for another time, that we might glimpse a bit of church history, but the quick answer is “no.” Christians have organized, split off, reformed, and otherwise changed their affiliations so often during the past two millennia, that it’s easy to misunderstand how one part of Christianity is related to another. Wars have been fought....

But let’s return to understanding, for example, who’s celebrating what holiday and when this month. The organization called Religions for Peace publishes a calendar (http://www.rfpusa.org/resources/jan09.html) which lists some religious holidays. A quick look informs us that Christians don’t even agree on when to celebrate one of the most important dates in their faith. Here in the west, most celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25th. But the Armenian Orthodox Church celebrates on January 6. Other Orthodox churches and Ethiopian churches do that on January 7.

Consider these:
• While the eastern churches are awaiting Christmas, western churches, (Roman Catholic and most Protestant) will celebrate Jesus’ circumcision and naming on January 1. Born a Jew, Jesus had a briss. (http://www.partyfun411.com/party_planning/events/what-is-a-briss-13.html)
• Catholics in England and Wales will celebrate Epiphany on January 4, while many other Christians celebrate on January 6. “Meaning manifestation, this is the end of the 12 days of Christmas. It also marks the day the Three Kings visited the baby Jesus. (Only Catholics who follow the pre Vatican II calendar celebrate Epiphany on this day.)”
• The feast of Theophany, celebrated in January by Orthodox Christians, commemorates Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. However those who follow the Gregorian (western) calendar observe on January 6th, while those who follow the Julian calendar celebrate on the 19th.
• On January 18, Christians begin a week of prayer for unity among all Christians. Interestingly, the same day is celebrated as World Religion Day in the Baha'i faith - a celebration of the unity found in all faiths.

Here in the Bay area, several interfaith events ( http://interfaith-presidio.org/icpnewsevents.cfm) are planned to celebrate the next US President’s inauguration, some together with observances of Martin Luther King Jr. day. Our season brings us ample opportunities to increase our understanding and acceptance of others’ motivations, desires and hopes. And calendars! Now’s an excellent time to act on our prayers for unity. Happy New Year!

Debts and Forgiveness

According to Margaret Atwood, “Debt — who owes what to whom, or to what, and how that debt gets paid — is a subject much larger than money. It has to do with our basic sense of fairness, a sense that is embedded in all of our exchanges with our fellow human beings.” (Atwood, Margaret, “A Matter of Life and Debt.“ NEW YORK TIMES, October 22, 2008)

Almost all Christians learn the Lord’s Prayer, also called the “Our Father,” when they are growing up. The words, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” ask God for forgiveness. Those words also remind us penitents that we must forgive those who owe us. In essence, we are praying to be dealt with fairly, in turn promising to deal fairly with others.

We recognize debts which arise from borrowing, and those seem straight forward. When we sign a contract to borrow money, we obligate ourselves to repay the loan. There are other kinds of debts too, and these may be more difficult for us to identify or admit as obligations. The Catholic Encyclopedia on line says:

“The superfluous wealth of the rich is due to the poor; it is a debt to the payment of which, according to the expression of many Fathers and theologians, the poor have a right, not of justice but of charity.” (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04663b.htm, retrieved Nov. 28, 2008)

In all of our Abrahamic faiths we’re taught to look after the poor. For example, the third of the five pillars of Islam is called Zakat, the “alms tax,” a mandatory donation to charity. Zakat is one of the essential duties of all Muslims, and “is used to help the poor and sick, spread the faith, ransom captives, aid travelers, free slaves, help debtors and defend Islam. . . Although the details can get complicated, the basic rate is 2.5% of all liquid assets and income-producing property. Zakat isn’t levied on housing or on basic, necessary personal possessions.” (Clark, Malcolm, ISLAM FOR DUMMIES. New York. Wiley Publishing, 2003. P. 150)

“O you who believe! Give in charity of the good things you earn and of what we have brought forth for you out of the earth, and do not aim at giving in charity what is bad.” (Qur’an 2:267)

So what does it mean to deal fairly? Surely it’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to forgive others’ debts. Throughout most of the history of Christianity, for example, debtors’ prisons in Europe held those who could not pay, and who would not be forgiven by their creditors. Debtors were imprisoned in this country too, at least until 1833. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debtor's_prison, retrieved Nov. 28, 2008) It makes little sense to incarcerate those who can’t pay, for that just isolates them from income possibilities. It makes even less sense to those who would follow the dictates of their religion. And it’s unfair.

Next time you pray (to God or to Allah or to Yahweh) for forgiveness, remember that you must forgive others in turn. It’s only fair, and right. And remember to give to the poor from your wealth.

Men of Peace

It will soon be December. Christians begin the month of awaiting and celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Christians will talk and sing his message about peace on earth and good will toward all mankind. Jesus taught, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (from Deuteronomy 6:5) and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (See Matthew 22:34-30)

Speaking of commandments, among men of peace, few stand above Moses, the descendent of Abraham who lead the Jews out of Egypt after providing all God’s signs to the Pharaoh that he should let them go. As a prophet of God, Moses’ role was one of receiving and conveying God’s messages to his people. He’s most often remembered as the law-giver who received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. We’ve all heard and learned those commandments by heart. They include injunctions against murder, and against coveting, among others.

Though some deny it, Muhammad was a man of peace too. Karen Armstrong writes, “...Muhammad: a complex man, who resists facile, ideologically driven categorization, who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept, but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name – “Islam” – signified peace and reconciliation.” (See Armstrong, Karen. MUHAMMAD: A PROPHET FOR OUR TIME. New York: HarperCollins, 2006. p. 202)

Muhammad gave us the Qur’an, which teaches acceptance of the Torah and the Gospels. For example, “do not covet what we bestowed upon any other people. Such are temporary ornaments of this life, whereby we put them to the test. What your Lord provides for you is far better, and everlasting." (Qur’an 20:131)

No matter which of these men of peace you follow, perhaps one of the easiest and most effective ways to your own personal peace is stop wanting what we don’t have. Not wanting what is our neighbor’s will surely lead us to NOT stealing it or killing our neighbor to get it.

Maybe one of the easiest or most direct ways to national/international peace is to follow the same path – to stop wanting what other nations have, and thence to stop killing them to get it. Or at least we could start talking about how to share...

A principal reason given for the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been the September 11th attack by some persons who profess Islam, but who act different from what Muhammad and Moses taught. Some might say that the US response by (mostly) Christians does not reflect what Jesus taught. Or Moses either. But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue. Some Christians will argue that these are “just” wars. And some Muslims will argue that making war on America and the West is justified to protect the Muslim “nation.” Other Christians and Muslims would argue that these two views are simply “extremist” views. What do you think?

Whether you adhere to the religion of Jesus, or Moses, or Muhammad, or someone else, I’m wishing you all the blessings – and the peace – of Christmas. May we all strive to want less what our neighbors have. And may we all strive to become like more Moses and Jesus and Muhammad, and become people of peace.

Grace, Again

I am interested in the concept of grace. Just what do we think it is? Why might we think it’s available to us? Can we earn it? Here are two of the many references to grace in the Qur’an, the Holy Book of Islam, in chapter 4:

[4.173] Then as for those who believe and do good, He will pay them fully their rewards and give them more out of His grace;... and

[4.175] Then as for those who believe in Allah and hold fast by Him, He will cause them to enter into His mercy and grace and guide them to Himself on a right path.

Muslims are told they must believe, AND they must also “do good.” But modern Christians believe that God’s grace is a gift, a continually present state, and is not something that can be earned by what they do. Must Christians “do good” to earn their rewards? According to one source, in Matthew 20: 1-16, the parable about working in the vineyard, “[Jesus] directs his disciples to what is their true reward--the inheritance of eternal life which is a reward of God's grace that is given equally to all his disciples who labor in his kingdom.” (http://www.christianinconnect.com/matthew.htm) The lesson here seems to be about God’s grace, and God’s reward for working in God’s vineyard (doing good). Recall that those who were hired late in the day to work in the vineyard were paid the same as those who had worked all day long:

Although Christians can’t earn grace, they’re still required to do good works. So, perhaps grace has two faces: Pastor David Reagan writes that grace is both “God's unmerited favor” and also “God's sufficiency or God's fullness in the life of the believer.” (http://www.learnthebible.org/q_a_what_is_grace.htm) In other words, Christians believe that God will forgive them whether they deserve it or not. Moreover, God provides strength for Christians to lead their lives according to His commands. Through His grace and their belief, they can “labor in his kingdom.” Sounds very much like the words from the Qur’an above. “...He will cause them to enter into his mercy and grace, and guide them...”

So, belief in God and doing good seem inextricably linked to grace for both Christians AND Muslims. Maybe it’s not exactly the same, but it’s so close... The Qur’an also says,

[4.122] As for those that have faith and do good works, We shall admit them to gardens watered by running streams, and there they shall abide for ever; and

[4.124] ...the believers who do good works, both men and women, shall enter paradise. They shall not suffer the least injustice.

Wishing you grace and peace, as you labor in the vineyard...

Who Are "They?"

I recently purchased John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed’s book, WHO SPEAKS FOR ISLAM?: WHAT A BILLION MUSLIMS REALLY THINK. (New York. Gallup Press, 2007) Their writings are based on “...the Gallup World Poll’s massive, multiyear research study...tens of thousands of interviews with residents of more than 35 nations that are predominantly Muslim or have significant Muslim populations.” The book’s title awakened me once again to the reality of that awful human tendency – we too often view an entire group of people based on some very small representation (or misrepresentation) of that population. Is this how we love our neighbors?

Too often many of us Westerners speak of people from the Middle East as “them.” “They” do such and such; “they” believe such and such; and “they” feel such and such about “us.” As a boy, I talked about “them.” Back then, “they” were girls, older people, the other race, the other religions, the other political party.... Like most boys, I “knew” all about girls. As a teen, I suspected grownups of nefarious stuff. We white teens knew all about the Black kids who lived on the other side of town, and the Hispanics in New York City. I knew all about the voters in the other political party. In EVERY case, of course, I didn’t really know these people well enough to understand what they really did, or believed, or felt. BUT: I didn’t even bother to ask them.

Growing up in a Lutheran family, I knew about “them” other Christian groups in my small town. The Methodists and Presbyterians were mostly OK folks, and the Baptists, though more energetic in their worship, were not a threat. At that time, the Catholics were, to me, strange folks indeed, with all their ritual prayers, and worship of saints, and fasting on Fridays and during Lent, and their statues everywhere... Many Protestants around me were truly worried when we elected our first Catholic president in 1960 – where would his allegiance be?

“Them?” I knew no one from any of the Eastern Orthodox churches. I didn’t even know the Eastern churches were really Christian churches. I knew nothing about Islam, or about Muslims, or about Jews. How could I know that, “Muslims, like Christians and Jews, believe in the God of Abraham and recognize biblical prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.” (p. 28)

Too few of us know much about “them.” So I’m not surprised that Esposito and Mogahed report many troubling conclusions from their many interviews and surveys. Here’s just one:

“Diagnosing terrorism as a symptom and Islam as the problem, though popular in some circles, is flawed and has serious risks with dangerous repercussions. It confirms radical beliefs and fears, alienates the moderate Muslim majority, and reinforces a belief that the war against global terrorism is really a war against Islam.” (p. 166)

I can identify with the majority of “them,” our Muslim sisters and brothers: “The majority of respondents in predominantly Muslim countries condemn the events of Sept. 11, 2001.” (p. 97) I hope that Christians might reflect on this and conclude for themselves that Muslims too seek to love their neighbors. Meantime I also hope that many in the West read this book. Moreover, I hope that someone writes the companion for “them,” reporting what a billion Christians really think.

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This year, Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset, September 29. Wishing you many blessings.

What Are You Looking Forward To?

The other day a good friend asked me, "What are you looking forward to?" I responded, without much thought, about finishing the little renovation at home, and about the next music festival. Others might have spoken about the coming school year, or retirement, or the birth of a child.

Giving the question more serious thought later, I realized that the whole idea of "looking forward to" some future event often eclipses for us the idea of living in the moment. The song, "No Day But Today" from the musical "RENT" expresses the idea this way:

There is no future. There is no past. I live this moment as my last.
There's only us. There's only this. Forget regret or life is yours to miss.
No other road. No other way. No day but today.

Unlike the characters in RENT, many of us have some considerable lifetime ahead of us. Still, we're mindful of how important living today is, and how it impacts our futures. Since my college years I've carried this quotation with me, ascribed to an unknown, perhaps Hindu, writer:

"Look to this day, for it is life, the very life of life, and in its brief course lie all the verities and realities of your existence: The bliss of growth, the splendor of beauty, the glory of action. Yesterday is already a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well therefore to this day. Such is the salutation of the dawn."

If you believe there is no day but today, you'll no doubt wish to live this day well. As a true believer -- whether Muslim, Jew, or Christian -- you'll consider following the commandments of your faith to be living "well." I mean to include here ALL the commandments. That probably means for some Jews, living according to the laws of the Torah. Muslims will testify, pray five times a day, help the needy, fast and reflect during Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Christians will focus on living out the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.

Living "well" this way fits appropriately with belief in the Day of Judgment. "The three Western monotheisms share the belief in an end to history and time at which point occurs the resurrection of all who have lived, the judgment of those now resurrected, and their entry into heaven or hell." (Clark, Malcolm, ISLAM FOR DUMMIES. New York, Wiley Publishing, 2003. P 68)

Judgment Day is probably not something that most of us "look forward to," but it is something that the faithful among us recognize and accept. Paradise or heaven is desired by most of us (as opposed to hell) and so, at some level, we are looking ahead to that. And while many of us believe that the unearned or unmerited Grace of God will save us, many of us also believe that "good works" will help too. "Throughout judgment, however, the underlying principle is that of a complete and perfect justice administered by Allah . . . . similar to some Protestant theologies that state that salvation is by the grace of God, and not by deeds. Islam, however, emphasizes that grace does not conflict with perfect justice."

A local billboard advertisement for a bank might motivate us to look toward our futures as we help the needy (love our neighbors) while having faith in the grace and perfect justice of God: "Make the most of your someday." Between now and someday, may we each live "well" today.

Wishing you Ramadan Mubarak (a blessed Ramadan) September 1 to 30, 2008.

Churches and Nations

On Independence Day this year, the United States of America commemorated its 232nd birthday I was happy to celebrate, although I was singing songs of peace that day, not songs of war and victory. “This is my song, O God of all the nations...”[2] Here are some thoughts about “all the nations.”

Our Scriptures help explain to us why we have nations. For example, to search for God:

Acts 17:26-27. From one ancestor [God] made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him--though indeed he is not far from each one of us.

The Qur’an speaks of nations being tried, and competing in good works:

Qur'an 5:48: "If God had willed he would have made you one nation. But He did not do so, that he may try you in what has come to you. So, compete with one another in good works; Unto God shall you return, altogether, and he will tell you the Truth about what you have been disputing."

How many of us search for God, and find God, in the service (“good works”) we do? I think it’s fair to say that some of us do this regularly, and many others of us have done this or will do it. But could we say with certainty that our nations “compete in good works?” Probably not, or probably not very often. Wars seem to be nations’ most common way of competing, but neither trade wars or shooting wars seem to me to be good works, nor a way of finding God.

Churches and nations intersection and often overlap. In Genesis 12:2, YHWH tells Abram (Abraham), “I will make a great nation of you.” Perhaps Israel provides the easiest example of overlap, because for modern-day Israel, Judaism is the state religion. Israel, it is believed, was created by God for the Jews. In fact, a large portion of the book of Leviticus relates the “technology” of how Judaism was/is supposed to work for the Jews – both the priests and the laity.

Later, in Genesis 17:20, YHWH tells Abram that He will make a “great nation” of Ishmael too. Two great nations, and each developed its own strong religious heritage. And today, nations and religions get tangled up around how we humans try to govern ourselves. Many in countries in the Middle East, who might be descendents of Ishmael, want their governments to govern according to the Qur’an. In their view, God’s law, revealed in the Qur’an, should be the basis for governing. Likewise, some in America want our government to reflect Christian values and teachings. A few want our government to evangelize. I’m not one of those.

Nations beget nationalism. According to Dr. Muqtedar Khan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware, “Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion and nationalism in its extreme form begins to subvert the very idea of One God...God is blind to nationality, ethnicity and race.”[3] Dr. Khan is saying that we must beware extreme nationalism, because the nation can take the place of God for some, becoming the object of worship and adoration.

So when we pledge, “...one nation, under God...” we’re reminded of what we adore and worship. We’re also reminded that, while we are one nation under God, we’re not the only nation under God. From my perspective, extreme nationalism gets in the way of our worshipping the one God Abraham proclaimed. Also, it gets in the way of us (and our nations) searching for God, and competing in good works.

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[1] This is one of a series of occasional columns in which the author, raised in the Christian tradition, searches for common ground and common history among the teachings, beliefs and practices of adherents of the Abrahamic faiths -- Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

[2] “This is My Song” (Finlandia) Music by Jean Sibelius (1899) / Words by Lloyd Stone (1934)

[3] from http://www.ijtihad.org/Mosques-Flags.htm