Connecting Across the Religious Divide

Fallout and Reach Out

The fallout of this service was incredible. For example, in the foyer there was a table that had been left set up from Sunday morning, where church members could sign up for service projects in the inner city. Some Muslim families went to the table and started signing up! A church member ran over and asked me, “What should we do?”

I told him, “Let them sign up!” Now the number of service projects we do with one another continues to grow as people are becoming friends.

The gathering was picked up all over the world as people watched the service on the Web. Between Dallas and abroad, the comments spoke of the deep desire for this type of thing.

A European diplomat wrote, “You earned the admiration and respect of Europeans like me, who may not turn to God as frequently but recognize the truth in your courageous initiative. If faith does not allow for that, what good is it?”

A Muslim man in the DFW area wrote, “I’d like to express and share, with you and everyone else, my uncontained pleasure on the successful event . . . I have been involved in interfaith activities for the last 35 years in the United States and never saw or heard about any such Muslim–Christian event of this nature and magnitude.”

A Northwood member wrote, “I can’t sleep, and images of Sunday night keep flashing before my mind. I believe God is speaking something powerful to me and our church through last night’s event.”

A Northwood mother wrote, “I’m so grateful our three kids got to be a part of this historic act of God . . . It was and still is out of my comfort zone. God has opened my heart in ways I didn’t know possible.”

When I reflect back on this event, the word that comes most to mind is honor. The Muslims walking in our church were smiling, heads held high, and they greeted us and one another as if they felt respected. And they were. They were honored and they appreciated it. They were so hungry for relationships and friendships.

We continue to plan similar events, small and large. Anyone can do it, really. It’s as simple as going to lunch or a movie with someone, or just sitting in your yard talking to a neighbor. At first, I knew Zia as a Muslim and as an imam, as the gatekeeper to his people. Now I know him as a man and as a friend. I’m convinced the greatest value of Christian pastors and Muslim imams is not their debates on scripture, but the ability to connect their congregations in healthy relationships in a connected world and city. Religious leaders want to sit around and debate God and truth, but if they connect their followers, those debates become far more meaningful.

Again, I want to remind us all that many Muslims don’t want to be isolated from American values or Christians. Al Jazeera, the Arab broadcast station, invited me to a meeting in Doha a few months ago, at which I got to meet with many of the young revolutionaries of the Arab Spring, men from Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Syria, and other places. I listened to their stories and enjoyed having meals with them and hanging out. These young men had caught the older Islamists—who had been working for regime change for years from an Islamic perspective of political control—by surprise. The younger ones took to the streets and challenged things. One of their most important weapons was and is social media; because of the Web, they could see what the rest of the world is like.

During the meeting one old Islamist was trashing the young revolutionaries, saying they were immature in their thinking and had no strong philosophy of leadership. The divide at the conference between the young and the old was huge. Then one young revolutionary said, “We do have a philosophy, and it’s the philosophy of human rights! Furthermore, we don’t want to trade one dictator for another dictator, even if he is religious. The greatest threat we have is the little dictator that lives inside all our hearts.”

There is much to unpack in that response, but one thing it says to me is that many people across the globe, including Muslims, don’t want to be isolated. They want to connect with the rest of the world and experience different cultures and build relationships. Another thing it suggests: America’s founding fathers gave us something that will work for the whole world—religious freedom and human rights.

Suppressing religion is old-school, and it’s simply a matter of time until repressive regimes lighten up. As Americans we must continue to model freedom of religion. Our faith was made for the public square. We don’t have to lack confidence or retreat; it’s been tested and validated for centuries.

And as American Christians, we should live it out in a way that demonstrates not just tolerance but genuine love, showing the world how to get along in a pluralistic society. When I travel, I love to jog in the major cities I visit. When I jog, I see people and the city in such a different way, seeing life as it is at street level, as opposed to being shuttled from one place to the next in taxis or planes. It’s time we get out of the taxis and off the planes. Instead of driving by one another, I want us to engage in relationships with one another at the street level.

Are you ready to stop living in isolation as a follower of Jesus? He needs you out there, connecting with and loving people. People are hungry for relationships, especially from the other side of the world. Ask God to open your eyes and heart to people. Are you ready to extend your hand?

 

Reprinted by permission. Bold as Love: What Can Happen When We See People the Way God Does by Bob Roberts, Jr. Copyright © 2012, Thomas Nelson Inc. Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Purchase Bold as Love: What Can Happen When We See People the Way God Does at ThomasNelson.com or Amazon.com>

Bob Roberts Jr.
Bob Roberts Jr.http://glocal.net

Bob Roberts Jr. is the founding pastor of Northwood Church in Keller, Texas. He is the author of numerous books and has written for faith-based publications as well as various diplomatic and global foreign affairs journals.

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