LENTEN SERIES - OUR MUSLIM NEIGHBORS
As you know, during the Lenten season we normally have a series of guest speakers as part of our Lenten supper. This year we are going to feature the same speaker for four sessions. Dr. Faheem Younus, is a doctor at Upper Chesapeake and a devout Muslim.
Originally from Pakistan, Dr. Younus, has lived in the US since the mid 1990’s and has given courses or lectures on Islam for many years. Chasity met him while she was doing chaplaincy training at UCLC and we asked him if he would be willing to spend some time with us educating us on Islam, the Koran, Muslims, and Moslem culture.
There are more than a billion Muslims in the world, several million living in the US among us as neighbors. There have always been tensions between Christians and Muslims, but there also have been times when we have lived together in peace. Because our faith tradition descends from Abraham and we believe in Abraham's God, Muslims consider us “people of the book”, and sisters and brother in the faith. Christians worship freely in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Morocco and Indonesia, as do Jews in all predominantly Moslem lands. Of course, there are tensions but there is a recognition that we have much in common and share a religious sympathy.
Since September 11, 2001 and our recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we Christians have come to see Muslims as “others” as never before. Stereotypes prevail that Muslims are violent, intolerant, sexist, backward and a host of other negative images. They have become our “enemies” yet Jesus calls us to love our enemies. Love begins when we talk and come to understand one another. I think you will find Dr. Younus an amazing spokesman for his faith. His passion for God and love of God literally shines through him.
We want to begin building his talks around your concerns and interests. The first talk on Wednesday, February 29 will be on Islam's five “pillars” and the role the Koran plays in informing the life of Islamic people. From then on, for the following Wednesdays evenings, we will develop lectures based on what you want to know.
We live in a world that is increasingly growing closer and closer together. God calls us to build bridges of peace and understanding. Please join us this Lenten season as we work to construct one with our Moslem sisters and brothers.
On the last night of our Lenten series Wednesday, March 28 we are going to open the discussion and invite colleagues, schoolmates or friends who are Moslems to eat and to worship with us as an outreach into our community. If you know Moslem folk, this would be a great time to welcome them to know us better too.
Lent is a holy time, a holy season. “Holy” means set apart by dedication to God. Let this Lent be a blessing to you.
In Christ,
Pastor John
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