Friday, September 17, 2010

So, What is "A Christian Response to the Ground Zero Mosque"?

Ground Zero, with Google EarthImage by Stijn Vogels via FlickrSarah Cunningham gives her answer in a post called "A Christian Response to the Ground Zero Mosque" over at Q Blog.  I have struggled with this issue, as have many (or all) persons of faith.  This response of Sarah's resonated with me. 
I’ve been encouraging Americans, particularly people of faith, to make a purposeful attempt to pump love and grace into our culture rather than to add to volatile or antagonistic attitudes that could fuel further violence as it escalates. Does this mean I am abandoning my spiritual or moral positions in favor of relativism? Absolutely not. I do not pretend that I see the Muslim faith and Christian faith as compatible and I do not rescind that I believe the best hope for healing in our communities is found solely in the way of Christ. Political correctness aside, I am not ashamed to say this.
(Thanks to DashHouse for this.)
I have always thought, along with, I think, Mother Teresa, that "There is no way to peace.  Peace is the way."  I think that phrase can be shifted to say, "There is no way to love.  Love is the way."  Or, "There is no way to grace.  Grace is the way."  When I am questioned about our food pantry and whether or not we are giving this or that family too much, my response is that "I would rather err on the side of giving too much than too little."

I DO NOT and WILL NOT diminish or lessen or make light of the loss of life on 9/11.  It was a horrible attack by a group of persons...killers.  Those killers were Muslim.  But that doesn't make all Muslims killers any more than Christians who kill abortion doctors making all Christians killers.
I'm actually not saying here that there should be a mosque near Ground Zero as is being planned at this time.  I'm merely saying that we need to approach this issue on a basis of what response from the Christian community brings grace and wholeness to the conversation while being honest about our characterizations (and mis-characterizations) of the Islamic faith and our own baggage that we bring to the table.  We can do so without abandoning our faith in the process.  More importantly, perhaps it is by doing so that we are most clearly embracing our faith.
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