I loved being able to join the Interfaith Committee and learn specifically about Christianity this fall semester. Religion has always fascinated me and having the opportunity to dive into interfaith dialogues with strangers in my community and visiting churches showed me the importance of learning about other faiths. Interfaith work is important, because it breaks down the barriers faiths have between each other. Being able to talk about the scriptures with different perspectives in an organized environment is essential, because it informs without argument and it helps to eliminate prejudice. I gained a larger appreciation for all faiths and became more confident in the understanding of my own faith. I loved talking to real Mormons, Catholics, Presbyterians, Jews, and Muslims and particularly about what they believe, as well as getting to visit synagogues and churches. This committee provided me with the opportunity to visit with people and learn about the way other religions work. I learned so much from this experience and I hope to continue to more interfaith work next semester!

Jewelle Matheny

have always been interested in different religions but especially Islam because it is a global religion but has so many misconceptions since 9/11.  I am so happy I have had the chance to learn more about Islam through being an Interfaith Committee member.  All three monotheistic religions have so many things in common.  I believe that if the world focused on commonalities verses differences, peace would occur.  I have learned that culture and religion are very intertwined.  This has helped me understand that the conflict over the holy land or American’s views towards Muslims combines elements of religion and culture. Working on this Interfaith committee has helped expand my knowledge. The summit was a key part of this experience.  I loved listening to the speakers and see how much love they had towards each other even though.  Interfaith helps build relationships of trust and respect, which are extremely necessary today

The original Greek text helps to decipher what Jesus meant when he used the phrase “kingdom of heaven.” In Strong’s Concordance, “the kingdom” (number 932) in the KJV Bible, is described in the Thayer’s Lexicon as “royal power, kingship, dominion, and rule.” In all fourteen verses, “the kingdom” has the same meaning, and never changes in significance. Strong’s also defines “of heaven” (number 3772) as the “vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it” and heaven as “where God dwells.” The combined part of these two definitions, “the kingdom of heaven,” is the “royal power where God dwells and all things are visible.” The kingdom of heaven that Jesus taught through his parables is a place with kingship and a spiritual expanse.

Matthew 13:31-35 and 44-52 explain what is required to attain the kingdom of heaven by illustrating: the growth of a mustard seed, expanding yeast, finding hidden treasure, selling all for a pearl, and through separating the good fish from bad fish. These five parables have been interpreted in numerous ways because the parables do not present a literal roadmap to achieving the kingdom of heaven. Catholics and Protestants have unique conceptions and interpretations of the kingdom of heaven, but each understands the value of the kingdom that Jesus describes in his parables.

Catholics believe in a kingdom of love, peace, and justice (Catholic Church 2046, 2819). This Christian faith sees Jesus as the key for man being able enter into the kingdom of heaven, whereas before man could not. Pope Paul VI said, “Christ inaugurated the Kingdom of heaven on earth and revealed to us the mystery of that kingdom” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church). Another Catholic official, Pope Benedict XVI, said that Jesus himself is the kingdom, that the kingdom resides in all men, and that the kingdom of heaven is the same as the church (Pope Benedict XVI). Jesus’ parables taught helpful ideas to both the individual and the church. In a Catholic bible translation, The New American Bible, it says that Jesus’ parables about the Kingdom were “proposed” by Jesus, giving his word less authority than non-catholic bibles, which presents a clear example of Jesus’ influence on the church’s view of the kingdom. His proposal could be accepted or rejected by followers and the church. From the pope’s message, we learn that Catholics value Jesus’ role as bringing the kingdom of heaven to the world. The message of the kingdom of heaven parables taught by Jesus is also preached in other Christian denominations.

The Evangelical Church, a Protestant faith, believes in the kingdom of heaven and understands it through Jesus’ parables. In an evangelical sermon by Ross Cochrane, the mustard seed teaches that Jesus was the manifestation of the kingdom of heaven on earth. Cochrane talks about Jesus’ nativity and says, “in the most humble of places [Mary] gave birth to heavens kingdom on earth. This mustard seed “was no ordinary seed. It was a seed of destiny, a seed of promise, a seed of kingdom significance, the seed of the Kingdom of Heaven.” This protestant sect and the Catholics believe that Jesus established the kingdom of heaven. Christians accept the concept of the kingdom of heaven, and even though the definition changes within sects, his parables are relevant to both the Catholic and Protestant Churches.

Different scholars, churches, and scriptures, view the kingdom of heaven, as a concept that is either here now presently, is coming in the future, or that is both here and now. Whether the kingdom of heaven is here or will be here, Jesus was important to all Christians in understanding the kingdom. He taught several parables about the kingdom of heaven, and so it makes sense for his followers (Christians) to believe that Jesus held the key to open the passageway to the kingdom of heaven. Many read contemporary translations like The Contemporary English Version (CEV) of the Bible, which relates to current-day readers. The CEV is phrased in such a way that each parable is focuses on the people not the story. This contemporary translation emphasizes that what the people do is like the kingdom of heaven. The parables are used by Jesus to inspire people to take action even if “Jesus could only tell them what it was ‘like’, using the most homely illustrations… like the hidden treasure, like corn that grows to ripeness ‘man knows not how, like a feast, like catching fish, like leaven working in dough, like an employer paying wages at the end of the day. The illustrations are designed to provoke thought rather than to close the question” (Dodd). In this sense of the parables, Jesus inspired and uplifted humanity by teaching and “provoking” his students. Today Christians have interpreted Jesus’ parables and the concept of the kingdom of heaven through different lenses while recognizing the importance of the kingdom.

As I have been reading the news lately, I have noticed that many of the recent articles have been focused on U.S. relations with Iran. A few of the notable events that have been reported on are the plan to assassinate Saudi ambassador to the United States Adel al-Jubeir, cyber-attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities that the United States and Israel have presumably participated in, and most recently the arrests of CIA operatives working in Iran as informants for U.S. intelligence services. In order to get a better grasp on U.S.-Iranian relations, I was led to learn more about U.S. policy in Iran and the way in which the United States plans to achieve their goals. This is what I have discovered.

The issues confronting the United States can be divided into four categories: Iran’s regional influence, nuclear ambitions, use of energy, and its support for terrorism (as noted in the report “Iran: Regional Perspective and U.S. Policy”). While all of these topics have grasped the attention of the United States, the issue of most concern is currently the status of nuclear weapons in Iran and the country’s intention to possibly use them. In 2009, President Obama stated that America is dedicated to peruse a peaceful and secure world without nuclear weapons. In other words, the Obama administration is confident that taking steps to disarm our world of nuclear weapons would provide a safer place to live and would hopefully eliminate the possibility for a nuclear world war III. Because the United States was the first and only nation to use nuclear weapons and, along with Russia, has roughly 95% of the world’s nukes, it is only fitting that the United States be at the frontrunners in a movement to disarm (mentioned in the article “A World Free of Nuclear Weapons: Towards a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East”).

Removing nuclear weapons from nations that often prioritize security as a number one priority is a daunting task. There are currently eight known countries that have nuclear weapons including the United States, Russia, Great Britain, China, France, Israel, India, and Pakistan. It is unknown if Iran and North Korea have active nuclear weapons. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, established in 1970, has been a gigantic step forward in preventing the spread and use of nuclear weapons and 186 countries have signed the treaty. However, there is still much progress to be made.

A primary objective of President Obama has been to secure Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zones (NWFZs) in various regions around the world including in the Middle East. NWFZs are significant to the non-proliferation movement because they build confidence and trust between nations and encourage dialogue between neighboring countries (“A World Free of Nuclear Weapons: Towards a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East”). In other words, NWFZs strengthen security so that countries are more willing to cooperate and interact with one another. However, Iran has been very resistant to allowing open investigations of their nuclear facilities and claims that their nuclear technology is only used for the production of energy. Iran also argues that even though the United States is interested in getting rid of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, they have done nothing to pressure their ally Israel to lower their weapons. As long as Israel remains a nuclear state, Iran is probably going to be wary to discontinue nuclear technology research which helps to guarantee their security.

The Obama administration takes part in engaged interaction with Iran to try and sort out their differences. The main objective of the United States is to evaluate the extent of Iran’s nuclear programs and to prevent Iran from having nuclear capabilities. However, talks between the United States and Iran have been failing and many believe that the next course of action for the United States is to implement stronger sanctions on Iran. However if sanctions fail, what will be the next step? Will the United States gravitate toward the use of military force? Because the talks between the United States and Iran have been failing, many believe that covert operations that have been reported in the news are a result of their deteriorating relationship.

Sources of information for this blog entry include:

- “A World Free of Nuclear Weapons: Towards a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East” by Amir H. Zamaninia from the Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs

- “Iran: Regional Perspective and U.S. Policy” from the Congressional Research Service

- “CIA arrests in Iran? Allegations point to smoldering covert war with US.” By Howard LaFanchi in the Christian Science Monitor.

The Interfaith Committee recently attended two Christian churches for a Sunday service. I visited a Presbyterian Church, and Jewelle visited a Baptist Church. Both of these churches are open to the community and are very welcoming. At the Presbyterian Church, the order of service consisted of a variety of parts from announcements, to singing, to responsive reading, to the pastoral prayer, to biblical readings. This branch church had many members, and offers several services for different age groups. We also discovered that after the service, the church members drink coffee and socialize in the kitchen/cafeteria on the lower floor of the church. Just like the Presbyterian Church service, the Baptist Church, had a pastor who preached specifically on a single subject. At the Baptist Church, the subject for that Sunday was gratitude, and those who attended the service made gratitude lists. The Presbyterian Church service was focused on stewardship, and the pastor told a story about a ballet dancer and how others gave unselfishly to help her succeed. The Presbyterian Church also emphasized the importance of giving money and time to others. Both services were about an hour long on Sunday morning with generally middle-aged to older persons. They offer a youth service after the service we attended, as well as a Sunday School during the services. The insider glimpses of attending the services have helped us to understand more fully how others practice Christianity, and how the church influences the individual beliefs.

Earlier this fall, the world took a moment to observe the passing of the 10-year anniversary of the events of September 11^th, 2001.

The past ten years have resulted in significant changes throughout the world: China has risen as an economic power, though the world has experienced a great recession; Osama bin Laden was killed; women are emerging as world leaders; natural disasters have happened at an increasing rate; the first black United States president was elected; and technology use has dramatically increased. In the past year alone, within the Middle East, four dictators have been overthrown and Palestinians have requested UN Statehood. Additionally, Facebook has connected the world through social media, contributing to recent revolutions in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, as part of the Arab Spring.

All the while, acts of terrorism continue to attempt to destroy the ideals of various targeted parties. The sensationalism of terrorist attacks, whether it be in the United States ten years ago, England, Norway, or frequent bombing we hear about in the Middle East, is often what gets our attention, as we are constantly presented with images of death, destruction and despair in the news.

Nonetheless, we must ask ourselves: has terrorism successfully torn apart the ideal that it has directly or indirectly targeted? Expert Tom Quiggin would argue that, at a fundamental level, terrorism is a weapon of the weak, as it is the act of generating fear in order to achieve some political agenda. He also believes that the terrorist events themselves do not shape the future, rather, how we respond to the event shapes the future. While terrorism is the means to a desired end of eliminating either a persons, principle, or way of life, acts of terrorism often fail to reach this goal of ending those targets, and sometimes even strengthening them. Therefore, despite all the acts of terrorism, there is a constant that mustn’t be overlooked: the power of good.

The events of 9/11 that brought arguably the darkest cloud in American history, also brought the world’s finest hour, as neighbors reached out to help those in need. Rudy Giuliani stated in USA Today that, even though September 11^th can be considered the worst day, “Sept. 11 was also the best day because it put on display the very finest human instincts — compassion, courage, kindness, selflessness. First responders rushed into what they knew was a life-threatening emergency. Neighbors helped neighbors, and aid poured from good people all over the country and the world.” On September 12^th, 2001 the front cover of the French newspaper Le Monde read “today we are all Americans,” illustrating that the world has been charged with the responsibility to collectively battle evil with the power of good.

It may seem that we live in a world that forces protection of our own ideals over the “other,” but I would argue that we live in an environment unified by a simple concept that has a profound impact.  Love. This expression of love is shown through the acts of kindness that ordinary people make on a daily basis.  NBC’s Making a Difference program highlights these individuals and the overwhelming affect that they’re having on their communities and the world to invoke the power of love through good deeds.

The power of love, a feeling that every human desires to receive and to give, drives us to do good with our lives. Making a difference is not defined by having political leverage or economic power.  Making a true difference comes from ordinary people making the conscious decision to do the right thing consistently.  This is what empowers us all to be warriors for peace in our local and global communities.

The natural instinct that we all have to “do unto others as we would have them do unto us,” as the Golden Rule states, can motivate each of us to do good in our families, communities, for our nation, and in the world, as we saw concerning the events surrounding September 11th.  As we keep light on this daily aspiration, the world will collectively rise above the desperate acts of evil to prevail the glory of good.

Counter terrorism: Take up the arms of love, and do good.

Thinking about this blog I realized I have not told you dear readers the most fundamental facts about Islam.  So we are retracing our steps and going back to the basics. Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammad, 570-610, in Arabia during a time when the Christians were caught in a war of theological controversy. Muhammad received the Qur’an in 610, which Muslims believe to be the word of God, through revelations sent by the Angel Gabriel.  The Qur’an is the primary text of Islam and is considered perfect because of its author God.  Secondary texts include Hadith, or a collection of saying attributed to Muhammad. Muslims believes Muhammad was the last, and therefore, the most accurate prophet.  They also believe in other prophets, which include Abraham, Moses and Jesus.  Muhammad is also looked upon as a spiritual, political and military leader.  Islam gained tremendous momentum throughout the Middle East, and Asia as it united the religious and social spheres of life.

To be a Muslim means to live the religion daily, as Islam encompasses spiritual and political.  There are two major sects in Islam, the Shi’a and Sunni, where Sunni’s are the majority. Islam literally means to submit to Allah, or God.   This is one of the primary teachings of this great monotheistic faith. The five basic principles and institutions are the Five Pillars of Islam, which are profession of faith, alms, prayer, fasting or Ramadan and pilgrimage to Mecca.  Muslims also have many scared places of worship and sites as well as holidays.  Islam places much emphasis on family, community and social services.  Islam is a fascinating and beautiful religion.

This is just a brief overview but I encourage everyone of you to research more and attend a Mosque to learn more about your local Muslim community.  I attended one and it was a great learning experience about interfaith, expanding my perceptions and beliefs on this world religion.

As I reflect on the Euphrates Summit and several talks that have recently been hosted at my college campus, I notice that there is a common thread running through every speaker’s story.  For me, the recurring theme is forgiveness.  Why?  I’ve asked myself. Why is forgiveness such a fundamental idea to people all over the world?  This query has led me to think about forgiveness more deeply and I can tell that I am only beginning to understand my own answer.

My exploration began over a dinner conversation with Congolese genocide survivor, Rose Mapendo, who gave a talk at Principia College.  Rose embodies the essence of a strong woman to me—she was embracing, lively, and honest.  Rose shared many of the unimaginable atrocities that she experienced while living in a Hutu death camp for 16 months.  But furthermore, she told us the secret to how she is able to carry a beautiful smile on her face today.  In fact, it’s very simple.  Through her understanding that God was able to deliver her from suffering, Rose was able to forgive the perpetrators of her oppression.  This was not merely an action of forgive-and-forget, but it was the kind of forgiveness that repaired and transformed her conscience.  It was an ultimate example of forgiveness, to the extent that she named her twin boys that were born in the death camp after two of the most oppressive Tutsi guards in her unit.  Rose was able to transcend the cultural, political, and ethnic divisions in her native country, and now makes it her business to empower others to do the same.

My next encounter with forgiveness was at the Euphrates Summit, when the Executive Director of the Holy Land Trust, Sami Awad, delivered a powerful closing address.  His main message was based on Jesus’ instruction to “love your enemies.”  Sami made it clear through his remarks that as a Palestinian Christian, he has learned that forgiveness is the only solution that will allow people to live together in harmony.  Admittedly, forgiveness is not easy, but it may be accomplished through compassionate listening and a willingness to understand the “other,” or those who we label different from ourselves.  Sami grew up living under Israeli occupation and currently works to promote nonviolent methods toward peace by bridging the gap between Palestinians and Israelis, Muslims and Jews.  In his own words:

“The first step in loving the enemy is to love and honor myself as a person loved by God, to break free from the fear and hatred within me, and to no longer claim victimization and seek pity as a result of the oppressive forces around me… Loving the enemy means you ultimately eliminate the label of ‘enemy’ and engage in loving action to help them recognize and acknowledge your humanity. This is how to love your enemy, to really love them.”

I have also been interested to learn about Libby Hoffman, the co-founder of Fambul Tok International.  Her organization leads conflict resolution training programs and local peace-building efforts around the world. “Fambul Tok,” which means “family talk” in English, is the basis of the truth-telling and forgiveness ceremonies that she helps facilitate.  Libby recently produced a documentary film called “Fambul Tok: A Film about the Power of Forgiveness.”  This film tells the story of healing in post-conflict Sierra Leone through the intimate stories of perpetrators and victims.  Libby’s example proves the possibility of peace and reconciliation on the national scale.

Through the stories shared by each of these inspiring individuals, I have come to the sound conclusion that forgiveness is entirely possible.  It begins with ourselves because forgiveness may never have an impact on our opponent, but it relieves us from the burden of hatred and fear.  When we have given ourselves the gift of forgiveness, then we may begin to reconcile our differences with others.  Although we can’t change the way others think or behave, we can always strive to be compassionate and peaceful.  I love that none of the speakers said forgiveness requires compromising culture and values to reach a mutual agreement.  Instead, they suggested taking pride in your identity and using it to your benefit to find the common ground of security and love that we all inherently desire.  I love Sami’s statement, that by loving our “enemies” we discover their humanity and no longer label them as such.

Of course, forgiveness takes consecrated thought and an openness to change.  We cannot expect forgiveness to happen overnight, but it is a daily, moment-by-moment effort.  Although I don’t live in a war-torn society, I can relate to the feeling of victimization that each of these speakers has experienced.  I believe that the key to being a peacemaker in the world is to forgive my own misconceptions of others and to love them.  Forgiveness is something that we are all capable of, but we must exercise this power in order to be at peace.

At the forefront of the minds of those who attended the groundbreaking Euphrates Summit: Our World Beyond 9/11 were the events surrounding September 11th. As time progresses and we move father away from the fall of the World Trade Center towers, September 11th moves deeper into the recesses of our memory. Yet, this is one event that nobody will ever forget.

The question then becomes: what is it that we are going to remember from this day? Will we recall the tragedy that befell our nation and the thousands of people that died after the two towers toppled to the city streets below? Or are we going to remember the patriotic partnership that was formed between every American in the wake of this awful occurrence?

The feelings after the terrorist attacks in 2001 were mixed, but most people shared a sense of fear, grief, despair, dread, incredulity, anguish, hatred, and malice. The attack was an affront to our dignity, self-respect, and identity and the common theme of revenge was flashing across the minds of almost every American in the United States. Some people continued living their life as they had before, choosing not to face the awful reality that had just become apparent. Some were uncontrollably angry and demanded to see some sort of immediate retaliation against the terrorists who committed the act.

But for most, they did not know what to think and life became something of a nuance, where one could notice a slight different in the air after walking outside in the morning. The developed world entered into an era where terrorism became a reality and now we are faced with a choice.  Do we want to enter this new era with hatred and revenge for those who have wronged us, or do we want live in a world where we transform those feelings of sorrow, anguish, and malice into ones of love and corporation?

Moving passed grief is not an easy task. No matter how hard you try to get rid of it, grief seems to be lurking around the corner ready to catch you off guard. However, I believe that the majority of the world is ready to rise to the challenge and repent, to be willing to look away from hate and fear and develop collaboration where individuals can turn to their fellow neighbors with compassion, honesty, and a desire to forge lasting relationships. An environment of odium and anxiety is not a setting worth living in; but to build a reality founded upon principles of integrity and support for one another establishes global stability.

After the terrorist attacks in New York, the author Barbara Kingsolver wrote,

When I look out the window, I exhale a prayer of thanks for the color green, for my children’s safety, for the simple acts of faith like planting a garden that helped see us through another spring, another summer. And I inhale some kind of promise to protect my kids’ hopes and good intentions we began with in this country. Freedom of speech, the protection of diversity – these are the most important ingredients of American civil life and my own survival. If I ever took them for granted, I don’t know.

Notice, Kingsolver did not reflect any sort of anger toward the terrorists or the action that they had committed. Rather, she was grateful for what she still had in her life and for the virtues that we as Americans still share. In looking back upon 9/11, we should do as Kingsolver does and recognize that the terrorist attacks have made us want to build a better national and global community. Instead of letting fear and hatred influence our reactions, we can unite with the weapon of love and justice which is more powerful than any violent act every committed. 

So in wake of the Euphrates Summit: Our World Beyond 9/11, let’s be willing to approach 9/11 with an open mind and to challenge ourselves to look at these events in a new light. Change does not take place until our thought is in alignment with the right ideas. And, with an army of right ideas, change becomes unstoppable.

Inspiration for this blog comes from a podcast called “Who Do We Want to Become?” The podcast is an interview conducted by Krista Tippet who hosts a radio show called on Being.

The Holy Land is significant to Christians because of the land’s ties to Jesus. Jesus, the master and way-shower, lived his whole life starting from birth, to his ministry, to the crucifixion, and finally the resurrection in the Holy Land. Geographical places in Israel, like Nazareth, Bethlehem, Judea, Mt. Quarntal, Jordan, Galilee, Capernaum, Tabgha, Mt. Tabor, Jerusalem, Bethany, and Emmaus, are valued because of Jesus’ presence in spending his time there. This land was the place that the Messiah trod as he preached a new healing message. Christians value the Holy Land for its spiritual significance as the birthplace of Christianity.

Most Christians today do not live in Jerusalem. Although, one in three people on the earth are Christian, less than 2% of people living in the Israel and Palestinian Territories are Christian. The land is 75% Jewish, and almost 17% Muslim. Christians do not tend to reside in Israel, but it is still important to the history of Christianity. Currently, there are nine Christian churches recognized by Israel, excluding several informal Christian groups. The Holy Land draws in Christians who seek to visit and protect The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where people say that Jesus was crucified and buried.

As read in last weeks Interfaith Blog, we will be exploring the different perspectives of each Monotheistic faith has to the Holy Land, Palestine.  The three monotheistic faiths claim to the same area has caused a lot of tension over many years because all three faiths claim the Holy Land as theirs. This week I will explain briefly Islam’s claim to the Holy Land. Islam is the newest of the three monotheistic faiths.  Islam was founded by the Prophet Mohammad in (c. A.D. 570–632) in the Holy land.  When founding Islam, Mohammad incorporated the head figures of the Jewish and Christian religion as Prophets in Islam i.e. Jesus, Abraham, by Islamizing these figures the Holy Land also gained importance for Muslims.  The Qur’an also mentions the Holy Land and Blessed Land multiple times. Jerusalem was originally the first direction for the call to prayer.  Mohammad then changed it to the Kaaba in Mecca due to what Muslims believe was a revelation from the Angel Gabriel. The Dome of the Rock, which is the oldest Muslim monument still intact, is also located in Jerusalem.  This is the spot where Muslims believe Gabriel took Muhammad ascended through the Seven Heavens.  An important Mosque the al-Aqsa mosque, or the Furthest Mosque, built by ‘Abd al-Malik’s son, al-Walid I (completed ca. 705 ce). After Muhammad Islam grew rapidly and spread through out the Middle East.  Until 1948, when the Jews returned to Jerusalem, Islamic Arabs had control over the area both politically and religiously.