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Dr. Kelly James Clark writer of “Raging Fireplace of Love: What I Realized from Jesus, the Jews, and the Prophet”
I used to be midway via a week-long workshop with Muslim, Christian, and Jewish professors from around the globe when it occurred. The summary matters introduced by our preeminent professors have been heady and foreboding. However a very powerful problem, extra vital than making an attempt to make sense of these matters, was breaking down our imposing nationwide, cultural, and non secular obstacles so as to construct bridges throughout a few of our world’s deepest and most painful divides.
On day one, reenacting deep and lingering animosities, the 2 Iranian Muslims sat collectively and whispered asides to at least one one other; on the opposite facet of the room (which could have been the opposite facet of the world) the Israeli Jews huddled collectively. After a number of days collectively, although, we have been rising more and more comfy with each other, overcoming our preliminary resistances.
By day three, after being gently nudged collectively, the divisions started to crack, the teams started to merge, and friendships started to type.
It occurred on the finish of day three. One of many Israeli Jews, feeling unduly comfy, walked as much as one of many Muslims and requested, “You need to kill me, don’t you?”
The type Muslim smiled, seemed him within the eye, and mentioned, “No.”
The type Muslim then patiently proceeded to speak, with out condescension, about his emotions in the direction of Jews (favorable), Israel (not so favorable), and violence (opposed). The 2 of them walked collectively into the eating room, shared a meal, and talked lengthy into the night time.
I knew that these extremely skilled professors would enter the workshop on science and faith armed with their fears. I additionally knew that these fears had the ability to divide. But, the venture’s success—working collectively on problems with mutual concern in science and faith—would depend upon working collectively to face our fears.
Plenty of Christians and quite a lot of Jews imagine that Muslims are by nature violent and that Islam is a faith of violence. Such fears are fed by regular streams of media photographs of violent Arabs. Extremely selective and extremely unrepresentative photographs “affirm” the message that Muslims need to kill non-Muslims (Jews, Christians): “They” need to kill “us.”
However they don’t.
If we have been higher knowledgeable, we’d know that. If we have been higher, we’d know that.
I discussed that the professors have been extremely skilled because of this: even probably the most extremely educated are troubled with and pushed by worry. You may suppose that the extremely educated would know higher; that professors, of all individuals, would have overcome their irrational fears. However no.
On the finish of our week collectively, we have been all—Muslim-Christian-Jew—milling about, awaiting rides to the airport. Then that Jewish man—the one who requested that query—walked as much as that Muslim man—the one who confirmed kindness regardless of the confrontation—and with an enormous grin on his face gave him a giant hug. Hugging broke out throughout. The Iranians and the Israelis, whose nations are in battle, hugged. Christians have been hugging Jews, who have been hugging Muslims, who have been hugging Christians. Tears flowed.
We didn’t discover ourselves at all times agreeing with each other (although we realized that we agreed on so much). Removed from it. However love created an island of peace inside a sea of worry.
After every week of deliberate and generally painful bridgebuilding, of tearing down partitions and opening up hearts and minds, of studying to talk little and pay attention so much, the magic occurred: the love that overcomes worry turned enemies into buddies.
My flourishing, I’ve realized, has dramatically elevated via loving people who find themselves actually completely different from me. I’ve been invited into their nations and their houses. They’ve shared their meals and their tales with me.
I’ve realized in regards to the Ottoman Empire, the al Aqsa Mosque, Sufi dancers, and Rumi’s poetry, on the one hand, and the Wailing Wall, Ashkenazis and IQ, Outdated Metropolis Jerusalem, and the Hassidic mystics, on the opposite. And I’ve realized that Muslims and Jews, like Christians, are numerous teams. There’s merely nothing fascinating that one may say that will apply to all Muslims or all Jews all over the place and always. I’ve met Muslims who pray 5 instances a day, others who pray 3 times a day and even some who by no means pray. I’ve met deeply religious and deeply secular Jews.
My world is greater and higher as a result of I’ve realized how individuals fairly completely different from me have been raised with beliefs and practices fairly completely different from mine. And I’ve realized a number of extra vital issues by reaching out within the love that overcomes worry.
I’ve begun studying to see the world, God’s world, from the attitude of my Muslim and Jewish buddies. Taking my very own tradition’s perspective as definitive, as people are inclined to do, implies that I’ve a restricted view of the world; it’s a type of cultural pleasure to raise our social group above different teams of individuals.
However we aren’t gods. We’re creatures, mired in a selected time and place. So to get nearer to God’s perspective on the world, finite creatures must avail themselves of the views of all of God’s fantastic creatures—even individuals we worry. Muslims and Jews assist me to get nearer to God’s view of our superb world.
By attending to know Muslims and Jews, I’ve additionally realized how a lot we’re alike. Like me, they need to stay in peace amongst good neighbors and buddies; they need to stay a protracted and wholesome life; they need monetary safety and to have the ability to share with family members in want; they need to work laborious at a job they like and go to sleep with out nervousness in their very own mattress with a roof over their head; they usually need time to freely chill out and play. And, most significantly, they need higher lives for his or her kids.
“They” are so much like “us.”
I’ve realized of the love that overcomes worry from the friendships I’ve developed with Muslims and Jews. I believe right here of: Ghazala and Bruno, Zahabia and Nuh, and Laila and Enis; and I consider Sam and Silvia, Aaron and Anthony, and Ava and Ariel.
They’ve let me into their lives and world.
Peace with them is my peace; their flourishing is my flourishing.
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Dr. Kelly James Clark is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Ibn Haldun College in Istanbul. He earned his PhD from the College of Notre Dame. He has authored over 100 articles and written, co-authored or edited over 30 books. His most up-to-date ebook, “Raging Fireplace of Love: What I Realized from Jesus, the Jews, and the Prophet” is accessible on Amazon: https://shorturl.at/msJM7
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