Many times in the Gospel, Jesus kneels in prayer. For example, when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Gospel reads, He “went down on his knees and prayed...” (Luke 22:41). Catholics mirror this practice by kneeling in prayer as well. In kneeling, we help focus our minds and hearts on God. I recently offered “St. Francis’s Prayer Before the Crucifix”: *Most High, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me true faith, certain hope, and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, Lord, that I may carry out Your holy and true command. Amen*.
The Houston Chronicle published a story on "Muslims in American Society," a course that I guide at Rice University. I am thankful and blessed to work with students who roll with my unconventional approach to fostering understanding & knowledge. Here are a few comments from the promising students: 1). "I learned how similar Islam is to Christianity. They're both Abrahamic faiths. It helped me grow as a person - seeing our connections to other people." 2). "I saw similarities between Judaism and Islam. Seeing that commonality was really important to me." 3). "It's a topic I was relatively uneducated about. The only thing I knew about Muslims or Islam was anything I heard in the media or in my social sphere. I wasn't exposed to the actual experience of people who are Muslim." 4). "We were able to gain a better understanding of who they are as individuals, why they chose Islam and how Islam affected their lives." 5). "Even in our group of five, we can take steps in changing media relations for another community. Our projects are making real contributions. I'm not just learning about things, but I can also make a difference." Thank you to Lindsay Peyton for writing the piece, Pu Ying Huang for the pictures, and of course for the students enrolled in the course.
My journey from Needham High School in Massachusetts to 2019 is a surprising one, to say the least. My ignorance turned to curiosity which in-turn led to a love of knowledge and humanity. I described my path and lived experience yesterday with the bright students of @moravianacademy in Pennsylvania. The students provided a range of questions on freedom of religion, international politics, interfaith dialogue, Islamophobia, and US national identity. The individuals and communities represented in that room are the future cross-cultural navigators of the USA. I believe my home country is in good hands. May God watch over us all.
I had the privilege yesterday of conversing with some Turkish Muslim scholars about the history and state of Christian-Muslim relations. As we were sipping on our Turkish tea and nibbling over a plate of fresh treats, an imam pointed his finger over to a beautiful and huge copy of the Qur'an, which rested open on an easel. The imam said, "Look at what page the Qur'an is open to. I just noticed it." He then read out loud the following verse: "... when Jesus perceived unbelief on [the disciples'] part, he said: 'Who will be my helper in God's way?' The disciples then responded: 'We are helpers of God. We believe in God and bear witness that we are submitting to his will'" (Qur'an 3:52). With a big smile on his radiant face, the imam said, "The page is open for a reason." “The Qur'an is referring to you," he said. "You are a helper. You are the bridge between our faiths." The holy spirit swept across the room. It was one of those rare moments in time when the stars felt like they were aligned. It was meant to be.
*New Book Connects Vision of Prophet Muhammad and Founding Fathers* by Amy McCaig (Senior Media Relations Specialist at Rice University). Photo by Jeff Fitlow.
What did Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, think about freedom of religion and women’s rights? Did the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson imagine Muslims as future citizens of the United States? What is it really like to be a follower of the Islamic faith in the U.S.? A new, first-of-its-kind book from a Rice University sociologist answers these questions and more. “Islam in America: Exploring the Issues” (ABC-CLIO, 219 pages, $40) takes an honest and positive look at the Islamic faith and its followers living in the U.S. Craig Considine, a sociology lecturer at Rice and the book’s author, challenges the “clash of civilizations” theory by dispelling common misconceptions about Muhammad, the Islamic tradition and American Muslims. He focuses instead on the “dialogue among civilizations” to show the historical and present-day connections between the “Muslim world” and the U.S. “First and foremost, this book tries to synthesize American values and Islamic values,” Considine said. “It’s unfortunate that there are people in the U.S. who view Islamic values and civilization as polar opposites of our own, and it’s also not really true.” The book examines the rich diversity of Muslims living throughout the country — including Arab, European, Latin, African and Asian followers — and separates fact from fiction regarding Islamic traditions. Considine also tackles more controversial issues in the book, diving into apostasy, jihad, sharia and Islamophobia. “The entirety of the ummah, or the world’s Muslim population, is represented in the United States, a country that provides freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and equal rights as outlined in the U.S. Constitution,” Considine said. “Many people may be surprised to hear it, but Muhammad worked to protect these same human rights over 1,000 years before the United States even existed.”
