Living Together in Unity

“How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” 

Psalm 133

This past Saturday evening I, along with a few other Saint Alban’s folks, attended an interfaith dinner that was hosted by the Islamic Center of Lake Norman and held at Saint Patrick’s Episcopal church in Mooresville.  As far as I know, this was the first gathering of its kind in our area. Members of all three Abrahamic faiths (and others) were in attendance.

As you may be aware, the Islamic Center of Lake Norman (ICLN), based in Mooresville, has in recent months been the target of prejudicial and hate-filled rhetoric, simply because they are finally in the position of being able to build their own Masjid (they have been renting space for their various gatherings).  The ICLN has existed since 2011 and many of its members have lived in our area for decades, contributing in various ways to the well-being of our communities. However, when news of the building project became public, there was an Islamophobic outcry against them.

While it has been deeply painful to witness the unwarranted accusations and vitriol directed against them, it has been incredibly heartening to see leaders and members of various faith communities in our area come together in strong support of our Muslim neighbors. This culminated in the interfaith dinner on Saturday, which was a beautiful acknowledgement of our shared roots and common humanity, while respecting our differences.  It was a remarkable and inspiring moment of finding unity amid diversity, of peace-making in a time of extreme divisiveness, and of prioritizing neighborly love.  Julia and I left the dinner with a renewed sense of hope. 

As I sat at a table dining with three Christians, two Jews, and two Muslims, I was acutely aware of the infrequency of such interactions in our deeply divided world.  Paradoxically, in this age when technology has made us ever more connected, polarization and us-versus-them dynamics seem ubiquitous. I was reminded at this interfaith dinner that the best antidote for this kind of enmity is to reach across the divides and have authentic face-to-face encounters with those who differ from us.  There is obviously a long and complex history at play in such interfaith relations, but that should not be a barrier to efforts towards peace and reconciliation.  Ours was a relatively small, local effort, but it was a profoundly moving moment of hope.  I think Jesus smiles when such things happen! 

Peace/Shalom/As-Salamu Alaykum,

Kevin+