Twenty years ago today, I took an unread Koran from my office bookshelf, knowing that for the “second half” of my professional life (which began in 1970), Christian/Muslim relationships would be a dominate issue. I took the Koran home that night and began reading.
I immersed myself in Islam’s holy book. I attended a lecture by a visiting Muslim scholar at Birmingham-Southern College. I visited a Mosque. I re-read books and articles I had read about Islam. Various groups in our congregation wanted to learn about Christian/Muslim relationships.
I knew I had much to learn. Twenty years later, I still have much to learn. Today, I added a new page to this blog, “Twenty Years Later.” The page includes an extended outline that I used in the weeks following 9/11/01 in various settings within a large Christian congregation.
The last paragraph of this new page is from a prayer I offered in worship on Sunday, September 16, 2001:
May God remove any prejudice or intolerance within us lest we mirror the hatred that hurled itself upon us. May we always remember that this violence came from a small, misguided minority among millions of peace-loving Muslims. May this crisis awaken people of all faiths to affirm our common humanity and may each person embrace the best principles of his or her religion as people of faith lead the world to peace. May our Christian witness embody the grace and spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord.
ted.today 
Ted
I was in the congregation the day you said this prayer at our church.
I needed to hear those words.
They were most helpful for me that morning and I still remember you doing that prayer
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Thank you, Stephen. I don’t have the words to respond now. I feel pretty full. Thank you.
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Lovely prayer, heeded by many, but not by many others.
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Indeed. When I get discouraged or impatient, I’m helped by Pierre Teilhard’s view that humanity is still in its early stages. It’s a long-term prayer. 🙂
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