Islam and the
Virtue of Identity
Philippians
2:1-11 and Colossians 1:15-20
In 2006 Pope Benedict ignited a fire storm of protest and outrage over a speech he made in his native Germany. In his speech, Pope Benedict quoted a middle ages Benedictine monk who called the prophet Muhammed “evil and inhuman,” especially “his command to spread by the sword the faith.” Throughout Islamic territories, riots erupted and the Pope was reviled for his remarks. The Pope later apologized for hurting Muslims’ feelings. A part of me wishes the Pope had not apologized but let stand his remarks, for I believe his remarks beg the question: was the Benedictine monk correct?
I believe the Benedictine monk was correct; it is evil and inhuman to spread by the sword the faith. It was evil and inhuman when Christians did it during the Crusades. It was evil and inhuman whenever Muslims have done it: when Muhammed took Medina by force; when Muhammed took Mecca by force; when Muslims took the Holy Land by force; when Muslims conquered Spain by the sword and marched to the doorsteps of Cathedral Europe before being stopped outside of Vienna. All such use of violence in the name of God, whether by Christians or Muslims, is evil and inhuman and to be decried.
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The example of the Pope’s remarks and the riots that they inspired lead some in the West to wonder about Islam: is it really as vile and violent as it appears to be? Consider.
· Pakistani law makes punishable by life in prison to defile the Koran: “Whoever defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the Holy Koran…or uses it in any derogatory manner…shall be punished with imprisonment for life.”
· Pakistani law also makes it punishable by life in prison or death to disrespect Muhammed: “Whoever by words, either spoken, or written, or by visible representation…innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Prophet Muhammed shall be punished by death or imprisonment for life….”
· Missionaries from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan reported to our Presbytery two weeks ago of the ongoing persecution of Christians in these primarily Muslim, formerly Soviet republics. They reported incidents of their friends, who are Uzbek and Tajik nationals, being hanged upside down for hours at a time in attempts to get them to report the names of friends or family who are Christian.
· Death threats such as those against Salman Rushdie and Ayran Hirsi Ali are well known and must be taken seriously. The film director Theo Van Gogh was assassinated by a Muslim in 2004 for directing a documentary. Do you remember what the documentary was about? Most people do not. It was a chronicle of systemic oppression and abuse against women in Muslim lands.
· Following the tsunami that devastated parts of Indonesia and the shorelines of other Indian Ocean nations, the Middle East Media Research Institute monitored Muslim clerics’ responses. Sheik Ibrahim Mudeiris, preaching on Palestinian Authority TV, railed that the cause of the tsunami was “the oppression and corruption caused by America and the Jews.” Not to be out done in the outlandish suggestions department, Saudi cleric Muhammad Al Munajiid suggested, “The problem is that the Christian holidays are accompanied by forbidden things…drunken dancing and revelry.” I am against drunken dancing, of course, but I wonder how high the wave would have been if there had been only “dancing and revelry”?
· Far more worrisome than the ludicrous rants of hysterical clerics is the pernicious anti-Semitism and degradation of Jewish humanity in the school books of children in the Palestinian territories. Such anti-Semitism, likening Jews to apes and pigs, would make even members of the Third Reich blush.
· And if brainwashing children is not vile enough, there is the “scholarly conference” hosted by the state of Iran in which over 100 alleged “scholars” gathered to discuss reasons why the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews is exaggerated or even a myth.
Given such a litany of violence and hatred, how can anyone suggest that Islam is a peaceful religion?
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Easy. We in the West receive a skewed vision of Islam in much the same way the Islamic world receives a skewed vision of Christianity. The stark reality is that most Muslims are peaceful. Think about it. How many Muslims over, say, the last two decades have acted on their faith in a violent manner? Ten-thousand? One-hundred thousand? These numbers seem quite high, but when compared to the billion or so Muslims on planet Earth, they are but a tiny minority: even using the higher figure means that 99.999% of Muslims are peaceful!
In its December, 2006 issue, the New York Times reported on the protests over the building of a mosque in Munich, Germany. The protests centered around the fact that the proposed mosque would be across the street from the St. Korbinian Catholic Church, which protesters label “a provocation.” Now it should be said that the pastor of St. Korbinian’s does not mind the mosque; the parishioners do not mind the mosque; it is others in the neighborhood who find the placement provocative. But listen to what the leader of the German Turkish community in Munich says about where they are building their mosque:
A mosque
next to a church helps intensify dialogue between religions.
We want to integrate into Germany…we want to have a presentable place, where we can invite guests and drink tea.
Goodness gracious! What kind of barbarians are these? Wanting to drink tea! Have inter-faith dialogue! They must be stopped!!!
Or again, consider. As reported in the April 16, 2007 issue of U.S. News and World Report, the Secular Islam Summit sponsored a conference in St. Petersburg, Florida on the role of Islam in public life; the summit produced a manifesto called “The St. Petersburg Document.” The three main points of the manifesto were as follows:
Ø The separation of mosque and state,
Ø Gender equality in personal and family law, and
Ø Unrestricted critical study of Islamic traditions.
The St. Petersburg Document is a kind of Federalist Papers for Muslims in America: a way to guide them forward through the shoals of personal faith and public life. It is what most Americans, I believe, hope for regarding Islam’s maturation as a reasonable voice in political debate. The question, then, becomes this: is there a way for Christians to nurture such maturation as we ourselves learn how to relate to “the other” who is different from us?
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Relating to Muslims can be difficult because we do not know who it is with whom we are relating. Is it the jihadi bent on violence? Or is it the kind neighbor desiring meaningful dialogue and offering to share tea with us? Not knowing the other person makes a relationship difficult but not impossible. There is something far worse than not knowing the other person in a relationship: what is worse is when one does not know oneself. The virtue of identity gives us the opportunity to walk in the world with faithfulness and integrity even when we are uncertain of the path we are to take. Christians have an identity: we are God’s children, followers of Jesus, called to be peacemakers. The slogan, Be Who You Are, is never more important than it is here in Christian – Muslim relations.
I learned the gift and call of identity when I was in college. This is a sordid tale of which I am not proud but its impact upon my life was significant, and so I share it with you. I was a member of a water polo team; our mascot was a stag, the Claremont-Mudd Stags. We were a confident group of young men much in the same way Napoleon was confident. One of our favorite sayings was, “You’re a Stag: act like it!” At the end of a long workout, when our bodies tired, our coach would call out, “You’re Stags: act like it,” and we would swim that much harder. We considered it our birthright to beat Pomona College, our across the street rival, and run off season after season of undefeated championships. Why was this our birthright? Why because we were Stags, of course! As I said, we were “confident.”
One night in the dorms I was being a little wimpy, whiny boy. “I just don’t think I can do it,” I told my teammates. “I’ll do it later, maybe next week.” Finally my roommate had had enough: “You’re a Stag: act like it!” Galvanized by this reminder of my identity, I proceeded to the floor below to break up with my girlfriend. When I returned some time later carrying several birthday gifts my girlfriend had given me, my roommate presumed that I had delayed ending our courtship. “Hey, man,” he empathized, “we understand. You can’t break up with her right after she gives you presents.” “Oh, no,” I corrected my friend, “I’m a Stag, and I acted like it.” I was, for the moment, the hero of my group of morally and emotionally stunted young men. Identity is a powerful motivator to action.
The Apostle Paul knew the power of identity to shape, form and direct. Paul was constantly reminding his flock that their identity was in Christ: “You are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26), “We died to sin…all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” (Romans 6:2-3), “You have been raised with Christ” (Colossians 3:1), “…anyone in Christ is a new creation…Therefore we are Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:17 and 20). These statements by Paul reflect his awareness that the Christian’s identity is found exclusively in Christ. Such Pauline statements are known as “indicative” statements because they indicate what is. For Paul, the indicative is always followed by the imperative; that is, ethics. What we see in Paul, then, is that identity precedes ethics; put another way, who we are directs what we shall do.
As Christians seeking to relate to Muslims, or anyone for that matter, we err if we focus too much on the other person. Christian ethics is, above all else, an exercise in identity. That is, we are to be concerned more about who we are than who the other person is. We do not love our enemy because our enemy is lovable but because we are children of our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44-45). So, in this context, we must ask ourselves, “Who are we?” An even better question is, “Whose are we?” We are followers of Jesus.
Christians believe many things about Jesus that are anathema to Muslims. We should not go out of our way to hide our differences nor to exaggerate them; we must merely assert them, to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). For instance, Christians believe Jesus is fully God as well as fully human. We believe that God’s nature exists as a Trinity: one God in three persons. Muslims disagree with us, for they see in the Trinity a polytheistic worship. We believe that Jesus died on a cross for our sins and that he was raised from the dead by the power of God. Muslims disagree with us, for Jesus, as God’s prophet, could never be so abused and mistreated and certainly would not die on a cross. We believe, however, that Jesus not only died but that his suffering was redemptive, that the mystery of the cross is found in God’s suffering both for and with the creation; indeed, God’s very identity and personhood shared in the creation’s suffering when Jesus went to the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby initiating healing and wholeness as a real, God-gifted possibility. We have theological differences the truth of which we must speak in love.
However, if all we do is speak, we are false prophets, the truth is not in us, for faith without works is dead (James 2:17). St Francis told his monks that they should be preaching a sermon always, “and if necessary, use words.” The Islamic world cannot hear what the followers of Jesus are saying unless and until our actions match our words.
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St. Francis lived during a time when, like ours, Christians and Muslims were at war. But as a follower of Jesus, Francis had much to say to both sides of the Crusades. In typical Franciscan fashion, however, Francis spoke with his feet.
During one of the Crusades, Francis and 30 of his friars stowed away on a ship full of soldiers bound for the Holy Land. Their being stowaways was discovered quickly as Francis and his brothers chose not to hide themselves but sat on the deck of the ship singing “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God.” The captain tried to talk Francis off the ship but Francis would not be dissuaded and the captain was not about to order their forcible removal.
Upon arriving at the front lines of the war, Francis was horrified at the brutality shown by both sides. As a follower of Jesus, Francis decided something had to be done. One night Francis and a single brother named Illuminati snuck through the Christian front lines and as dawn arose were discovered approaching the Muslim front lines. Francis and his brother were immediately arrested and might have been killed on the spot but Francis asked to speak with the Sultan. Realizing that neither Francis nor Illuminati were armed, and fearing the Sultan’s wrath, the soldiers decided they had better take these strange, little men to their leader.
The Sultan was ruler not only of the Muslim armies but all Muslim lands. His word was life, and his word was death. The Sultan invited Francis into his tent and offered him his royal hospitality; as a Middle Easterner we can assume the Sultan’s hospitality was lavish. No one really knows precisely what was said over the next three days as Francis and the Sultan talked. The tradition suggests that Francis preached the Gospel to the Sultan. No one knows if the Sultan converted or not. One part of Christian tradition claims the Sultan became a Christian but that he had to keep it secret for fear of his life. Another part of Christian tradition claims the Sultan declined to convert by offering these gracious words to Francis: “If I had met more Christians like you, brother Francis, perhaps I would become one.” Again, no one knows precisely all of what happened in a private conversation between these two enemies 800 years ago. But we do know two things: first, the Sultan gave to Francis and his friars exclusive permission to preach in Muslim lands; second, they met as enemies but parted as friends.
I am profoundly moved by Francis’ simple example. For Francis, living as a peacemaker was what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. Loving one’s enemies was the core of Francis’ ethic and lifestyle because it was the heart of his identity in Christ Jesus. It is said of Francis that he was not afraid to “wage peace.” As I say, I am profoundly moved by Francis’ example, and in the spirit of Francis I would like to challenge us all to become willing to wage peace.
Some of you will object, “But sometimes we have to make war. Remember Hitler!” Yes, yes, I have heard this tired argument before, and it has merit. Yet, while I grant that we must be willing, at times, to make war, I stand firm in claiming that, as followers of Jesus, we must be more ready to wage peace.
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Who are you? You are not primarily a doctor or a nurse, a mechanic or a school teacher. Who are you? You are not primarily an Anglo-American or an African-American or a Hispanic-American. Who are you? You are not primarily a mom or a dad or even a man or a woman. Who are you? Before the beginning of time, and after the end of all things, you are God’s child, a follower of Jesus.
I confess that I am no expert in foreign policy (except, of course, when I am arguing with my father-in-law around the dinner table). I do not know what foreign policy the United States should have toward Islamic nations. But I do know who you are and who I am, that we are followers of Jesus, followers of the One who has called us to be peacemakers, followers of the One who has called us to love our enemies. As followers of Jesus, what shall we do?
Perhaps it is too great a thing I ask of you, that you should learn to wage peace against those our national leaders have labeled terrorists. Perhaps it is too large a step to take, to pray for Osama or for the Muslims living in poverty in the West Bank. Perhaps even the idea of waging peace seems hopelessly absurd, even downright foolish, and makes you angry that you are reading this essay. If any of these thoughts are crossing your mind, please know that I agree with you: yet it is through “fools for Christ” that God changes the world.
If waging peace with Islam is too great a step for you to take. Start with smaller steps. This week: call someone you have been angry with and invite them to coffee. If this is too great a step, write them a note letting them know you were thinking about them and wishing them well. If this is too great a step, pray for them in your heart; lift up their name to the God who revealed himself in the person of Jesus. And then remember that you are a follower of Jesus.
Act like it.