My Interfaith Story

I attended training put on by the interfaith youth core (IFYC) this last week. Part of this training focused on telling our interfaith story and so I felt compelled to share my interfaith story here. So here is my story:

I grew up in Wyoming so I did not grow up around a ton of diversity but I was lucky enough to grow up in Laramie where the University of Wyoming is located where there is at least some diversity. I’m very thankful that I grew up in a family where knowing about diversity was seen as a value. Instilled with that value I have been always interested in other cultures and other religions, though I did not have much contact with people of other faiths.

When I went to college I went to a United Methodist School in South Dakota so while there was some ethnic diversity there was not a lot of religious diversity. I tried to seek whatever religious diversity I could in college feeling that it was important as a Christian to at least know about what people of other faiths believe, but there was just not a lot of opportunity to be in contact with those with different faith traditions.

As I entered into my adult life I continued to read books by those of other faiths, but I don’t think I could say that I really knew anyone of another faith. So when my wife and I got an opportunity to teach in Bahrain (a small Islamic island nation off the Coast of Saudi Arabia) we jumped at the chance. Though I never would have admitted it at the time and hate admitting it now looking back I defiantly felt some anxiety going to the Middle East. I worried about being treated in a hostile way simply because of my Christian faith. I was further made nervous as our excitement was often met not will equal excitement for us but with questioning. I will never forget the look people would get in their faces and the sound of concern in their voices as they grilled us about this being a good idea and if we were going to be safe.

So when we landed in Bahrain in the late summer of 2007 I brought all those concerns and anxiety with me. What I found there in the relationships with those people I met was very different than those fears that others and if I’m honest that I myself had had.

Soon after we got there it was the month of Ramadan and many of my students were fasting, I decided that I needed to understand as a teacher what my students were going through so I decided to fast in solidarity with them. The faith my students had in their fasting inspired reminded me of how Jesus had fasted in the desert to find direction and the focus that my students put on the poor during that month lead me to look again at how my scriptures dealt with who were less fortunate. My students through their Islam taught me to be a better Christian.

It is because of this experience and many others during that year, that I feel more connected to my sisters and brothers of other faiths. Through working and being in relationship with those of other faiths I have learned and continue to learn more about my faith. I become a better Christian through my friendships with those of other faiths and I hope that it deepen those others’ faiths as well.

Ramadan Kareem

As I was reading the ISU Daily today I had the opportunity to read a nice little article about Muslim students who were observing Ramadan. So I read the article with great interest, and when I noticed the comments I went to read them with interest. When I opened the comment page my heart sank. It was full of hateful and frankly false speech, so I left my Ramadan wishes for my Muslim brothers and sisters, not acknowledging the commenters spreading hate, because they did not deserve acknowledging. But as I have been thinking the rest of the day I think I owe it to my Muslim sisters and bothers to write about my positive experiences of Ramadan and of Muslims.

For those of you who did not know my wife and I spent time teaching in Bahrain (the island Kingdom of the Coast of Saudi Arabia). Less than a month of us arriving in Bahrain we got our first experience of Ramadan. It completely changed the entire country for that month. Things were closed during the day so that people could observe the fast. They opened back up in the evening as people broke the fast. I truly admired how much commitment it takes to fast from Sunrise to sunset for a whole month.

I taught 5th graders and a good number of them were trying to observe the fast for one of their first times, so out of respect for my students I fasted while I was at school. Being that I was fasting I used that fasting as a time for me to be intentionally spiritual in my Christian faith as well. It surprised me just how much of a time of spiritual renewal this was for me. I got to spend time thinking about those who could not afford to eat everyday. I got to learn how to rely on God in those times when physically you are not at the top of your game but you need to keep going. I spent time thinking about all of the famous fasts that were in the scripture. And in the end I found, as I did many times when I was in Bahrain, that my Muslim sisters and brothers had spurred me on to be a better Christian.

The fact is that the people I met in the middle east were easily some of the most welcoming, accepting and warm people I have ever met in my life.

I am tempted to tell you how "they" are this and "they" are that, but I don't want to label them as "they." The truth is that "they" are us, we are sisters and brothers. I tired of the fear mongering people are people and deserve to be treated as such.

So in this holy month I wish all people a Ramadan Kareem and as Ramadan ends next week eid mubarak. And hope that maybe this Ramadan we can all because better adherents to our own faiths. That maybe we can find understanding, because we have much to learn from one another.