Food for Thought this Monday:
Islam is a religion to which more than 1.5 Billion people have been drawn. To link Islam to a few ‘violent jihadists’ who practice a corrupt, bastardized version of the teachings of Muhammed merely confers religious bona fides on the undeserving. ISIL and Al Qaeda are not “civilizations” or “religious” in any sense of the words.
What we say matters. We need to be careful not to let our discussion about violent extremism morph from nationalism to religion. What we are experiencing is an underlying struggle for power and control and not theology in the Middle East.
In the Book of Common Prayer we ask that “the words of our mouths” … “be ever pleasing” to God. As we meditate on our upcoming week may we all be mindful of this simple prayer and respect all people of faith who call for Peace on Earth.
Leave a Reply +