Webster Word

OPINION

OPINION is a spot for members of the Congregation to express their opinions on spiritual subjects. Submittals may be original or copied material with attribution properly noted. (300 to 400 words or less)

Loving God and Neighbor

During October 2007, a group of 138 Muslim scholars and leaders issued a call for dialogue with the Christian world in an open letter entitled, “A Common Word between Us and You.” The ‘common word,’ according to this collection of moderate Muslims, is the fact that Jewish, Christian and Muslim scripture share the commands to ‘love God and to love neighbor.’ Also, it was noted that Muslims and Christians make up well over half of the world’s population and without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world.

During November 2007, a group of North American Christian leaders, including Ian Torrence, President of Princeton Theological Seminary, and leaders at Yale Divinity School, issued a response to the Muslim scholar’s open letter. This response is entitled, “Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to A Common Word Between Us and You.”

In the Preamble of their response, these leaders noted, “Muslims and Christians have not always shaken hands in friendship; their relations have sometimes been tense, even characterized by outright hostility. Since Jesus Christ says, ‘First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye’ (Matthew 7:5), we want to begin by acknowledging that in the past (e.g. in the Crusades) and in the present (e.g. in excesses of the ‘war on terror’) many Christians have been guilty of sinning against Muslim neighbors. Before we ‘shake your hand’ in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world.”

The authors of this response went on to say, “We are persuaded that our next step should be for our leaders at every level to meet together and begin the earnest work for determining how God would have us fulfill the requirement that we love God and one another.”

This response has been endorsed by over 300 other Christian theologians and leaders. Jewish leaders also have responded. For more information on this momentous happening, visit:

www.acommonword.com and www.yale.edu/faith.

Submitted by Larry Guess