LeAnne Hardy, author and editor
  • Home
  • BIO
  • My Books
    • Children's and Young Adult
    • Historical Fiction
    • Non-fiction
  • Blog
  • Editorial Services

My ​Times and Places
​


​​

Muslims and Christians in Dialog

3/11/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture

This morning I reviewed the book A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue by Badru D. Kateregga and David W. Shenk on Amazon. (Click the link and scroll down to read the review.) The authors are friends, academic colleagues and team-teachers of a comparative religions course at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya. I posted my thoughts on Amazon. My review was approved and went live. I started to post a link to a Muslim friend I had thought of frequently as I read. Suddenly some of the things I had said felt harsh. I hadn’t said them in the way I would have said them face-to-face with my friend. 

Fortunately, Amazon has a procedure for editing your review after posting. I went back, cut a few unnecessarily strong words here and added a few clarifying words there and reposted my review before sending Shaleen the link. I didn’t change what I believed, or even what I said; I just found a more gracious way to say it.

Afterwards I found myself thinking about what a difference it makes to know someone in the other group and not just see people as amalgamated communities of “Them”. Recently a Minnesota lawmaker tweeted a derogatory comment about the NBA, not stopping to think that with 80% blacks in the league, his comment could be taken as racist. He was quick to apologize. I don’t think he is evil. I think, like me, he didn’t have the image of a black friend in his mind when he said what he did. 

The authors of A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue take an extremely respectful attitude. Each lets the other speak for his religion. Each points out the beliefs and values of his own religion and not the weaknesses of the other. They acknowledge both similarities and the irreconcilable differences. It is a very insightful book, both for grasping the essentials of my own faith and for beginning to understand my friend’s. That does not mean that all books must take that perspective or that readers (like me) are not free to discuss where they disagree with a particular position or why they believe their own religion is superior. A discussion guide at the end of the book encourages small groups to discuss and weigh the values of the conflicting views. 

My husband and I attended an African American congregation in Indianapolis, IN, for several years. As we got to know individuals (who were not at all like the Africans we had known in our life overseas), we gained a different perspective on African Americans in general. Our relationships put a face on the local news. They were no longer a culture group different from my own, but Sandra and Angie and Curtis and Troy, each with their own story of God’s grace.

How often do I say something, glibly assuming the whole world sees it as I and my culture group see it? Words roll off my tongue without a thought to the individuals who may feel lumped together and depersonalized by my comment. I can’t help my cultural perspective—it is, after all, my culture—but I can open my mind to the fact that others have different points of view, and although truth is absolute, how we view that truth depends on where we are standing. 

“The tongue is a small part of the body,” James says in the Bible, “but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark (James 3:5).” If James were writing today, he would no doubt have a lot to say about tweets, status posts, blogs and book reviews. I thank the Lord that this morning he brought a friend’s face to mind so I could soften my words before someone he loved got hurt. Ah, that I would think of these things BEFORE I click "publish", or better yet, think of my friend's perspective front he beginning.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    LeAnne Hardy has lived in six countries on four continents. Her books come out of her cross-cultural experiences and her passion to use story to convey spiritual truths in a form that will permeate lives.

    RSS Feed

    Add http://www.leannehardy.net/1/feed to your RSS feed.
    To receive an e-mail when I post a new blog, please subscribe.
    Subscribe to Blog

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    Author Interviews
    Current Events
    Devotional Thoughts
    Guest Blog
    Holidays Christmas
    Holidays Easter
    Holidays-Easter
    Holidays Other
    Holidays-Thanksgiving
    Missions And Missionaries
    Music
    My Books
    My Life And Family
    My Travels
    Non Fiction
    Orphans And Vulnerable Children
    Photos
    Publishers And Publishing
    Reading And Sharing Books
    Reviews
    Skating
    Theological Education
    Tributes
    Writing

    Archives

    June 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    March 2000

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • BIO
  • My Books
    • Children's and Young Adult
    • Historical Fiction
    • Non-fiction
  • Blog
  • Editorial Services