America, Who Are You? God's People, Where Are You?

America who are you? Underneath the red, blue, and white? America who are you? I wonder who you are tonight. America who are you? Is God still on your side? I want to see a nation rise above the fear and fight that haunts these streets tonight. 

- "Looking for America" by Switchfoot and Lecrae

Brace yourself. This post will be long and it will contain controversial views and you probably will not agree with everything I have to say. I ask that as I share my thoughts and my heart that you listen openly and then respond as you will. I want to share with you what I did today and why. I spent the first part of my day attending classes that teach me all about God and what it means for me to be His, just as I do everyday. My day continued with conversations, homework, chapel, and attending a protest in Minneapolis. I attended this protest because I want to stand with my brothers and sisters who are refugees. From what I know about God, who I am, and who my refugee brothers and sisters are, I believe this was right. I will tackle why I did so. Then I will address why I chose to take action through protesting. Finally, I will address what the protest itself was like and finish with a few concluding thoughts.

I stand with my brothers and sisters first and foremost as a citizen of the kingdom of God. Didn't see that one coming, did you? As a citizen of the kingdom of God, I see my first priority to be to follow the wonderful ways of my good and wise King. Throughout the Old and New Testaments my King has not merely suggested but commanded His people to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, stand up for the oppressed, give a voice to the voiceless, and welcome the stranger in. (If you doubt this, see the following samplings of Scripture: Leviticus 19:33-34, Deuteronomy 10:18-19, Exodus 23:9, Job 31:32, Isaiah 1:17, Isaiah 58:10, Matthew 25:31-46, Philippians 2:3-4, Malachi 3:5, Hebrews 13:2) And if you don't think refugees are suffering or in need in any way, I would humbly ask you to open your eyes wider. As a citizen of a greater kingdom, I know that each person is made in the image of God and thus has immeasurable value. So much value that in fact the value of the life of a refugee from Syria or Somalia or anywhere else is actually the exact same as your own. Imagine that. There is no hierarchy in this kingdom. Inconvenient for you? It is sometimes for me too because it means I have to look beyond myself and recognize that maybe I am not any more important than everyone else.

The second role I come from this is that of an American citizen. I only have two notes on this point. One is the obvious fact that it is quite ironic for a bunch of fairly recent immigrants to push away a newer batch, especially when they are in a very critical position. I myself am just a third generation American born girl whose family came here from Sweden. Second, I want to address this safety (or as it is probably more properly labeled - fear) driven side. I acknowledge our need for having security as a nation. However, the argument that our vetting process needs work is extremely weak. You can read up on our very thorough vetting process for refugees as it stands here. Also, there has not been one American killed by a terrorist from any of the countries that have had the ban placed on them.

Third, I come looking at this issue as simply a human being. I know it is very easy to dehumanize refugees, especially when you don't always see pictures or hear personal stories or know any. However, I have. I have seen pictures, read stories, and known refugees. Nothing will turn your heart so quickly towards these people like truly knowing a few of them.

So that is why I am for the refugees. Now with the list of things I can do to support this cause, why choose to protest? I will be the first to admit I have never protested anything and I did not really think I ever would. I am not a huge fan of crowds, especially angry crowds like the media often shows. And at the end of the day, I do not think protesting alone will change everything we want to have changed. But I do believe it is a strong start. It causes people watching the news and government to recognize the thousands standing together to fight an issue. These protests serve as conversation starters and can lead to great change in thoughts and actions.

Finally, if you are still with me I hope to share what it was actually like to protest today. I went with two of my fellow local outreach leaders from the university I attend who lead a ministry that reaches out to the international community (I get the great privilege of being a tutor through the ministry to a sweet Somali family) as well as a friend who is heavily involved in our multicultural group on campus. We rode in to Minneapolis on the light rail. One of my fellow students and I sat by an older woman. She asked the woman how her day was and where she was headed. Much to my surprise she was going to the protest. When asked to explain her heart for the cause she explained that she is a retired social worker. At the conclusion of this conversation we met a couple of other college kids going to protest. Then we saw dozens more protesters flock onto the light rail over the course of the next few stops. When we arrived at government plaza we then encountered thousands of protesters. We shuffled our way through the crowd and took our places. We held our signs displaying history, current data, quotes from the statue of liberty, and Bible verses & shouted in unison both our grievances and supports. Everyone else did the same. I was shocked to see the immense diversity of people there. Literally everyone was there. Young moms. College kids. Retired people. Singles. Couples. Families. Friends. Natural born citizens. Immigrants. Asians. Hispanics. African Americans. Scandinavians. Introverts. Extroverts. Politically-minded. Non-political. Christians. Muslims. Atheists. It was an incredible thing to see people stand up. Not just for themselves but for their brothers and sisters. I reflected upon that as we stood there in the cold. What would it be like to be preparing to come to America after a long waiting process & have one man and his bandwagon tell you that after all that time you actually cannot but then have thousands of people you have never met fighting for you? The whole protest was peaceful. It was filled with compassion and a desire to see justice. 

I hope that in this next season we truly do see people stand up for one another like I saw today. What if we actually lived like this - like we were our brother's keeper? What could that look like in your household, neighborhood, city, state, country, or world? I hope we see Americans set aside their "America first" attitude long enough to look into the eyes of the people they are trying to turn away. I hope the church thinks twice before deciding to "not get involved in political matters" and truly be the Church that Christ would ask us to be. I hope we all make choices we are proud of. I hope that when your children or your grandchildren ask you about this some day you will be able to tell them you fought for the refugees. This is my hope and these are my prayers.

How Does the Christian View of God Compare to that of Other Religions?

Are there any similarities between how God is viewed by Muslims and Christians? How about between Hindus and Christians? What about between Animists and Christians? Are there any similarities between Jews and Christians?

There is an endless list of religions, cults, and worldviews. The interesting thing is that many of them point to some form of a High God. In fact, many of the beliefs and attributes of gods of various religions actually point towards the true God, the God of the Bible. Various religions talk about God being personal, all powerful, compassionate, eternal, and all knowing. Most consider God to be the creator of the world and many consider Him to be the final judge.

Those who adhere to the Islam faith believe in one God who is the creator of the universe. He is all powerful and has spoken to the world through many means including prophets, written word, and angels. He knows the thoughts and deeds of people and someday will judge all the evil of the world (Halverson, 110). All these views align with what the Bible teaches. In Genesis 1:1 it says that God created the heavens and the earth. The Bible constantly speaks of the power of God and throughout it He can be found speaking through prophets and angels. Psalm 139:2 affirms the idea that God knows our thoughts and deeds when it says “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” The Bible also confirms that God will judge the evil of the world in many verses including Ecclesiastes 3:17 which says “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed."

Hindus believe in millions of Gods. In fact, in Death of a Guru Rabi says that to him God is everything and everything is God (Maharaj, 24). Still, they also hold some views of God that are similar to Christians. Although they believe that God is impersonal and has no moral distinctions (Halverson, 89), they do believe God is extremely powerful just as it says He is in the Bible. Psalm 147:5 says “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit”. In Artharva Veda it says “most humbly we bow to You, O Supreme Lord. At Your command moves the mighty wheel of time. You are eternal, and beyond eternity.” Hinduism and Christianity are said to be complete opposites but they still have at least one thing in common.

The various branches of Judaism all have different views of God. Orthodox Jews believe that God is personal. Orthodox Jews believe He is compassionate, which the Bible affirms in Psalm 145:8 and Matthew 6:26. Psalm 145:8 says “the Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy”. Then Matthew 6:26 says “look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them”. They, just like Hindus and Christians, also believe God to be eternal and powerful. Conservative Jews believe that God is impersonal and Reform Jews do not have a firm set of views (Halverson, 125).

Animists believe that “God exists but He is beyond our abilities to know Him or to communicate with Him” (Halverson, 44). Christians have beliefs that are very different from Animists beliefs in that sense. Christians believe that we can know God and communicate with Him. So what similarities can be found between the two religions? Well, Animists have strong beliefs in spirits and Christians believe in the supernatural as well. Adherents of both religions believe that even though God exists there are also other forces in the world, even if the kinds of spiritual forces described by adherents of the two religions would be different.

Of course, not all religions’ views of God can point to the God of the Bible. Buddhists believe either that there is no God or that He is an impersonal being (Halverson, 242). Followers of the New Age Movement worldview believe in an impersonal God without moral distinctions (Halverson, 167). Shintoists believe there are many gods which may be helpful or hurtful (Halverson, 207). Still, many different religions do indeed point to the God of the Bible.

However, at the same time it is important to acknowledge the many differences between the viewpoints of God among various religions and the God of the Bible. For example, while many similarities can be found between the God of Islam and the God of the Bible there are also many glaring differences. In the book I Dared to Call Him Father Bilquis says the idea of lowering God down to our level and calling Him father is preposterous to a Muslim (Sheikh, 46-47) yet scripture says God is a “father to the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5). Many other religions would think Christians calling God ‘Father’ would be ridiculous as well, especially religions like Hinduism because they see God as an impersonal being.

The idea that God forgives us would also shock many adherents of other religions. Most people of other religions believe in karma and that there is no forgiveness for sins – we must pay for our wrong doings. However, in the book The Case for Christ it says that Jesus forgave sinners just as God forgives sinners (Strobel, 157-158). Not only do they not believe in God’s mercy many, like the Muslims, do not think that He loves sinners (Halverson, 110). Christians know that while God hates sin, He loves the sinner. In Romans 5:8 it says “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.

Even Muslims who believe in a personal God do not believe it is possible to know God (Halverson, 242). Christians would disagree. Many followers of other religions would disagree that there is a trinity. Some like the Hindus would argue there are millions of gods while Muslims would say there is only one God and He has no partners. While the term ‘trinity’ is not used in the Bible there are many verses that suggest it. For example, Matthew 28:19 says “therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Then again the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned in 2 Corinthians 13:14 when says “may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”. While certain similarities between the God of the Bible and the gods of other religions it is clear that there are also a fair amount of differences.

While how followers of other religions view God is very important, it is also important how they view Jesus. The unfortunate news is that all religions except Christianity do not see Jesus as the Savior. According to Relevant magazine’s article “What Other World Religions Think About Jesus”, Muslims agree that Jesus was a prophet, should be revered, was born of a virgin, ascended to heaven, and will come again (Wallace). Still, they do not believe Jesus to be the Messiah. Neither do Jews who believe Jesus to be a miracle worker, one who should be respected, and a man who was crucified but not the Savior (Wallace). Some religions like Hinduism even consider him to be a god but certainly not the only one or the Savior of the world (Wallace).

Didn’t think similarities could be found between Animism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity? Well, there are. Many religions have similar views of God as Christians do. Quite a few agree that God is powerful, compassionate, the creator, personal, eternal, and all knowing.

My Interview with a Muslim

I recently conducted an email interview with Abdulah Mohamed, a young man from Indonesia. Although I didn’t get the chance to speak with him in person, all of our email exchanges were very pleasant. In fact, emailing him felt as though I were emailing an old friend (perhaps because he was an old friend of my good friend Bianca). Mr. Mohamed was more than willing to share his story and his beliefs. He was able to teach me many things about Islam and his answers to my questions intrigued me greatly.

The first question I asked Mr. Mohamed was how he viewed Jesus. Mohamed started off by saying, “Muslims respect and revere Jesus… They consider him one of the greatest of God’s messengers to mankind.” Mr. Mohamed went on to say that the Quran confirms that Jesus was indeed born to Mary, a virgin, and he performed many miracles during his life. They do not, however, believe in Jesus’ crucifixion. They believe people planned to crucify Jesus but that God saved Jesus and another man that looked like Jesus was killed instead.

Then I asked Mr. Mohamed about sin and how it is dealt with. He responded by saying that in the Islamic faith if someone asks God to forgive them then He will.

From there I asked about the five pillars of Islam and asked whether all Muslims follow them. Turns out, they do (as long as they are physically able to). Mr. Mohamed also listed them out for me. I compared his list to the one in my textbook and found them to be exactly the same in every way. While not exactly seen as necessary, Christianity also has “pillars” of sorts when one thinks about it. Essentially the five pillars of Islam are a list of things that are important to the Islamic faith. Prayer, giving, reading the Bible, being baptized, and (of course) belief in God are all seen as important in the Christian faith. However, in Christianity these things are not seen as necessary for going to heaven. The Bible is clear when it says that faith is all that is required of one in the Christian faith.

I also asked about how many Muslims there was where he lives compared to the number of people of other religions. Based on my knowledge of the family-centered culture in Asia and what I read in I Dared To Call Him Father, I figured it was likely that there is a heavy percentage of Muslims in Indonesia. Mr. Mohamed’s response showed me I was correct on that assumption. His response was the following: “I would have to say that Islam is 90% and Christian is maybe 5% and Hindu is 3% and the other 2% is other.”

The question I most wanted to ask was this: do Muslims feel persecuted for the Islamic extremists that dominate the news? As a Christian, whenever I see extremist Christians on TV I get very upset because it often feels like the news exploits the extremists. Even though we are of different religions I thought the same feelings may very well run through his mind too when he sees news reports about Islamic extremist groups. Mr. Mohamed responded by saying “what the media does show is not the true Islam”. Islam is not accurately portrayed in the media much like all other religions.

Another thing I was eager to know was why Mr. Mohamed converted. He grew up as a self-labeled “moderate Christian” and converted to Islam as a young adult. Before his conversion he had been going through a hard time and a friend told him about “a better way to get through life”. Mr. Mohamed learned about Islam and decided to convert.

I also asked Mr. Mohamed about the Islamic holidays. He listed three holidays to be the most important ones - Eid al-Fitr, Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha. The birthday of Muhammad and New Year are also mentioned in the list of holidays in the Hopfe textbook but not by Mr. Mohamed as an important celebration. Ramadan is a month of fasting and reflection. Eid al-Fitr is a celebration after Ramadan has ended. It is a time of feasting and spending time with family. Edia al-Adha is a time when Muslims remember how Abraham was faithful and ready to sacrifice his son to God. While no holidays are the same, there are some similarities between Islamic holidays and Christian holidays. The time of Ramadan has similarities to Lent in that it is a time of fasting (or giving something up) and reflection (although admittedly for different reasons).

My experience communicating back and forth with Mr. Mohamed was a wonderful one. He taught me about the Islamic religion through what he said but also by how he said it. He was also very encouraging and wished me good luck. The Islamic religion is often portrayed as a very violent one (and surely there are very violent Muslims) but I believe a majority of its followers are very kind and peaceful people like Mr. Abdulah Mohamed.