Why is it that we are so often afraid of those things that we know little about? This weekend there are protests that are taking place near Muslim mosques around the country, most closely Dearborn, MI. Not only do these protests appear to be anti-Muslim, they are also being promoted by open-carry gun groups.
This does not speak to anything that Jesus would have promoted within his life or to this day. How does this reflect the idea that we should love our neighbors? ELCA Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, questions this as she speaks in opposition to these protests:
“As Christians, we are freed in Christ to love and serve our neighbors. Today our neighbors include Muslims – upstanding faithful Americans. The enemy we face is not Islam but hatred and fear. I join my sisters and brothers in calling for gestures of solidarity with our American Muslim neighbors. Together we can witness to the world that God’s love will have the last word.”
a mysterious way 