In 2002, Bruce Feiler wrote Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths. It became a New York Times booklist bestseller.
In the book, Feiler goes to great lengths to show the common origin of the three major religious faiths — Christianity, Islam, and Judaism — by examining the defining role that Abraham plays in the lives of half the world’s believers. The recount of Abraham’s life is central in the Bible, the Koran, and the Torah.
There is a compelling visual image as Feiler describes the scene in the city of Jerusalem, beginning at dawn on a Friday in December as hundreds of thousands make this annual pilgrimage. He describes how at a point of convergence, how members in the crowd turn in different directions: “Christians turn north. Today is the last Friday before Christmas... Jews turn south. Today is the last Friday of Hanukkah... Muslims turn east. Today is the last day of Ramadan...
Each major faith lays historical claim to this piece of land as they recount their faith’s history and evolution. “Adam was buried here. Solomon built here. Jesus prayed here. Muhammad ascended here.” Does it leave you scratching your head when you think of how that part of that same piece of geography is so engulfed in turmoil, violence, and war?
But never underestimate the strength, or resilience of goodwill of people in all religious faith, and it shows as we come together with a common mission in our own little piece of the world. A great example of this will occur in Kansas City, MO on May 6, 2009, when the local Habitat for Humanity will host a Clergy Build Day.
According to the press release, pastors, priests, rabbis and imams will gather to work together to build a home for a single mother, as a part of “The House that Abraham Builds” project. The project is being used to promote unity, diversity, and interfaith fellowship while providing a quality home for a family in need.
“Although this group comes from all different ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds as well as a variety of faiths, we all share the teachings of Abraham as a common foundation. And from this foundation, we have built an interfaith network of congregations who believe more in the power of unity and peace than in bedlam and confrontation,” says Geofrey Kigenyi, Habitat Kansas City Faith Relations Coordinator and Abraham Build project leader. “The positive energy of this group is both infectious and uplifting.”
Let us hope it spreads over the land and across the seas to all people of every ethnic, cultural, and racial group.
Comments
Tolerance Doesn't Equal Equality
I think that, contemporarily, many religions and religious people are much more tolerant and accepting, thus that is why we have religious groups unifying and collaborating. Historically, Religion has been one of the most intolerant and gruesome aspects of society; people and groups have been exiled, slaughtered, crucified, hanged, beheaded, and burned for their beliefs. I have often thought about the author’s assertion, being that religion is often wreathed in violence and bloodshed. Why is it that, in the past and even is some regions today, religion has fostered the most sinful acts? Don’t most religions preach nonviolence, love, forgiveness, tolerance, and purity? Does the majority of sin stem from religious enthusiasm? It seems that today religion is more as it should be: merciful, embracing, and virtuous. It is because of this positive transition that I think different religions can co-exist in harmony. And doesn’t the harmony of religion reflect the harmony of races? Don’t different cultures and races compose these different religions that we are in harmony with? So, are we not practicing religious as well as racial equality? No. We may be more religiously tolerant, as in we accept one another’s beliefs, but we still don’t view each other as equals. Tolerance doesn’t equal equality. So, when the article discussed the combining of religions, I immediately saw past that, recognizing that it didn’t mirror racial acceptance within the dominating culture. It’s going to take more than religious collaboration to tear down the social construction of race.
A Good Incident Among Many Horrors
This story is a good example of how people can overcome many racial, ethnic, historical, and religious difference in order to improve the common good. These three groups, although similar in orgin because of the evidence presented by their shared history of Abraham and of the city of Jerusalem, have long been in constant conflict and have committed atrocities in the name of their religion. Seeing the fact that these three groups can come to harmony with one another and build a home for a woman in need is a testiment to what can happen globally. It is poosible to over this phobia all the groups have against one another and realize that these people all worship a very similar deity tht preaches very similar values and will give a similar salvation. Contact is a gain the key to oversoming these large obstacles, we must all be the change we want to see occur.
Come Together
This article really gives me hope. Reading the story about the three religions basically coming together and putting their beliefs aside and working to fulfill the one common goal of getting this woman her house done, is very inspiring “to me. It only re-enforces a message I received from one of the guest speakers on my campus that “there are no enemies but opponents in life.” Just like the religions we all just have to come to the greater good. Even though we may butt heads, we have to put that behind us sometimes and put in work to make that society we all want to see. Remember in the end, we all want the same thing, so we can’t be enemies, we only believe in different things and ways so that makes us opponents.
3 Religions With The Same God
Finally religions are getting along and are working together for a common good. This is seriously a really big deal. Since the beginning of history people have been fighting over religion. The Crusades was a 200-year Holy War waged by the Christians to obtain the holy land from the Muslim rulers. Hitler tried to make the Jewish religion and its people instinct during World War II. The fighting taking place between Jews and Muslims continues even today. Millions of people have died from these wars for and over nothing. All the religions are based on the same God but ye† people still think their religion is better and real. Who really cares if your God is better then my God, you should be concentrating on being a better person. No one is going to do his or her religion justice as long as tension remains. “The House that Abraham Builds” shows the world the truth; religions can get a long and actually work together for good.