The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro was and for many still is
a catalyst of much controversy in our middle Tennessee town. But the mosque’s neighbor,
Grace Baptist Church knows how to make the Muslim neighbors feel welcome.
First, they put up a gauntlet of crosses that the Muslim
community must drive by on their way to the mosque. Second, they now house the
Evangelical Arabic Church aimed at converting Arab speaking Muslims to
Christianity.
Pastor Ghattas of the Evangelical Arabic Church is quoted in
the Daily News Journal, the Boro’s local paper, saying: “I want the American
public to see Islam from a Christian perspective, how we love (the Muslims) and
how we are not afraid of them because we want to build bridges, not walls.”
I’m all for the ending fear, though I suspect local Mosque-goers
will fear the evangelical enthusiasm of their Arabic-speaking neighbors. And I’m
all for building bridges, but I wonder if the traffic goes both ways: Islam is
no less evangelical that Christianity.
1 comment:
Weirdly enough most people can tell quite quickly if you love them or not.I go periodically into the bowels of the Grace Baptist Churches of the planet and even as one of the 'team' (very loosely these days) I feel a murderous chill on my bones. They hate your guts mostly... it has to be said. Love? I don't think so. I hope Murfreesboro survives that battle. I'm not not sure most of us are going to. I've lost my appetite for proselytizing and much prefer a loving dialogue and mutual appreciation as I know you do Rami.
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